THE early reports on New York’s Southern Zone big game season are on the positive side.
Thanks to cooperation from Mother Nature, who provided a little snow, the first weekend of the season saw an increase of 29 percent over last year’s opener with 13,567 deer killed by hunters compared to 10,553 from 2006.
The plan by the New York’s DEC to see more bears taken in the Catskills apparently worked. The state coincided the opening with the deer season, resulting in 105 bears killed opening weekend compared to 68 taken the first two days of the season in 2006.
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The Humane Society of the United States is assuming control of the animal rights movement’s political agenda. In doing so, it becomes an even greater threat to conservation and hunters rights.
Wayne Pacelle, the head of HSUS, recently told the Chronicle of Philanthropy that his organization may soon merge with at least three unnamed animal rights organizations. The HSUS calls itself a mainstream animal charity, but the growing organization has already joined forces with groups that push a none too conventional anti-hunting, anti-trapping agenda.
The HSUS is playing up a mainstream reputation in hopes of becoming the primary mouthpiece for the animal rights movement, said US Sportsmens Alliance President Bud Pidgeon.
It is not difficult to convince a smaller group to unite with a multi-million dollar organization that will push its political agenda – be it to end hunting or eliminate animal research. Sportsmen will no-doubt see HSUS continue to grow in this way.
For more information about how you can protect your rights as a sportsman, contact The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, 801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229, (614) 888-4868 or e-mail at [email protected].