Arizona mountain lion hunting is no longer under attack – at least for the present.
Kitty Block, animal rights activist and Acting President and CEO for The Humane Society of the United States, released an announcement detailing the suspension of efforts to ban hunting of wild cats in Arizona – for now.
In the release addressed to “Wild Cat Protectors,” Block said the reason for suspending their efforts to gather enough signatures to put the hunting ban on the November ballot was due to an “increasingly competitive state and national landscape.”
She also blamed Arizona legislation pertaining to ballot initiative qualifications passed into law last year as having a “detrimental and chilling effect on grassroots initiatives” due to the strict compliance standard.
The release concluded with a forecast of what HSUS intends to try next in Arizona. It is clear that anti-hunting groups are far from finished in their effort to disrupt the proper management of mountain lions and all wildlife in Arizona and elsewhere throughout the U.S.
“[W]e look forward to rejoining this and other battles in the state in the future,” Block stated. “Together, we’ve built a grassroots movement for wildlife, a movement that is strong, dedicated, and well-organized. We’ll continue to advocate for animals and redouble our efforts to introduce necessary reforms at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, too often the creature of special interests including trophy hunters and trappers. And we’ll continue to raise awareness about the cruelty of trophy hunting and trapping and build public support for future reforms.”
Despite the excuses put forward by HSUS and its Arizona persona, the undeniable fact is that the anti-hunting groups failed. They simply could not muster the support they needed to take management of mountain lions away from the state experts. Their failure is good for Arizona’s wildlife, the state’s ability to manage and conserve wildlife through hunting and the hunting community whose support helps conserve the wildlife that is enjoyed by both the hunting and non-hunting public.
This is just one of SCI’s many battles against the antis and for science-based wildlife management. SCI remains vigilant in its efforts to fight similar anti-hunting ballot initiatives, legislation, regulation and court battles. Please donate to help SCI fight for sustainable management of wildlife.
