Well here we go again! Another town here in Mass is trying to Ban Bow hunting stating its unsafe and the neighbors are complaning hunters are too close to their houses. Now its Brockton Mass. and there is not a lot of hunting room but there is enough we already have a no discharge of a firearm in the city but bow hunting give me a break. Can any one give me some info I can bring to the town meeting to help me keep bow hunting when it is heard about this. There is a really large deer herd in the cith I have them in my yard all the time. Any help or info would be great. Thanks Mike
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Correction Officers: We walk the toughest beat in the country!
Try and Google for just about any state wildlife agency. They should have annual stats on hunting accidents. So very few in archery, except for falling from a tree stand, to be almost negligible. Also try to google the CDC...they usually have stats per 1000? hours of activity. Archery as I remember is safer than pingpong!
Check the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)'s website.....it may contain what your looking for or someone there may be able to let you know.
Can you even imagine how the deer numbers will sky rocket if that happens...then the same damn people will want the city to pay for traps or sharp shooters....unbelievable...but that's ignorant city people think.
hate to say this, but coming from NY and NJ, I've seen things like this play out in the following manner:
a: local (pro-ban) officials are required by law to have an open hearing
where testimony will be heard.
b: everyone comes down and a lot of hot air is blown around
c: the town passes it's ordinance.
The reason it plays out this way, is because the town board has already committed to the ban...the meeting is basically Kangaroo Court. They are already anti-hunting and plan on banning hunting entirely and will use public safety as the excuse to push their agenda. As far as the meeting goes, they must legally have the open meeting but they are not legally bound to make their decision based on the testimony profferred at the meeting.
Nevertheless, the meeting is useful to:
1: ask them to consider how much it costs to fix a car after a collision with
a deer. Then, based on how common that issue is WITH hunting, let
them know that doe's drop twins each spring and without hunting, and
specifically BOW hunting, the resident deer population will triple
in a very short time.
2: warn of the increased likelihood of Lyme disease on the area's children
who play in the yards frequented by infected deer whose population will
grow exponentially in the absence of hunting.
3: warn landowners/farmers of the increase in Lyme disease infection rates
for their livestock and horses (and the increased vet bills it causes).
Deer will feed right along with the livestock and infected ticks drop off
the deer and infect healthy livestock where they feed.
4: warn local residents that children and horses/dairy cows are not the
only potential victims of lyme disease; those working for them are
susceptible to the disease as well.
5: increased tick populations translate into increased costs associated with
pest control, increased veterinarian bills, medical costs and financial
costs associated with sick animals which need to be destroyed.
6: as far as testimony goes, someone should stand up and state that the
residents of the locality passing this ordinance, will hold local
government morally and FINANCIALLY responsible, as their actions will
directly affect public health vis-a-vis Lyme disease infection rates,
and will cause financial losses for local residents as a direct result of
their proposed actions (in the form of property damage and livestock
losses). Further advise them that those voting for the
ban will be held PERSONALLY FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE; their
inaccurate, ill-advised, factually baseless legal action against lawfully
licensed hunting in the vicinity constitutes a gross and malicious
miscarriage of their responsibility to that community. Their efforts to
impose unpopular personal bias on the population at large resulted in
harm which will need to be accountd for.
7: challenge the 'locals' to produce any records whatsoever which pertain
or which chronicle any and all hunting accidents in the area for the
last 10 years. Do not allow them to quote "statewide statistics"
because the state's big, and your town is small...the law is for your
town , not the state, so if there are no accidents reported, there is no
cause to impose a ban.
When they pass the law, and all the above comes to pass, those who voted for the ban can be held accountable and the above public health and quality of life issues can be enumerated to get local voters to throw the bums out. Get legal assistance on behalf of the hunters of your town.
Good luck.
I would get in touch with every Sporting Club, and organization there is in your town or county organizations. Even any major state hunting organizations. See if they aware of this situation, and plan on attending this Town meeting. The more you have showup to stop this ban, the better. There's power in numbers. I'd also try contacting the National Bowhunters Education Foundation, see if they can help. www.nbef.org The more info you can gather, and help the better.
If on your own I'd ask them to show proof of any archery related accidents. Ask them what the town plans on doing about the overpopulation of deer. Are they prepared to see that increase if bowhunting is banned? What will they do about the deer destruction to peoples property, the increase in deer/car related accidents. Deer walking the town streets. The increase in disease as pointed out by Bergall. Force them into a corner on answering these questions. Make them look unprepared, and uneducated to handle the situation this ban will cause. If they can't show good solid proof behind the reasoning of this ban, how can they put it into place. Be calm, don't let the idiots barking back at you that have no clue get under your skin. Be above them, polite. It'll make you look even better overall. Good luck I wish you the best.
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08' Bowtech General
02' Champion Stratus
all good arguments. NIce. Factual. Rational. But you are dealing with irrational people who are intent on shoving this ban down your throats. If you truly want to keep your hunting rights, you will need a lawyer to MAKE them stop. Legal action is the only way to make them evaluate their positions. Otherwise, they do not care about what cogent and sensible arguments you make, and they don't care about facts. Hell ! If they had facts and the ban was REALLY about public safety, the'd withdraw the legislation. Get every hunter who utilizes areas in your locality to kick in a few bucks and get a lawyer ! I may be cynical and wrong, but I"ve never seen one of these things end well without the threat of litigation by aggreived parties.
one question, are they talking about banning bowhunting INSIDE city limits? If so, the town where I live is this way. We cannot shoot guns, bows, even BB guns inside town limits much less hunt. I live in town limits and had a bow target up just to practice and I received a visit from my local town cop informing me that I cannot shoot. [:@]
Do a yahoo search on "Fox Chapel Deer Control Program" Its been a model program for many cities with deer problems. Lots of ammo in the articles you'll see there!
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Cant wait for 2012!
If guns kill people, spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat!!!
Wow sorry to hear what you guys are going through. In fact we in CT are facing similiar bow hunting issues. But not in a bad way such as yourselves. We are actually trying to get Bow Hunting on Sundays. "CT SB 605 Sunday Hunting" - Specifies that the commissioner of environmental protection may allow Sunday hunting with a bow and arrow on private property in areas designated by the commissioner to require additional management to control game species overpopulation.
Wow CT a Humane sociaty link on our web sight. That will get you in trouble here. (only kidding) Those are some great phots of yur Maine hunting trip. I have some property in the Mtns. of Maine I love to hunt. Theres not a lot of deer there but there are some brusers to be taken if your lucky. I also hunt CT. and I hope the Sunday huntingpasses. But agin this is New England and lets face it this is not a pro hunting area. butwho knows it may make it. Now if we don't lose our hunting here period I'll be happy. Mike
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Correction Officers: We walk the toughest beat in the country!
Ban Bow Hunting
