In 1988, four American hunters went to China with the Smithsonian, in cooperation with Chinese wildlife officials, to pursue argali sheep. Upon return to the United States with their trophies, the hunters were arrested and their trophies and guns seized.
FWS Law Enforcement claimed that the trophies were an endangered subspecies of sheep, even though the Chinese and Smithsonian determined the animals were not an endangered subspecies. Citizens were arrested and harassed as a result of a subspeciation dispute. In fact, the FWS Division of Scientific Authority agreed with the Chinese and Smithsonian, but FWS Law Enforcement did not care.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance helped represent the hunters who won the case. More important than the outcome in this individual case, this kind of bureaucratic abuse triggered a Sportsmen’s Alliance-led effort that reformed enforcement practices and procedures within FWS two years later.
Help Us Fight for You
Your tax-deductible donation to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund directly supports our legal fights in courtrooms nationwide. The Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund was established to represent sportsmen in lawsuits that affect your ability to hunt, fish, trap and own firearms. Its funding ensures the sportsman’s voice is heard above the rhetoric of anti-hunting groups.
Join the fight for your hunting and fishing future by donating to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund today!
