Hiker of the Woods
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Cabela?s Targeted by National Animal Rights Group
(Columbus) ? One of the nation?s largest anti-hunting groups, Defenders of Wildlife, have taken aim at Cabela?s Inc. with a misguided and misleading public relations campaign designed to raise money to fund its efforts against outdoor sports.
According to an action alert posted by Defenders, the group accused Cabela?s of sponsoring three so-called ?wolf-killing competitions? in Idaho. The group also attacked Cabela?s for the decision by the local paper in Sidney, Nebraska to not run an inflammatory ad against Cabela?s that Defenders had produced. It then went on to solicit funds to run the ad in other papers throughout the state.
The charges by Defenders are grossly misleading. Cabela?s did not sponsor any ?wolf-killing? events. Rather, it provided $150 worth of products as a donation to the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife-Idaho organization. That group organized and conducted three local predator hunts in 2009. The hunts complied with all state and federal laws. Additionally, all available information indicates that no wolves were killed during the hunts.
Cabela?s has been a long-time supporter of legal hunting and fishing and has worked closely with state and federal wildlife agencies to conserve wildlife populations. They are renowned in the business world as a leader in conservation programs and ethic. By contrast, Defenders has been one of the leaders in an effort to keep the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population on the Endangered Species List despite the recovery of their population and reasonable management plans designed by state officials.
?Defenders of Wildlife is attempting to tarnish the reputation of one of the most wildlife conscious companies in the world,? said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance president and CEO. ?Sportsmen should show their support by visiting a local Cabela?s and let them know that you appreciate their efforts and are not fooled by the antis? propaganda.?
The U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen?s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.
Anti-Hunting Legislator Likely Head of Key House Committee for Sportsmen
2/25/10
The next chairman of a key house committee with oversight over federal funding for wildlife conservation has a long history of opposing hunting, trapping, and gun ownership.
U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D- VA) is expected to be named Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. This subcommittee oversees funding for the Department of Interior and its various agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This makes this chair one of the most powerful positions influencing public policy on federal lands including whether to keep such land open to sportsmen.
Rep. Moran has sponsored and cosponsored a number of anti-hunting and anti-trapping bills during his time in Congress. One of his most high profile battles against sportsmen was an effort to ban the use of bait to hunt black bears on federal land despite being considered a valid management option by wildlife professionals in numerous states. This effort earned him the support of the nation?s leading anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Further anti-hunting and anti-trapping bills supported by Rep. Moran during the current Congressional session include co-sponsorships of:
HR 3710- which would prohibit the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
HR 2480- ?Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009? which would enforce more restrictive labeling requirements on fur.
Rep. Moran?s anti efforts were not the only thing that earned him applause from HSUS. In February, 2009, he helped form the ?Creature Caucus? in order to promote animal rights issues in Washington. The head of HSUS? lobbying wing, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, gushed about this group at the time by saying, ?We could not be more excited about this new organization of humane lawmakers.?
He has also supported anti-gun legislation earning himself the number four position on the NRA?s 2006 Top Anti-Gun representatives. He has supported bills such as ?assault weapon? bans, prohibitions on transferring ammunition to juveniles, and mandates for additional background checks at gun shows. Rep. Moran also supported legislation requiring ballistics testing data from guns be kept in a national database.
Rep. Moran?s expected move is part of a domino effect of legislators shifting committee positions that began with the recent passing of Rep. John Murtha (D- PA).
?Sportsmen are right to be wary that an obvious anti is getting ready to control the gavel for a committee overseeing much of the nation?s conservation policy,? said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance (USSA) vice president for government affairs. ?The USSA is going to watch this committee like a hawk and be sure that sound science and sportsmen?s voices are not ignored.?
HSUS Hit by Federal Racketeering Lawsuit
Other Animal Rights Groups Named in Case
2/25/10
The parent company of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Feld Entertainment, Inc., recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and a group of other animal rights organizations under a law prohibiting racketeering.
The suit, filed on February 16, comes after Feld Entertainment spent close to a decade in litigation with HSUS, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), the Animal Protection Institute (API) and others over its treatment of elephants used for circus performances. The original litigation came after a former Ringling employee named Tom Rider began making public appearances alleging abuses of the animals.
