This one took me away...
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Hunting deer inside fences is not a sport
State wildlife officials want to know what Hoosiers think about hunting deer inside fenced properties.
So heres our opinion:
We dont think it even should be dignified with the name of hunting.
The state is conducting five public meetings this month on the issue. The second hearing, and the one nearest us, takes place tonight at 6 at the Salamonie Reservoir.
You can see the schedule of hearings or send an e-mail comment at dnr.in.gov/fencedhunting.
Hunting deer behind fences is a topic that has been debated and discussed for a number of years, said Kyle Hupfer, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It is time that the DNR took a more assertive role and a decision is made once and for all whether fenced hunting is something that Hoosiers want in their state, and if allowed, what rules will govern such hunting.
A special advisory group tackled the question in 2003 and 2004 and didnt reach a decision. The Legislature looked at the issue this year and punted it back to the DNR.
Public comments to the advisory group weighed heavily against fenced hunting, however.
Wild deer exist in every county of this state, one person said. The opportunity to hunt is abundant. Raising deer in a pen to later be shot for personal profit is not hunting. It does nothing but give hunting a black eye.
We couldnt agree more.
Right now, Indianas rules dont make any distinction between hunting deer in the wild or in a fenced preserve.
A half-dozen deer-hunting preserves hold licenses in Indiana, according to state officials. A DNR official says raising deer in captivity to sell to these fenced preserves has become a growing industry.
Hunting in a fenced preserve amounts to shooting a tame animal that ultimately cant run away and might even lack the instinct to do so.
You might as well shoot a dairy cow.
You dont need good hunting skills to bag a deer in a fenced preserve. All you need is enough money to pay the preserves owner. The price may depend on the size of the deer you shoot.
Whats the attraction? A preserve can grow an impressive buck if it feeds him like a prize steer.
Taking a deer in a fenced preserve is not hunting. Its just killing. You might get a big set of antlers for your trophy room, but how could you be proud of it?
The DNR has offered 19 possible rules for fenced hunting to discuss at its public meetings.
If we really needed fenced hunting in Indiana, they would be good rules. They require testing for chronic wasting disease, which is spreading to deer in Midwestern states. Some experts blame hunting preserves for transmitting CWD by importing animals from other states.
The DNR plan suggests allowing fenced deer hunting until 2015 and then banning it completely. That would allow the owners of hunting preserves to recover their investments and wind down their operations.
We dont have a lot of sympathy for people who profit from fenced hunting. Five years should be enough for them to get out of this distasteful business. Wed rather see it go away immediately.
Real hunters have no problem finding deer in the wild in Indiana. Surely, a vast majority of Hoosiers recoil at the idea of hunting captive deer.
If you cant shoot a game animal unless its tame, trapped and standing still, you shouldnt be hunting at all.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Hunting deer inside fences is not a sport
State wildlife officials want to know what Hoosiers think about hunting deer inside fenced properties.
So heres our opinion:
We dont think it even should be dignified with the name of hunting.
The state is conducting five public meetings this month on the issue. The second hearing, and the one nearest us, takes place tonight at 6 at the Salamonie Reservoir.
You can see the schedule of hearings or send an e-mail comment at dnr.in.gov/fencedhunting.
Hunting deer behind fences is a topic that has been debated and discussed for a number of years, said Kyle Hupfer, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. It is time that the DNR took a more assertive role and a decision is made once and for all whether fenced hunting is something that Hoosiers want in their state, and if allowed, what rules will govern such hunting.
A special advisory group tackled the question in 2003 and 2004 and didnt reach a decision. The Legislature looked at the issue this year and punted it back to the DNR.
Public comments to the advisory group weighed heavily against fenced hunting, however.
Wild deer exist in every county of this state, one person said. The opportunity to hunt is abundant. Raising deer in a pen to later be shot for personal profit is not hunting. It does nothing but give hunting a black eye.
We couldnt agree more.
Right now, Indianas rules dont make any distinction between hunting deer in the wild or in a fenced preserve.
A half-dozen deer-hunting preserves hold licenses in Indiana, according to state officials. A DNR official says raising deer in captivity to sell to these fenced preserves has become a growing industry.
Hunting in a fenced preserve amounts to shooting a tame animal that ultimately cant run away and might even lack the instinct to do so.
You might as well shoot a dairy cow.
You dont need good hunting skills to bag a deer in a fenced preserve. All you need is enough money to pay the preserves owner. The price may depend on the size of the deer you shoot.
Whats the attraction? A preserve can grow an impressive buck if it feeds him like a prize steer.
Taking a deer in a fenced preserve is not hunting. Its just killing. You might get a big set of antlers for your trophy room, but how could you be proud of it?
The DNR has offered 19 possible rules for fenced hunting to discuss at its public meetings.
If we really needed fenced hunting in Indiana, they would be good rules. They require testing for chronic wasting disease, which is spreading to deer in Midwestern states. Some experts blame hunting preserves for transmitting CWD by importing animals from other states.
The DNR plan suggests allowing fenced deer hunting until 2015 and then banning it completely. That would allow the owners of hunting preserves to recover their investments and wind down their operations.
We dont have a lot of sympathy for people who profit from fenced hunting. Five years should be enough for them to get out of this distasteful business. Wed rather see it go away immediately.
Real hunters have no problem finding deer in the wild in Indiana. Surely, a vast majority of Hoosiers recoil at the idea of hunting captive deer.
If you cant shoot a game animal unless its tame, trapped and standing still, you shouldnt be hunting at all.
