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California Looks at Opening Wildlife Reserves to Sociopaths

November 12, 2010


Immediate, please sign:
Keep California Wildlife Refuges Free of Hunting

From Change.org
By Martin Matheny

Officials at the California Department of Fish and Game are mulling over a proposal to open as much as 1 million acres of protected wildlife habitat to hunters. The proposal, which would allow hunting of deer, bear, turkey, and other animals in some areas currently being protected, has drawn the ire of wildlife and environmental advocates.

The game refuges in question date back to the early 20th Century; they were created as a way to control overhunting and preserve viable populations. The California Fish and Game Department contends that the refuges are obsolete, and that restrictions on how many animals a hunter can “take” during any given year accomplish the same thing. Eric Loft, who heads up the CDFG’s wildlife operations, says, “We have regulations to prevent hunters from overharvesting wildlife.” (Note to Mr. Loft: “Harvesting” is what you do to corn and wheat. What you do to deer and doves is a different word entirely.)

Related, There is Just So Much Fun in Killing!!!

 

Animal advocates have two problems with this: the actual proposal itself, and the procedural side. Conservationists and others opposed to lifting the hunting ban say that the department has kept the potential change too quiet, and has failed to notify the public in a meaningful way.

Wildlife advocates also contend that there’s just no data to back up lifting the hunting restrictions. Marilyn Jasper, with the Sierra Club in Placer County, told the San Jose Mercury News, “Where is their proof? The department is shooting from the hip.”

A quick look at the CDFG’s website does show an attempt to gather public input. (You’ve got until December 1st to put your two cents in, by the way.) Of course, just putting out a notice isn’t the whole enchilada, if you’re serious about hearing from the public. Especially when the title of said notice is benign-sounding, like “Evaluation of the Status of Existing State Game Refuges.” While the CDFG may have done their due diligence, it’s pretty clear that they didn’t do much, if any, more than that to notify the public. That’s a shame, because this is kind of a big deal.

It’s not just the wildlife being affected, although that’s a good enough reason in its own right to oppose this. Taking the lid off game refuges also affects people — especially the ones who choose to shoot wildlife with a camera instead of a firearm. Hunters will tell you that hunting gives people an appreciation of nature. Of course, there are more ways to appreciate nature than through a rifle sight. Eric Mills of Action for Animals, puts it pithily: “Do we have to shoot wild animals to appreciate them?”

In the end, we have a potential policy change, affecting animals and humans, with just too many unanswered questions, first and foremost being: Is it even going to work, and is there any research to back that conclusion up?

While the proposal is in the hands of the CDFG now, their job is to make a recommendation for the California legislature, who will make the final call. What we need is an actual discussion of policy, not thefait accompli this appears to be, and that’s why we’re asking you to tell the California Department of Fish and Game to put the brakes on this proposal now, and recommend to California legislators that the refuges stay safe for wildlife.

Please don’t forget to sign: Keep California Wildlife Refuges Free of Hunting

Hunting/poaching is a crime, please report it!

View this document on Scribd

From Deliberate Cruelty

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

because california needs revenue
a little blood spilling is
what they think they should do?
there can be no spiritual recompense
for such an act…all dollars
and no sense:(

Karen Lyons Kalmenson

12 Comments leave one →
  1. karen lyons kalmenson's avatar
    karen lyons kalmenson permalink
    November 12, 2010 1:07 pm

    because california needs revenue
    a little blood spilling is
    what they think they should do?
    there can be no spiritual recompense
    for such an act…all dollars
    and no sense:(

    Like

  2. Joseph's avatar
    Joseph permalink
    November 12, 2010 6:13 pm

    Hunters Make Me Sick…Especially The Clowns In This Video. They Are Pathetic!

    Like

  3. Dominique's avatar
    Dominique permalink
    November 12, 2010 8:23 pm

    Gawd Damn Fish and Game is at it again..we cannot let them get away with this…it is against our constitutional rights not to have a say in how to spend our tax dollars and the Fish and game has no business making money from a “special interest group, we really need help from an AR attorney to file charges against them, we cannot waste any more time writing letters to these guy’s, I have heard them with my own ears, that if they want a hunt they will get it. If anyone knows an attorney, this is a call out for help..

    Like

  4. carolinetc's avatar
    November 12, 2010 9:11 pm

    Video hunters do not want the public to see

    Bowhunting cruelty compilation part one and two

    Listen to the bears cries of pain.

    Monsters among us who kills for sports

    No matter how much we the good compassionate people apposes this bullshit terrorism to the innocent wildlife it just seems to be getting worse and worse. Something must happen to change, something huge and I hope it will come soon. I know what it may be but the government continue to lie to the public…its mad deer disease. Just like what happened in UK it’s going to happen here being that incubation is 10-40 years people may already be dying of CJD type illness and soon they won’t be able to hide it anymore. CWD will be killing venison eaters and the most to be effected will be the people at the pantries sadly because of how the venison is ground up and served.

    Like

    • Stacey's avatar
      November 12, 2010 9:30 pm

      Thanks, sweetie, I made a video collection and put it in the article with a link to your YT site.

      Like

  5. Dale Graham's avatar
    November 13, 2010 5:05 pm

    I always believed the Fish and Game Dept. would work in harmony with their wildlife.

    But it has come time again to wash the blood from the hands of so many who are amongst the greed, death and sport of hunting.

    There seems to be more of those who cry to save our animals but yet the powerful few finds away to silence this cry.

    I pledge my own existence left here on earth to battle this unjust killing … all who join me are welcome.

    Like

    • Dominique's avatar
      Dominique permalink
      November 13, 2010 5:44 pm

      They are silencing our cry’s and I will join forces with you, and all who are brave enough to fight them..and if we can’t stop this in CA, we will be undoing everything we have fought for to save wildlife everywhere.

      Like

  6. marietc's avatar
    marietc permalink
    November 13, 2010 5:41 pm

    Is US going totally mad

    Like

  7. Franziska Gerhardt's avatar
    Franziska Gerhardt permalink
    November 14, 2010 1:33 pm

    I feel outraged! One shouldn’t the most stupid ones of Germay, Russia, and of course other parts of Europe and the world. We low some hunters personally, they let us believe that hunting animals is a kid of “legal” compensation for rape etc.

    Like

  8. C. Thorpe's avatar
    C. Thorpe permalink
    November 14, 2010 2:05 pm

    Leave the animals alone; haven’t humans destroyed enough?
    Let the hunters find themselves a humane hobby – there are certainly enough to choose from!

    Like

  9. veganelder's avatar
    November 15, 2010 7:22 am

    The killing of sentient beings for “pleasure” is pathology incarnate.

    Could you please steer me to the reference for the statement in the graphic at the beginning of the article that says: “the psychological profile of serial killers is consistent with the characteristic traits of hunters…”

    Thanks

    Like

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  1. Robo-Deer Protects (some) Innocent Wildlife From Poachers (ie, hunters who murder other species or during different days …) « Our Compass

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