The Year of the
BALLOT ISSUE?
“While the anti’s may try to hide behind a suggestive name,
sportsmen nationwide won’t be fooled by who the real
proponents are of these efforts,” said Evan Heusinkveld, USSA
vice president of government affairs. “National animal rights
and other anti-hunting groups are leading these efforts – and
they’re out to ban all hunting and trapping.”
In the west, trappers in Montana and Oregon are also facing
potential fights of their own.
In Montana, an anti-trapping group named “Footloose
Montana” is again circulating petitions to place Initiative 167
on the ballot which would ban trapping on all public lands.
“
...they’re out to ban all hunting
and trapping.
”
While “Footloose Montana” failed to qualify a similar initiative
in 2010, they have renewed their efforts with an eye on next
November’s election.
Along the same lines, an Oregon anti-trapping group was
circulating petitions in an effort to ban trapping in the state.
The group “TrapFree Oregon” recently announced they would
be postponing their efforts until 2016.
Overall, 2014 is shaping up to be a year dominated by political
battles at the ballot box. It is vital that sportsmen in these
states and others work together to stop these attacks on our
heritage.
Sportsmen’s Monthly January 2014
9