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Sportsmen's alert on federal anti-bear hunting bill (5/9/2003) A Congressional hearing is being scheduled for legislation to ban bear hunting with bait on federal land. Sportsmen must contact their Congressmen and urge them to oppose the bill. The tentative date for the hearing on HR 1472, introduced by U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-Virginia) and Representative Elton Gallegly (R-California) is June 12 before the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans of the House Resources Committee. Sportsmen contacts are needed to derail the legislation. The bill disregards successful wildlife management programs, making it a huge threat to hunting programs across the country. The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance developed the National Bear Hunting Defense Task Force to stop the bill. It has sent a letter to members of Congress that condemns any attempt to ban bear hunting with bait. Ten states permit the practice of hunting bear with bait. Those states' wildlife agencies say that baiting is an effective and necessary management tool for controlling bear numbers. Moran and Gallegly want to take that option away. Anticipating introduction of the bill, the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance for months has been working with several key sportsmen's groups to create the National Bear Hunting Defense Task Force. Task Force members include Michigan Bear Hunters Association, Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, Upper Peninsula Bear Houndsmen, Arkansas Bowhunters Association, Bear Hunting Magazine, California Houndsmen for Conservation, Eastern Idaho Houndsmen Association, Michigan Bow Hunters Association, Michigan Hunting Dog Federation, Michigan State United Coonhunters, Minnesota Bowhunters, Inc., North American Bear Hunter's Alliance, North Carolina Bear Hunters Association, New Hampshire Bear Hunters Association, Virginia Bear Hunters Association, and the Wisconsin Bowhunters Association. The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance is supplying coordination, funding and lobbying services, while other Task Force members are providing grassroots resources and funding to pay for mailings into targeted congressional districts. Take Action! Sportsmen and sportswomen should contact their Congressmen to voice opposition to HR 1472. Members of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans are listed below. Tell them that state wildlife agency professionals should make management decisions regarding bear hunting. For more information about the hearing or how to join the Bear Hunting Defense Task Force, contact the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance at (614) 888-4868. SUBCOMMITTEE OF FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS: CopyrightÓ U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance- www.ussportsmen.org
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