AZ Hunting Under Attack

[Where's Bruce?]

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and their front-group “Arizonans for Wildlife” are currently gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would ban the hunting and trapping of mountain lions and bobcats in the state. This misguided initiative ignores the fact that hunting is a necessary tool used by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) as part of their science-based, comprehensive game management plan. Maintaining targeted predator populations across the state helps to ensure that prey populations, such as deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope are kept at healthy levels.

Please spread the word to your family, friends, and fellow hunters to oppose this effort by “Arizonans for Wildlife” that would restrict the Arizona Game and Fish Department from managing predator populations in the state. Help protect Arizona’s diverse wildlife and science-based management by declining to sign these petitions.

If passed, this initiative would scrap Arizona’s comprehensive, scientifically-based approach and severely curtail AGFD’s ability to protect wildlife resources throughout the state. Hunting in Arizona supports critical wildlife and habitat conservation projects with funds generated through license fees and excise taxes paid by hunters under the Pittman-Robertson Act and is a vital contributor to the state’s economy.

HSUS and “Arizonans for Wildlife” have until July 2018 to gather 150,642 valid signatures to place the initiative on the November 2018 ballot.

 

[Beendare]

Thx for the heads up...ridiculous proposal.

 

[RyanH]

Good post, they did the same thing in California and have effectively hamstrung lion biology in the state. Keep us updated with anything we can do.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Good post, they did the same thing in California and have effectively hamstrung lion biology in the state. Keep us updated with anything we can do.

That's why I posted it...this liberalism BS is spreading and they are coordinating with other "enviro" groups (like the NRDC) to push this agenda. It is all interconnected with Agenda 21. It worked against fishermen too. Not to be taken likely, they have the funding, marketing savvy and political clout to move forward. politicians need to hear from us (the opposition) like a tidal wave to defeat this effort. And support the NRA as well. These same people destroyed my home state.

 

[RyanH]

That's why I posted it...this liberalism BS is spreading and they are coordinating with other "enviro" groups (like the NRDC) to push this agenda. It is all interconnected with Agenda 21. It worked against fishermen too. Not to be taken likely, they have the funding, marketing savvy and political clout to move forward. politicians need to hear from us (the opposition) like a tidal wave to defeat this effort. And support the NRA as well. These same people destroyed my home state.

The best way to combat it is to be a good ambassador for our culture. Many, many times, people are not necessarily anti-hunting, they're just uninformed, and far too often hunters take this lack of knowledge as an insult rather than an experience to teach and potentially transform somebody into a hunter. Being an unapologetic hunter is absolutely our best weapon, but be armed with sound & logical arguments, and be ready to refute any attacks on hunting. The more you have an opportunity to teach, the better.

 

[elkstabber]

How do you counter a ballot initiative? You can't, at least not effectively.

Maybe start your own initiative to protect the lion/bobcat hunts? I'm asking because the ballot initiatives only seem to be common in western states, in fact they do not exist in most eastern states.

Why not start your own to protect lion/bobcat hunting? Maybe it could be a state code addition or maybe it would be in the form of a state Constitutional amendment. In the eastern states we've gone the route of protecting hunting through state Constitutional amendments.

 

[Gobbler36]

What I am wondering also, how do you keep this from becoming a box to check in the 2018 ballot?

 

[Hnthrdr]

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and their front-group “Arizonans for Wildlife” are currently gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would ban the hunting and trapping of mountain lions and bobcats in the state. This misguided initiative ignores the fact that hunting is a necessary tool used by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) as part of their science-based, comprehensive game management plan. Maintaining targeted predator populations across the state helps to ensure that prey populations, such as deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope are kept at healthy levels.

Please spread the word to your family, friends, and fellow hunters to oppose this effort by “Arizonans for Wildlife” that would restrict the Arizona Game and Fish Department from managing predator populations in the state. Help protect Arizona’s diverse wildlife and science-based management by declining to sign these petitions.

If passed, this initiative would scrap Arizona’s comprehensive, scientifically-based approach and severely curtail AGFD’s ability to protect wildlife resources throughout the state. Hunting in Arizona supports critical wildlife and habitat conservation projects with funds generated through license fees and excise taxes paid by hunters under the Pittman-Robertson Act and is a vital contributor to the state’s economy.

HSUS and “Arizonans for Wildlife” have until July 2018 to gather 150,642 valid signatures to place the initiative on the November 2018 ballot.

I swear man, it’s like you get an enough dumb people fresh off the boat from the coasts and they ultimately start destroying wildlife conservation… I’ll get on this. I have family in AZ who ranches and hunts, such a bad idea

 

[bohntr]

I swear man, it’s like you get an enough dumb people fresh off the boat from the coasts and they ultimately start destroying wildlife conservation… I’ll get on this. I have family in AZ who ranches and hunts, such a bad idea

Ah, you do realize this post was from 5 years ago?

 

[Hnthrdr]

Ah, you do realize this post was from 5 years ago?

Haha I should have checked, I guess it wouldn’t surprise me if it was this year… Az is my backup plan for cat hunting if my father in law can line it up down there