In light of the Jimmy Houston "hunt" fiasco I came across this bit of information: http://www.etruth.com/News/Content.aspx?ID=340338&page= Although I do not live in Indiana I strongly feel that these canned hunts should not be legalized and held superior to state game laws and regulations. The events that went on at the Bellar farm on the video were very repulsive and should never be legalized (i.e. shooting propped up drugged deer or panic stricken deer in small enclosures). I strongly urge all Indiana hunters/voters to go out and vote against this bill whenever it comes up. Apparently this is the third time legislation has tried to pass and the Rep (Bill Friend) who introduced the bill appears to have some history with Russ Bellar. http://realindy.com/canhunt.htm I just hope this doesn't become a growing nationwide trend. This type of "hunting" is very unethical and I don't believe it has any place in the sport we all love. I don't think we need any more black eyes like this associated with deer hunting. Just my opinions. By the way, if I posted info that most of you guys already knew, sorry. I just ran across it myself.

A bit more on the reason why it's getting legalized?


Now comes news that one of Bellar's pals, a state legislator from Macy, Republican William Friend has introduced a bill in the General Assembly that would remove operations like Bellar's from Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources regulation and place them under agricultural regulation, thus classifying white tail deer as agricultural animals just like pigs and cows.
Friend has had business dealings with Bellar and runs a meat packing business. He received campaign donations from various groups, all of which share at least one of Bellar's addresses. The convicted animal abuser has also made donations to several other Republicans, including our Gov. Mitch Daniels who got $10,000. Some Democrats got in on Bellar's largesse too. Former Gov. Joe Kernan got $2,000.
This is at least the third time Bellars and his buddies have tried to get their despicable operations legalized through the Indiana General Assembly. This time, with both houses of the Legislature and the governor's office controlled by more "game farm friendly" Republicans, close observers fear the shooting preserve owners will get what they want.

http://realindy.com/canhunt.htm

Sorry about the bold writting.

this type thing exist in most states

they say it doesnt exsist here in fl. , but i know it does......i hate this canned hunting crap.

Once you put any animal behind a fence, it'slivestock, just like a pig or cow. IMO, DNR has no business regulating livestock operations. Since we are talking about whitetails, the appropriate Ag. Agency does need to make sure that condtions in these pens does not lead to diseases that could transmit to wild animals.

I don't condone canned shooting operations. But let's get something straight, these are not hunting operations, because no hunting goes on. Hunting is the fair chase pursuit of game. In a canned operation, there is no fair chase, and also no game. Only the pursuit of penned livestock. If I pay someone to let me sneak behind the barn and shoot his horse, did I hunt his horse?

This is why the application of hunting ethics is completely out of place. How can you apply hunting ethics to a non-hunting activity? I know folks get emotional about some moron shooting a deer ina pen. I don't, not any more than if they were doing the same thing with a pig. I'd support any rule that forbids these places from using the term hunting in their names or ads.

Seems to me too many folks spend their time minding other people's business. If there is a market for these things, it's no concern of mine.

It isn't a "canned hunt", it's called going SHOPPING. If some people like to do that instead of hunting as we define it, that's their prerogative, in my opinion. Personally, I'm disgusted by it. But that doesn't mean that it's wrong, any more than going to the grocery store is wrong. However, I do think that any animal taken on one of those shopping expeditions should be labeled as such, and should never make it into any record book, unless a new one is started for the purpose.

You guys do know that Santa Claus ain't real, WWF is fake, and most hunting shows are canned don't ya? Been that way for dacades.

Wow its too bad u have bin watchin the wrong videos my friend. Im with the majority i spose its not a big deal if these shopping sprees r controled and kept naturaly clean and delt with in a proper fashion and never considered as hunting i have seen videos like u refer to and they make me sick but i would never say that "MOST" more like some r and those ones rdisgusting u dont see them winning any awards for it if they ever did its ashamethats happened u know theres still a big world out there my friend and there lots of animals nowhere near a fence that are willing to go head to head in a battle of wits with u any day of the week.

i Deffinetlly do not agree with the way they went about anything at this bellars ranch(drugging ,small pens) all the nonesense seen on the videos is an outrage i do realize this world has an econmy to support ifthis type of animal(whitetail deer) is bein captivated and this shopping spree type shootwas kept clean to each there own ive seen the operations behind slaughtering and raisin cattle on large scales its nothing to be proud of either ethics apply as a human and theres alot of day to day gray areas that cross those lines so if these people can take themselves to do this that can be there thing but if the ranches will continue to raise too many animals in completly disgusting uncotrolled envinroments i thing they should all be hung out to dry cuz any captive animal should be treated humanelyin a way that wont destroy poulations of these animals on a large scale in a natural environment(cwd).

Plans are in the works at both ends of this issue , hopefully common sense will prevail and those atrocities will fade into the past where they belong . Public sentiment is overwhelmingly against the shooting zoos here , the DNR knows it and so do the deer pimps , the ARFs are mounting a campaign against it too . That's why Rep. Friend is trying to slip this 11th hour crap in , but it's probably too late since the legislative session ends in March . At worst they'll be allowed to stay open for another couple of years to hit break even on their investments and then sell their abattoirs or convert to a different farming operation . Deer pimping will NOT go on in Indiana forever , the sportsmen and the general public won't allow it .