During the case brought by Rider and backed by the animal rights groups, information was presented that indicated that Rider received numerous payments from the groups through a complex web of financial transactions. This information played a key role in U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan?s decision to dismiss the case in December 2009. Judge Sullivan indicated that these payments represented Rider?s ?sole source of income? throughout the duration of the case and that Rider did not have the legal standing to bring the suit.
In his decision, Judge Sullivan further stated, ?The Court finds that Mr. Rider is essentially a paid plaintiff and fact witness who is not credible, and therefore affords no weight to his testimony regarding the matters discussed herein, i.e., the allegations related to his standing to sue.?
These findings by Judge Sullivan prompted Feld Entertainment to file its own lawsuit claiming that HSUS and others were involved in racketeering or illegal business activities by financing Rider?s suit in order to advance an agenda that included ending the use of elephants in circuses.
According to the suit, Feld specifically states that the defendants ?conspired to conduct and conducted the Enterprise through a pattern of, among other things, bribery and illegal gratuity payments (in violation of both state and federal law), obstruction of justice, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.?;
Click Here to read the suit filed by Feld Entertainment.
California Bill Would Prohibit Lead Shot
2/25/10
A new bill in California would greatly restrict the use of traditional lead shot ammunition by hunters and recreational shooters in the state.
Assembly Bill 2223, introduced by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D- Santa Barbara), would ban the use of traditional shot within California?s Wildlife Management Areas which encompasses over one half million acres of state hunting and recreational shooting land.
The bill would require that only ammunition approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for waterfowl and coot hunting be used on state land.
?It is disturbing that lead ammunition is being targeted again since state wildlife areas are largely funded by the taxes levied on such ammunition,? said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance (USSA) director of state services. ?Additionally, there is no demonstrated need to pass this legislation as the California Fish and Game Commission already has the authority to place restrictions on ammunition on a case by case basis. Those decisions are based on science and should be left up to the state?s wildlife management professionals.?
A leading California sportsmen organization echoed those sentiments.
?AB 2223 circumvents the science-based regulatory process of the California Fish and Game Commission,? said Mark Hennelly, vice president of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance. ?It wrongly allows politics to influence hunting regulations and the management of our wildlife resources.?
Take Action! California sportsmen should contact their state assembly members and urge them to oppose AB 2223. Tell them that science, not politics or public opinion, should be the basic for wildlife management
(Columbus) ? One of the nation?s largest anti-hunting groups, Defenders of Wildlife, have taken aim at Cabela?s Inc. with a misguided and misleading public relations campaign designed to raise money to fund its efforts against outdoor sports.
According to an action alert posted by Defenders, the group accused Cabela?s of sponsoring three so-called ?wolf-killing competitions? in Idaho. The group also attacked Cabela?s for the decision by the local paper in Sidney, Nebraska to not run an inflammatory ad against Cabela?s that Defenders had produced. It then went on to solicit funds to run the ad in other papers throughout the state.
The charges by Defenders are grossly misleading. Cabela?s did not sponsor any ?wolf-killing? events. Rather, it provided $150 worth of products as a donation to the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife-Idaho organization. That group organized and conducted three local predator hunts in 2009. The hunts complied with all state and federal laws. Additionally, all available information indicates that no wolves were killed during the hunts.
Cabela?s has been a long-time supporter of legal hunting and fishing and has worked closely with state and federal wildlife agencies to conserve wildlife populations. They are renowned in the business world as a leader in conservation programs and ethic. By contrast, Defenders has been one of the leaders in an effort to keep the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population on the Endangered Species List despite the recovery of their population and reasonable management plans designed by state officials.
?Defenders of Wildlife is attempting to tarnish the reputation of one of the most wildlife conscious companies in the world,? said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance president and CEO. ?Sportsmen should show their support by visiting a local Cabela?s and let them know that you appreciate their efforts and are not fooled by the antis? propaganda.?
The U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen?s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.
Anti-Hunting Legislator Likely Head of Key House Committee for Sportsmen
2/25/10
The next chairman of a key house committee with oversight over federal funding for wildlife conservation has a long history of opposing hunting, trapping, and gun ownership.
U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D- VA) is expected to be named Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. This subcommittee oversees funding for the Department of Interior and its various agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This makes this chair one of the most powerful positions influencing public policy on federal lands including whether to keep such land open to sportsmen.
