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Reject irresponsible ‘canned hunts’ in N.D. |
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Thursday, 01 May 2008 |
Letter from Joe Miele
Maywood, N.J.
Proponents of humane and responsible care and management of wildlife are supporting the push to put a measure on voting ballots in November that would ban “canned hunting” in the state. Canned hunting is the practice of hunting animals who are confined to enclosures where there is no chance for them to escape. It is absent of any conservation value, lacks any degree of “fair chase”ˇ and is nothing more than an activity that appeals to a violent segment of society -- those who kill wildlife solely for pleasure.
Many hunters and hunting organizations oppose canned hunting. In his book Beyond Fair Chase, Jim Posewitz, a hunter of more than 40 years, says of canned hunting: "There are some activities that are clearly unfair as well as unethical. At the top of the list is shooting captive or domesticated big game animals in commercial killing areas.” Similarly, the Boone and Crockett club publicly condemns "the pursuit and killing of any big game animal kept in or released from captivity to be killed in an artificial or bogus ‘hunting’ situation."
Those who oppose canned hunting include hunters who see the operations as demeaning to the idea of “responsible” hunting, wildlife advocates who do not believe in hunting in any form, and people of conscience from all walks of life who understand that hunting animals kept in captivity is not ethical under any circumstances. Should North Dakotans be fortunate enough to see the initiative sponsored by the organization “North Dakota Hunters for Fair Chase” on the ballot in November, voting for its passage would be the responsible choice. For more information on canned hunts please visit www.AbolishSportHunting.com.
Miele is president of the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting.
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