Legislation that bans hunting in an enclosure could have impacts far beyond what the language of the bill implies. LD 1068 states that:
“A person may not instigate, promote, participate in, aid or abet, as a principal, agent, employee, participant or spectator, participate in the earnings from or intentionally maintain or allow any place to be used for the shooting, killing or wounding with a firearm or a deadly weapon of an animal that is confined within artificial boundaries or tied, staked out, caged or otherwise intentionally restrained, regardless of the animal’s size.”
The language conjures up images of someone shooting an animal that is tied up or in a cage, but in reality, this language could be used to close down pheasant hunting preserves, gun dog field trials, or even deer hunting operations where hunting takes places on large tracts of land. Pheasants are confined in pens and barns before being released on a hunting preserve. Field trialers keep their birds confined until such time as the release for the trial. And many deer hunting preserves are massive, and provide a fair chase opportunity, albeit on a fenced in property. Any fence is, in fact, an enclosure, but the bill makes no distinction between large scale operation and an actual cage. All of these examples are “artificial,” as the bill prohibits, and leaves open the question about what would truly be eliminated by LD 1068.
On Monday, March 27, at 9:00 a.m., in room 214 of the Cross Building, the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee will take public testimony on LD 1068. Please use our take action button to email the committee urging them to OPPOSE this overly broad legislation that could be used as a tool by animal rights groups to eliminate hunting opportunities.
Don’t forget to share this email with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen asking them to also contact the committee urging them to OPPOSE LD 1068.