Sportsmen's Monthly January 2014 | Page 9

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