Make Hunting and Fishing Constitutional Rights in Washington State

[huntrights]

“As with all efforts to protect our freedoms, each and every one of you will need to step up to the plate and give your support. The most important first step for all is to believe we can make it happen. We can make it happen because it is the right thing to do. You must have confidence in the power of a united front of hunters and fishermen. Get the word out to your family, friends, and colleagues; this effort must become a goal for all of them.”

In addition to creating the united front, each and every one of us must become actively involved in politics, making sure we support representatives that are pro-hunting and pro-fishing.  It is absolutely crucial that we vote the anti-hunters out of office.  If they are willing to take away an activity that ensured our survival as a species since the beginning of mankind, what’s next?  In order to solidify our right to hunt and fish via an amendment in the Constitution, we need to support, and vote for representatives that will protect our privileges (should be rights) to hunt and fish.  Responsible wildlife management, based on sound and unbiased science, will ensure healthy wildlife populations for us and future generations.  Current and future representatives need to know we are fed up with anti-hunting and anti-fishing legislation/regulations based on fuzzy/manipulated science and/or emotional outbursts from the general public brought on by propaganda from extremist animal-rights and anti-hunting organizations. 

All of you need to make sure you, your family, your friends, and your colleagues vote for representatives that will fight to protect our rights, not take them away.  Every one of us absolutely must vote; not to vote is really a vote for anti-hunting.  If you can make financial contributions to the campaigns supporting pro-hunting candidates, please do so.  Rest assured the anti-hunter representatives are receiving significant contributions from the extremist animal rights groups.  We must push back with greater numbers and resources; as a united front, we can do this.

[huntrights]

Great things can happen when people work together for a good and common goal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=youtu.be

[bearpaw]

Gun owners, hunters, and fishers will have to appeal to friends and family to help support this.

[Special T]

jshunt I like your motivation but i have this unanswered question... WHY is it necessary?

I think this could be the right idea, but i am skeptical of working with the WDFW in order to pass this. Why would the WDFW that has Regulated our activities in a nonsensical way actually help us?  Its already in the WDFW mandate that they must use the best available science to manage game in this state.  So when they take away our ability to hunt coyotes with the aid of dogs, or Make the harvest goals for cougars much lower than data supports.  How would our recourse change? How come they cannot be held accountable NOW?
I like the idea of sending a message, However I need to know why we have to climb the mountain instead of driving straight at the heart of the matter.

I would imagine it would take lawsuits regardless of making int a right in order to turn back some of this nonsenses, that and a new Gov. 

[All-Day]

Special T, I can answer that. It's necessary because there are several groups that want to end your hunting, shooting and fishing. HSUS being the biggest. If we sit back and do nothing we will lose our privileges. Therefor it would be necessary to make them RIGHTS. I and many others believe we ALREADY have the RIGHT, but the State doesn't see it that way unless it is written in the Constitution. We have already had to fight to keep our hunting privileges in Thurston County, (No Shooting Zone Ordinance).
Check out what is happening with the UN. Clinton is just days away from signing our rights away with another treaty. Obama is embracing it. A State constitution will be our only ammo against those that won't be happy until America is a third world country.
http://www.dickmorris.com/d-day-for-gun-control/   Check it out.

Kurt

[Special T]

I'm not saying its a bad idea, I just don't an admendment will fix everything... I think its all about those running the department myself. 

[huntrights]

I'm not saying its a bad idea, I just don't an admendment will fix everything... I think its all about those running the department myself. 

Special T,

There is no "Silver Bullet" solution to anything.  What we need to do is continually take positive steps to protect our rights; the Constitution is one of the best ways we can do this.  In this case, hunting and fishing are currently only considered privileges; that makes them an easy target for anti-hunting extremists.  Please take note of how these privileges are under constant attack in our state, and around the country.

Your comments are important; it shows that there may be some people out there that don’t understand why this long-term goal is so important to pursue.  As you give this topic additional thought, please share those thoughts so we can work together toward creating a solid united front.  If there is doubt in our ranks, we need to understand why that doubt exists.  What pieces of information are missing that might create a clear understanding among all of us?

Of utmost importance, in the immediate future, is the 2012 election.   Initially, some response posts wondered why this subject was coming up when the elections are far more important.  In order to make hunting and fishing Constitutional rights, we must have a legislature that will support such a measure.  The only way to do this is by voting the anti-hunters out and the pro-hunters in.  The hunting population needs to make that connection.

Hunting and fishing are our heritage; they are in the basic foundation of human rights.  We just manage the harvest to ensure healthy wildlife populations for us and future generations.  Unfortunately, propaganda disseminated by extremist animal rights organizations and easy access to food has detached many people from their roots.  People need to understand that hunting and fishing are indeed rights and that we need our government to recognize that fact.

[Special T]

I think the 3rd paragraph in you responce kinda points out why it s important now...  If i were to rank in level of importance what /who needs to be changed i would list it this way. 
Governor, State reps and senators, WDFW leadership, Constitutional amendment.
I also understand that if you start a issue BEFORE the election it can be determined that the CHANGE was a reason for their election...

I'm glad you see this discussion as a chance to flesh out a great argument for making it a right not a privilege.

[buckfvr]

If I was leading the rush, I think Id sit on it til after the election to see who and what we have to work with......Id not want to give the current administration a warning shot allowing them to prepare for the show down.  I think Id  put this topic in a member only platform.   

[huntrights]

Frankly, let the current administration show their true colors, then we can be sure of whom we need keep in office or vote out of office.  There is absolutely no valid reason why hunting and fishing should not be Constitutional Rights in concert with responsible wildlife management based on sound and unbiased science.

