Early tomorrow morning, at 7:30 a.m., the Virginia House Natural Resources Sub-Committee will take testimony on House Bill 1989 in House room 3.
As previously reported, House Bill 1989 will undermine the effective management of fish and game populations by restricting the control of predator populations by prohibiting contests involving coyotes and fur-bearing animals.
National animal-rights groups continue to target wildlife contests across the country. Using “feel good” terminology like “animal welfare” to mask their true intentions of eliminating hunting, they try to ban one game-management tool at a time. Predator management and population control is necessary to minimize the spread of disease and negative human-wildlife interactions.
“Wildlife contest bills stigmatize organized events where people hunt wildlife for recreation and provide a critical wildlife management check on burgeoning populations that cannot be controlled otherwise,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs for the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “How is a coyote contest any different than a fishing derby or a big buck contest? It’s not, but animal extremists know they cannot end hunting in one fell swoop so this is nothing but another means to that end.”
Please use our take action button to email the members of the Natural Resources sub-committee AND the members of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources committee urging them to OPPOSE HB 1989.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.