mnash88
UKC Forum Member
Registered: May 2014
Location: Maryland
Posts: 193 |
ACTION NEEDED - MD Anti-Hunting Bill
ACTION NEEDED!
HB0863, seeks to ban hunting contests in Maryland. The vague wording of this bill could also mean the end of registry sanctioned (UKC and other) hunts. We need as many hunters as possible - whether you hunt furbearers or not - to reach out and oppose this bill. Complete text of the bill can be found here http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2020RS/bills/hb/hb0863F.pdf
Below is a sample letter you can use (please edit as needed). Please contact your local representatives (if you are a MD resident) as well as the chair of the House Environment & Transportation Committee. A hearing is scheduled for February 26th at 1pm in the House. If you are thinking about going, please let me know! This has not been cross filed in the Senate yet, but contacting your senator would be a good idea too - let them know up front you are opposed to this! If you are not a MD resident, please still contact the members of the committee. The need to hear from as many people as possible who are opposed to this.
I am afraid this is only the beginning and if passed other forms of hunting enjoyed throughout the state will be under attack (beagle trials, retriever trials, bird dog events, even big buck contests and fishing rodeos). We need to stick together as hunters and push back!
Find your legislators and their contact information here:
http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Members/District
Delegate Kumar Barve, Environment & Transportation Committee Chair
kumar.barve@house.state.md.us[/email]
Bill Sponsors
dana.stein@house.state.md.us
alfred.carr@house.state.md.us[/email]
lorig.charkoudian@house.state.md.us
bonnie.cullison@house.state.md.us
ariana.kelly@house.state.md.us
Marc.Korman@house.state.md.us[/email]
Brooke.Lierman@house.state.md.us
sara.love@house.state.md.us
eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us
kirill.reznik@house.state.md.us
emily.shetty@house.state.md.us
jared.solomon@house.state.md.us
vaughn.stewart@house.state.md.us
kris.valderrama@house.state.md.us[/email]
Karen.Young@house.state.md.us
House Environment & Transportation Committee
Chair kumar.barve@house.state.md.us
Vice Chair dana.stein@house.state.md.us
Carl.Anderton@house.state.md.us
dalya.attar@house.state.md.us
regina.boyce@house.state.md.us
Barrie.Ciliberti@house.state.md.us
jerry.clark@house.state.md.us
[email]david.fraser.hidalgo@house.state.md.us
jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us
andreafletcher.harrison@house.state.md.us
anne.healey@house.state.md.us
marvin.holmes@house.state.md.us
jay.jacobs@house.state.md.us
Jay.Jalisi@house.state.md.us
mary.lehman@house.state.md.us
[email]Brooke.Lierman@house.state.md.us
sara.love@house.state.md.us
charles.otto@house.state.md.us
neil.parrott@house.state.md.us
vaughn.stewart@house.state.md.us
jen.terrasa@house.state.md.us
[email]melissa.wells@house.state.md.us
william.wivell@house.state.md.us
You can also contact Paul Peditto, Director of the MD Wildlife & Heritage Service as we want them to oppose this bill as well.
[email]Paul.Peditto@maryland.gov
February 6, 2020
Honorable Members of the Maryland House of Delegates
Environment and Transportation Committee
House Office Building
Annapolis, MD 21401
RE: HB0863 Natural Resources – Organized Hunting Contests – Restrictions
OPPOSE
Dear Honorable Delegates,
I am writing to you in opposition of HB0863. If passed, the bill would specifically prohibit the sponsoring of, conduction of, or participation in organized contests that have the objective of hunting or killing furbearing mammals for prizes or monetary rewards.
The furbearers commonly associated with these contests are coyote, fox and raccoon. These species can quickly become a nuisance if populations are not kept in check. They are predators that can cause injury or death to livestock and domestic pets. They are also rabies vector species and can carry other diseases communicable to domestic animals such as distemper and leptospirosis. Rabies and leptospirosis are also communicable to humans.
The most effective way of keeping furbearer populations in check is through hunting and trapping. The Department of Natural Resources Wildlife & Heritage Service (DNR-WHS) has established seasons for the hunting and harvesting of such animals. During those established seasons, there are no daily or season bag limits, which is a testament to these species’ abundance. The contests targeted in this bill are held in conjunction with those established seasons and are often aimed at reducing the potential of or reducing existing nuisance problems. Many hunters are actually doing farmers and landowners a favor by removing nuisance animals. While some of these animals may be taken during regular hunting seasons (outside of contests), the contests often serve as an incentive to reduce populations where they are especially a problem, thus reducing the risk of injury or disease transmission to livestock, domestic animals and people.
Some contests (such as raccoon hunts) are held during the “chase only” or “no-kill season”. Prizes may be awarded to the dog that trees the most raccoons, but no game is taken. Hunters in these instances are unarmed, follow state hunting regulations and additional rules set forth by a sanctioned dog registry. They verify by searching the limbs of the tree with a light that the dog has or has not treed his quarry. There is an existing process in place where organizations wishing to hold chase-only contests apply for a permit through the DNR-WHS. Permits are granted to several organizations for such raccoon events each year throughout the state. These contests have been happening for decades and have zero effect on wildlife populations. This bill is driven purely by emotions. Let’s leave the wildlife management to the biologists, who are the subject matter experts.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Club/Group affiliation if desired]
__________________
Melissa Nash
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02-11-2020 04:10 PM
