Let’s just say ‘no’ to canned hunting
An editorial that originated in The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne and appeared in Monday’s Kokomo Tribune pointed out a troubling bill that may soon be presented to Indiana lawmakers.
Co-sponsored by state Rep. Heath VanNatter of Kokomo, the bill would expand canned hunting in our state. For those unfamiliar with the term, it means “hunters” are allowed to pay admittance to enter a high-fenced area to shoot farm-raised deer, elk and game birds.
A friend of mine, who is a seasoned hunter, has an interesting way of explaining it. “It’s like going to a golf course where for $1,000 the owner will guarantee you a hole-in-one because of a special ball or really large hole,” he said.
Call it a “can’t miss” opportunity.
Canned hunting is troubling on a number of fronts, including the inhumane aspect of killing fenced-in animals and the possibility of escaped animals exposing livestock to tuberculosis. Last fall the Indiana Department of Natural Resources needed the help of hunters when 11 farm-raised deer escaped from a high-fenced facility in Jackson County. There was a chance the escaped deer had been exposed to a confirmed case of chronic wasting disease capable of jeopardizing the state’s entire wild whitetail herd. One of those deer is still unaccounted for, according to Gene Hopkins, president of the Indiana Sportsmen’s Roundtable. The Roundtable, which represents interests of several of our states’ hunting and sporting groups, clearly opposes canned hunting.
“We need to quit wasting our time on this issue — something that’s wrong on so many levels,” Hopkins told the newspaper. He went on to say the practice would destroy hunting and drive away money that hunters generate for the state.
A similar bill failed passage last year. This bill should suffer the same fate.
Dave Kitchell, Kokomo
Letters
Letter to the Editor: Feb. 1, 2013
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May 23, 2013: Letters to the editor
Let people be free; legalize use of drugs
I think it is an unfortunate display of unbridled power fueled by mistaken notions about the consequences of drug usage, production and distribution that two raids were allowed to take place in Kokomo.
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May 22, 2013: Letters to the editor
Servicemen enemies of U.S. Constitution?
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May 21, 2013: Letters to the editor
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Letter to the Editor: May 13, 2013
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Letters to the Editor: May 12, 2013
How fortunate, that after years of trying to bring top-notch wind energy companies to Tipton County, this great choice is here for us — just at the right time. Tipton County badly needs the revenue from clean wind farm companies.
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Letter to the Editor: May 10, 2013
As a taxpayer and concerned citizen of eastern Howard County, I have read some of the latest scholarly and peer-reviewed information available on industrial wind turbines. It’s not something I ever wanted to do or expected to do, and I do not pretend to be an expert even after reading much information.
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Letters to the Editor: May 9, 2013
More than 1,500 Hoosier children just received an early death sentence from the Indiana Legislature. By slashing the state budget for tobacco prevention and cessation by 38 percent, our lawmakers told us that the health and future of our children isn’t important.
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Letters to the Editor: May 8, 2013
The citizens of Howard County have watched Tipton County’s elected officials deal with growing opposition to wind farms. They have responded to the concern of their citizens and are reviewing their ordinances related to wind development.
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May 5, 2013: Letters to the editor
All at IU Kokomo deserve recognition
This week, nearly 550 Indiana University Kokomo students will reach a milestone they will treasure for a lifetime when they become IU Kokomo's newest graduates.
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May 2, 2013: Letters to the editor
Reports of climate change span decades
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May 23, 2013: Letters to the editor
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