Anti's Threaten Bowhunting at Local Level

[LifeNRA]

Anti's Threaten Bowhunting at Local Level- (09/16)

Connecticut

Anti-hunters are trying to block a bowhunt proposed to reduce the deer population in a Connecticut community.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) claims Ridgefield, Connecticut’s Deer Committee “rushed to recommendations” when it suggested a bowhunt to reduce a skyrocketing deer herd on town-owned and state-owned lands. The nation’s largest anti-hunting group got involved when committee member Gwen Thaxter wrote a report refuting the hunting recommendation.

The Deer Committee, appointed by the Ridgefield Board of Selectmen, compiled information about the town’s deer herd from Nov. 2004 through June 2005. Its report concludes that deer overpopulation is a problem in the community and recommends the establishment of a bowhunt as a management tool. The Board will soon select representatives for a Deer Management Implementation Committee.

Tom Belote, Deer Committee co-chairman, expects the anti’s to continue efforts to block the hunt.

“I expect opposition from animal rights advocates and extremists,” said Belote. “They will likely try to block the implementation of committee recommendations and block the appointment of hunters to the Implementation Committee."

Bowhunting is a safe and effective deer management tool. To protect and advance the sport, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and several bowhunting organizations have created the Bowhunter Rights Coalition (BRC). Its focus is to link bowhunters and act as a rapid response network to deal with bowhunting issues at the local, state and national levels. For more information and to join, visit www.bowhuntercoalition.org.

[Guest hunter480]

Re: Anti\'s Threaten Bowhunting at Local Level

Another avenue available to hunters is Free Hunters. It`s a new branch of NRA designed to work for hunting the same way NRA and ILA work for second amendment rights. I`m an NRA and Free Hunters life member and I support these groups completely.

Whatever group you join, please join something. The issues we face are critical, from vanishing habitat, to animal "rights" kooks, to no access to hunting land, there is much that needs our attention. This tradition can well vanish much like is happening in Europe.