Joined Mar 2009
283 Posts | 0+
Edmonton, Alberta CANADA
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) may have recently been focused on dog ownership and ****-fighting legislation, but they strongly reminded sportsmen in recent weeks that a national ban on hunting is still No. 1 on its hit list.
Like German panzers piercing the Ardennes, HSUS launched a two-pronged anti-hunting offensive earlier this month that was aimed at the hearts and minds of the American public and at federal legislation.
HSUS produced a one-hour hit piece on so-called ‘canned hunting’ that aired on the Animal Planet network. The show portrayed game ranches in the most negative light possible, and was a huge distortion of facts. In many cases, it was a work of pure fiction.
The animal rights groups have a specific agenda to ban hunting, so the programs they produce will never give a fair and balanced presentation of hunting. They will only present negative issues to sway the public and, when the truth does not serve their purpose, lies work just fine.
Anyone who has ever visited a game ranch recognized the show for what it was —outrageous anti-hunting propaganda. However, the millions of viewers who have not been to been a game ranch, never saw how game ranches preserve open space, create wildlife sanctuaries and even propagate species such as the Scimitar Horned Oryx, Addax and Dama Gazelle. Many of these species are extinct in the wild, but now number in the tens of thousands thanks to game ranches.
The second attack came more silently, a week prior to the show. Huge HSUS advocate, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tenn. re-introduced the 'Sportsmanship in Hunting Act' into Congress. On the surface, this bill outlaws Internet hunting (which is already illegal in every state with hunting), but the real threat in this bill is that it legislatively shuts down the exotic hunting industry and erases tens of thousands of jobs. This bill was introduced in 2005 and in 2008 and was defeated both times.
I’m optimistic this bill will be defeated again, but the HSUS’s renewed assault on our industry and on our American outdoor traditions should be a wake up call to all sportsmen. Our way of life is under assault every day and we must all remain vigilant to the activities and the under-the-radar legislation that threaten it.
More importantly, we must each speak up about the benefits of hunting and the outdoors. We are in a PR battle for the hearts and minds of the American public. Our story is a good one and we should be proud to defend wildlife management, conservation, land stewardship and our outdoor traditions. Because if we do not post, publish and promote the virtues of hunting and the outdoors, who will?
John Meng, President
American Deer & Wildlife Alliance
Like German panzers piercing the Ardennes, HSUS launched a two-pronged anti-hunting offensive earlier this month that was aimed at the hearts and minds of the American public and at federal legislation.
HSUS produced a one-hour hit piece on so-called ‘canned hunting’ that aired on the Animal Planet network. The show portrayed game ranches in the most negative light possible, and was a huge distortion of facts. In many cases, it was a work of pure fiction.
The animal rights groups have a specific agenda to ban hunting, so the programs they produce will never give a fair and balanced presentation of hunting. They will only present negative issues to sway the public and, when the truth does not serve their purpose, lies work just fine.
Anyone who has ever visited a game ranch recognized the show for what it was —outrageous anti-hunting propaganda. However, the millions of viewers who have not been to been a game ranch, never saw how game ranches preserve open space, create wildlife sanctuaries and even propagate species such as the Scimitar Horned Oryx, Addax and Dama Gazelle. Many of these species are extinct in the wild, but now number in the tens of thousands thanks to game ranches.
The second attack came more silently, a week prior to the show. Huge HSUS advocate, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tenn. re-introduced the 'Sportsmanship in Hunting Act' into Congress. On the surface, this bill outlaws Internet hunting (which is already illegal in every state with hunting), but the real threat in this bill is that it legislatively shuts down the exotic hunting industry and erases tens of thousands of jobs. This bill was introduced in 2005 and in 2008 and was defeated both times.
I’m optimistic this bill will be defeated again, but the HSUS’s renewed assault on our industry and on our American outdoor traditions should be a wake up call to all sportsmen. Our way of life is under assault every day and we must all remain vigilant to the activities and the under-the-radar legislation that threaten it.
More importantly, we must each speak up about the benefits of hunting and the outdoors. We are in a PR battle for the hearts and minds of the American public. Our story is a good one and we should be proud to defend wildlife management, conservation, land stewardship and our outdoor traditions. Because if we do not post, publish and promote the virtues of hunting and the outdoors, who will?
John Meng, President
American Deer & Wildlife Alliance
