Long before animals had lawyers representing a small segment of society that values the lives of animals above humans, man existed by hunting. In fact, there are millions of traditional rural Americans that, in essence, hunt to subsidize their existence today. As a sportsman, I am among them.
Predictably, the leading anti-hunting organization in the world, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), based in Washington, DC and not connected to our local shelters, has ridden its gravy train into our small town with a plea to now save Michigan’s wolves from extinction by aid of petition – even though in the history of regulated hunting, no animal species has ever been in peril, as a result.
Their leaders, Wayne Pacelle and Mike Markarian have a plan for Michigan, and it doesn’t involve our wildlife biologists and scientists; it does involve suing us, however.
These extremists have a dream inconspicuously absent in a recent Argus-Press editorial: Wolf delisting isn’t based on best available science, by Mke Markarian, of The Humane Society Legislative Fund. So, sharing their vision for America is my pleasure.
HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle articulated his strategy some years ago: “We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States… We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California. Then we will take it state by state.”
Second in command central, Markarian gives even more insight to the face behind the veil that is HSUS. In 1997, Markarian wrote an editorial for newsletter named The Abolitionist, and part of the text follows: “…the “rebel” activist says “NO” to that which is wrong. Direct action, civil disobedience, hunt sabotages, and Animal Liberation Front activities all fall under this category. Activists purposely breaking laws that are unjust, such as hunter harassment laws, or committing acts of civil disobedience to help animals, are effective rebels because they tie the movement’s issues together with First Amendment, freedom of speech, and civil liberties issues.”
So, when Rodney Coronado fire-bombed a laboratory at Michigan State University in East Lansing, destroying decades of research into protecting wild mink, Markarian had to be smirking.
And, then there’s the issue of cash. It’s patently obvious why HSUS spends over $36 million annually on salaries and benefits, and funds another $2.6 million in pensions: They’re taking care of themselves first and foremost all the while relying on the benefits of a shell game and sad puppy-dog eyes on your screen.
Michigan sportsmen waited patiently for the Endangered Species Act to run its course from wolf protections to a point far beyond well-defined recovery goals. Sportsmen allowed professional wildlife biologists an opportunity to establish reasonable and sustainable wolf numbers and then paid licensing fees in an attempt to return the population back to those levels. Sportsmen played by the rules and took a total of 23 animals from a gene pool of over 600 wolves. That’s it!
Now comes the HSUS-financed front group Keep Michigan Wolves Protected (KMWP) suing the State of Michigan to allow out-of-state petition gatherers, because under current law, only Michigan residents may circulate petitions – paid or unpaid. Any wonder why?
“The anti-hunters wouldn’t be suing the state to allow out-of-state circulators, if they had the support of Michigan citizens,” said Drew YoungeDyke, spokesman for Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM), which is circulating a competing petition for a citizen-initiated law that would protect free military licenses, the NRC’s ability to name game species and issue fisheries orders, and establish a $1 million rapid response fund to fight Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species.
From headquarters, KMWP has received over $800,000 from HSUS since November. Its current referendum drive to repeal Public Act 21 of 2013 is its second referendum in an attempt to ban wolf hunting, even though the Michigan Wolf Management Plan allows for hunting to address wolf-human conflicts, and Michigan’s professional biologists structured a limited hunt that targeted wolves from problem packs.
“Why should people from Florida or Washington, D.C. be able to overrule Michigan’s professional biologists and force their radical agenda on Michigan citizens, especially those of us in the U.P. who actually live around wolves, who actually lose pets, hunting dogs and cattle to them, and who have them running through our backyards and circling our treestands?” said Tony Demboski, president of the Upper Peninsula Sportmens’s Alliance.
You’ll never hear a word about any of this from members of the radical group. It’s like it never happens!
“Regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit, Michigan citizens support making fish and wildlife management decisions with sound science, not emotional propaganda,” said Erin McDonough, executive director of Michigan United Conservation Clubs. “This is just another attempt by radical out-of-state animal rights activists to force their agenda on the people of Michigan. It’s obvious that they don’t respect Michigan’s laws, citizens or wildlife.”
Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management is a coalition of Michigan-based conservation, hunting, fishing and trapping organizations. It needs to collect over 258,000 valid signatures by the end of May to place their citizen initiative, called the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, before the state legislature, which will have 40 days to vote on the initiated law. Michigan citizens who want to collect signatures for the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act can request petitions by emailing cpwm@mucc.org.
If you too have had your fill of “fundamental change” from Washington, let’s send Big Animal Rights another message at the point of our collective hunting boots.
