Contact you State Legislator and oppose HB 1453 that would legalize Canned deer hunts in Indiana.
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2014/legislators/ Indiana Conservation and Hunting Organizations
Oppose Canned Hunting – HB1453
The Indiana Wildlife Federation (IWF)
Indiana Division of the IzaakWalton League
Indiana Sportsmen’s Round (ISR)
Indiana Deer Hunters Association
Indiana Bow Hunter Association
Indiana Conservation Alliance
Quality Deer Management Association
Many other conservation and hunting organizations oppose
“canned hunting” in Indiana.
Indiana Voters Strongly Object to Shooting Wildlife in Enclosures
Mason-Dixon Poll of Indiana Voters found 80% of voters oppose canned
hunting:
1100 Indiana citizens signed the petition “Say NO to shooting deer in
fenced enclosures – canned hunting.”
Indiana Conservation and Hunting Organizations Oppose Canned Hunting – HB1453
Indiana conservation and hunting organizations call for a BAN ON IMPORTS of captive deer. 21 states have banned the importation of at least some species of captive raised deer. Indiana needs to reduce the risk of CWD coming into the state, threatening the wild deer herd and the associated wild deer hunting economy of over $300 million annually.
WHY CONSERVATION AND HUNTING ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSE CANNED HUNTING:
Captive deer shooting preserves violate ethical standards.
Hunting captive deer that cannot escape from enclosed pens violates principle of fair chase.
Shooting tame, farm raised, deer in a pen just for their large antlers is not ethical.
Hunting preserves undermine the Indiana’s long held wildlife management philosophy that all wildlife are held in public trust and managed by the state for all citizens.
The health of Indiana’s wild deer herd is threatened when captive deer are held in high density populations and disease occurs.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious neurological disease that quickly spreads among captive herds and is transmitted by animal to animal contact or animal to soil contact.
Soil contaminated with CWD carries the disease vector, called prions, for years, and deer must be excluded from the area to avoid spreading the disease.
There is no cure for CWD. Death is always the result.
Indiana has had outbreaks of bovine TB in deer and cattle in recent years. Further bovine TB
outbreaks could jeopardize the Indiana beef producer industry.
The interstate transportation of deer to hunting preserves also contributes to health concerns.
Hunting preserves often import deer from out of state to meet the demand for trophy bucks. If
the deer carries CWD, the disease can jump to the receiving state. Importation of captive
raised deer should be banned.
Captive deer shooting preserves threaten Indiana’s economy and put taxpayers at risk.
Deer hunting in Indiana contributes over $300 million annually and supports >1600 jobs.
Anything threatening Indiana’s wild deer population would have a negative economic impact.
CWD management in Indiana would cost the state huge amounts of money. Taxpayers are liable for captive deer herds condemned due to disease. Hunters and anglers license fees are spent to fund State monitoring and management of CWD.
Twenty-three (23) states now have CWD in wild and/or captive deer populations and have spent literally millions of dollars of their state’s natural resources budget to combat CWD. Six states have been added in the last two years and all were associated with captive deer facilities
and moving captive deer.
Wisconsin has spent more than 50 million dollars in attempting to control the spread of CWD.
Contact: Barbara Simpson, Executive Director, Indiana Wildlife Federation, 317.875.9453,
simpson@indianawildlife.org
Read the Indy star investigative report on this Industry Buck Fever.
Buck Fever Intro: An investigation of captive deer hunting, breeding industry
Buck Fever Intro: An IndyStar investigation uncovers the growth and associated risks of deer breeding and farming—an industry that is compromising ethics and...
indystar.com
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