The most important components of this effort are the People; you, me, all hunters, all fishermen, those that don’t have an opinion, and even those that think they are anti-hunting.  I believe all of the People need to be involved in this from the start.  How else will we know where the misconceptions, gaps in knowledge, and misinformation are?  We need to understand the cultural landscape and political undercurrents.

This post is getting a lot of hits.  That means the word is getting out there.

[All-Day]

I'm not saying its a bad idea, I just don't an amendment will fix everything... I think its all about those running the department myself. 

Remember, the Governor appoints the WDFW Commission. Like JSHunt said, we need some pro shooter/hunter in our government. Without that the fight for our rights will be a lot more difficult.

[Special T]

That is why i question if a Constitutional admendment is necessary... For it to work out correctly we get Rob McKenna as gov. We get a real hunter in charge of the WDFW. He then goes about setting people straight about the priorites of the WDFW... During that time WE citizens get our elected officals to pass the Contitutional admanedment to make it harder for some  to mes up our department later... It will take a lot of work in a short period of time to undo much of the damage done by our Non Fish and game dept...

[All-Day]

Right on S.T. Thats the plan!

[Special T]

Here are a few good articles on the issue.
http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/env-res/state-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish.aspx
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2010/09/right-hunt-state-constitutions-amendments-called-unnecessary-animal-rights-gro
http://www.ammoland.com/2012/06/01/four-more-states-propose-right-to-hunt-and-fish-constitutional-amendments/#axzz20VxQjXya

[huntrights]

Excerpt from:
http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/env-res/state-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish.aspx

“Opponents state that these provisions clutter a constitution and overstate the threat to these activities, while possibly limiting or increasing the amount and severity of restrictions that can be placed on sportsmen activities. The Humane Society states, ““The constitution should guarantee fundamental democratic rights, not provide protection for a recreational pastime."”


Excerpt from:
http://www.nraila.org/hunting/articles/four-more-states-propose-right-to-hunt.aspx

“As a reminder of what we are all up against, HSUS spends more than $120 million each year lobbying and litigating against hunting, science-based wildlife management (i.e. delisting of healthy wolf populations in the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes), pet ownership and animal agriculture. It is likely this number will grow dramatically this fiscal year as it is nearly impossible to watch television (Fox News Channel in particular) without seeing HSUS ’ President, Wayne Pacelle, misleading Americans into contributing “... just $19 a month … to eliminate animal cruelty everywhere.” Contrary to donors’ perceptions, the Center for Consumer Freedom reports that less than one percent of the group’s enormous annual budget actually goes to hands-on animal care shelters.

Pacelle has told the Associated Press, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would.” He provided further detail with regard to his incremental strategy borrowed from the gun prohibitionists when he told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, “Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting.[”]”


Excerpt from:
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2010/09/right-hunt-state-constitutions-amendments-called-unnecessary-animal-rights-gro

“Animal rights activists, however, say it's all unnecessary. “It’s a solution in search of a problem," said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer for The Humane Society of the United States. "These measures don't accomplish anything."”



Let’s take a look at the threats to our rights and a couple of the arguments against making hunting and fishing Constitutional Rights that are quoted above.

"The constitution should guarantee fundamental democratic rights, not provide protection for a recreational pastime."

As stated in the post that started this topic:

"People have the right to hunt, fish, trap, farm, and ranch.  This is not just an issue about protecting and defending "sporting" activities or "hobbies"; it's about protecting our heritage and traditions that have been at the core of our survival since mankind walked this earth.  It's about the right of pursuing sustenance (food) by hunting, fishing, trapping, farming, and ranching." 

Hunting, fishing, and foraging for food is an irrefutable right of each and every living creature including human beings; whether the hunting, fishing, and foraging is done in a grocery store or in the wild.  Many animal rights and anti-hunting extremists may spend countless hours foraging for mushrooms, berries, and other natural edibles in the wild, but they will incessantly and ironically/hypocritically push to take away our rights to hunt and fish in the wild.  What would they say, or do, if foraging for their favorite natural edibles in the wild were restricted to grocery stores?  What if they were forced to purchase and consume only food that had been harvested, cleaned, and packaged by others; their rights to forage in the wild taken away?

The point is that hunting and fishing in the wild is not, and cannot be labeled as just a “recreational pastime”.  It is our right to make a personal choice to obtain our food via hunting and fishing in the wild in concert with responsible wildlife management based on sound and unbiased science.


Animal rights organizations spend millions of dollars constantly trying to take away our rights to hunt and fish in the wild.  The threats are real, they have been there for many years, and they continue to grow and be clear and present dangers to our rights.

“Pacelle has told the Associated Press, “If we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would.” He provided further detail with regard to his incremental strategy borrowed from the gun prohibitionists when he told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, “Our goal is to get sport hunting in the same category as cock fighting and dog fighting.””

“Animal rights activists, however, say it's all unnecessary. “It’s a solution in search of a problem," said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer for The Humane Society of the United States. "These measures don't accomplish anything."”


Be aware of what's happening! 

The animal rights and anti-hunting organizations will downplay any attempts to make hunting and fishing Constitutional Rights because they don’t want you to have those rights; they want to take them away from you.  It is their objective; they have clearly stated their goals and actively pursue reaching their goals.  They will most likely flood the media with propaganda to defeat any attempts to make hunting and fishing Constitutional Rights.  They will most likely give generous campaign contributions to representatives that will promote their agendas.  The extremist animal rights and anti-hunting organizations and individuals are the problem and the reason we must make hunting and fishing Constitutional Rights. 


We absolutely must be a UNITED FRONT of hunters, fishermen, and sportsmen with focus and commitment to make this happen.  It will be difficult and will take time, but it can be done if we ALL work together.