Rep. Moran has sponsored and cosponsored a number of anti-hunting and anti-trapping bills during his time in Congress. One of his most high profile battles against sportsmen was an effort to ban the use of bait to hunt black bears on federal land despite being considered a valid management option by wildlife professionals in numerous states. This effort earned him the support of the nation?s leading anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Further anti-hunting and anti-trapping bills supported by Rep. Moran during the current Congressional session include co-sponsorships of:
HR 3710- which would prohibit the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System; and
HR 2480- ?Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2009? which would enforce more restrictive labeling requirements on fur.
Rep. Moran?s anti efforts were not the only thing that earned him applause from HSUS. In February, 2009, he helped form the ?Creature Caucus? in order to promote animal rights issues in Washington. The head of HSUS? lobbying wing, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, gushed about this group at the time by saying, ?We could not be more excited about this new organization of humane lawmakers.?
He has also supported anti-gun legislation earning himself the number four position on the NRA?s 2006 Top Anti-Gun representatives. He has supported bills such as ?assault weapon? bans, prohibitions on transferring ammunition to juveniles, and mandates for additional background checks at gun shows. Rep. Moran also supported legislation requiring ballistics testing data from guns be kept in a national database.
Rep. Moran?s expected move is part of a domino effect of legislators shifting committee positions that began with the recent passing of Rep. John Murtha (D- PA).
?Sportsmen are right to be wary that an obvious anti is getting ready to control the gavel for a committee overseeing much of the nation?s conservation policy,? said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance (USSA) vice president for government affairs. ?The USSA is going to watch this committee like a hawk and be sure that sound science and sportsmen?s voices are not ignored.?
HSUS Hit by Federal Racketeering Lawsuit
Other Animal Rights Groups Named in Case
2/25/10
The parent company of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Feld Entertainment, Inc., recently filed a federal lawsuit against the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and a group of other animal rights organizations under a law prohibiting racketeering.
The suit, filed on February 16, comes after Feld Entertainment spent close to a decade in litigation with HSUS, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), the Animal Protection Institute (API) and others over its treatment of elephants used for circus performances. The original litigation came after a former Ringling employee named Tom Rider began making public appearances alleging abuses of the animals.
During the case brought by Rider and backed by the animal rights groups, information was presented that indicated that Rider received numerous payments from the groups through a complex web of financial transactions. This information played a key role in U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan?s decision to dismiss the case in December 2009. Judge Sullivan indicated that these payments represented Rider?s ?sole source of income? throughout the duration of the case and that Rider did not have the legal standing to bring the suit.
In his decision, Judge Sullivan further stated, ?The Court finds that Mr. Rider is essentially a paid plaintiff and fact witness who is not credible, and therefore affords no weight to his testimony regarding the matters discussed herein, i.e., the allegations related to his standing to sue.?
These findings by Judge Sullivan prompted Feld Entertainment to file its own lawsuit claiming that HSUS and others were involved in racketeering or illegal business activities by financing Rider?s suit in order to advance an agenda that included ending the use of elephants in circuses.
According to the suit, Feld specifically states that the defendants ?conspired to conduct and conducted the Enterprise through a pattern of, among other things, bribery and illegal gratuity payments (in violation of both state and federal law), obstruction of justice, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.?;
Click Here to read the suit filed by Feld Entertainment.
California Bill Would Prohibit Lead Shot
2/25/10
A new bill in California would greatly restrict the use of traditional lead shot ammunition by hunters and recreational shooters in the state.
Assembly Bill 2223, introduced by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D- Santa Barbara), would ban the use of traditional shot within California?s Wildlife Management Areas which encompasses over one half million acres of state hunting and recreational shooting land.
The bill would require that only ammunition approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for waterfowl and coot hunting be used on state land.
?It is disturbing that lead ammunition is being targeted again since state wildlife areas are largely funded by the taxes levied on such ammunition,? said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen?s Alliance (USSA) director of state services. ?Additionally, there is no demonstrated need to pass this legislation as the California Fish and Game Commission already has the authority to place restrictions on ammunition on a case by case basis. Those decisions are based on science and should be left up to the state?s wildlife management professionals.?
A leading California sportsmen organization echoed those sentiments.
?AB 2223 circumvents the science-based regulatory process of the California Fish and Game Commission,? said Mark Hennelly, vice president of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance. ?It wrongly allows politics to influence hunting regulations and the management of our wildlife resources.?
Take Action! California sportsmen should contact their state assembly members and urge them to oppose AB 2223. Tell them that science, not politics or public opinion, should be the basic for wildlife management
