“And they’re off!” Jumping out to an early lead are the anti-hunters, spewing untruths while scaring the dickens out of every reader as to how we’ll all die when someone shoots a gun on Sunday. Moving up on the outside in a fast and furious stride are the hunters who want to hunt on Sundays no matter what the cost. Holding their own in the middle are the moderately paced hunters and non-hunters who don’t really see this debate as worth the effort that will go into it. To them this is just another training exercise. Trailing far behind and perhaps pulling up a bit lame, are those who don’t even know there is a proposed bill before the Standing Committee of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and will never be seen as the group rounds the second turn.
A bit of a spoof but not too far from reality. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, once again a bill is being proposed that would allow for some Sunday hunting. This bill, LD307, is sponsored by Rep. Stacey Fitts, of Pittsfield.
8. Landowner hunting on Sunday. An antlerless deer permit system adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section may include a provision allowing landowners who keep their land open to hunting by the public to hunt on Sunday. The commissioner may adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A necessary for the administration, implementation, enforcement and interpretation of this subsection to allow landowners to hunt on their land on Sunday if their land is 20 acres or more and the land is open to the public for hunting during the open hunting season. As a requirement for hunting under this subsection, the landowner must register with the department at no cost. A member of the landowner’s immediate family is permitted to hunt on Sunday on the landowner’s land if that family member is a licensed hunter.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §11205, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and as affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read:
A. Hunt wild animals or wild birds on Sunday except as provided in section 11152, subsection 8;
If you want to get a head start on the insanity involved in this debate, today’s Portland Press Herald posted an editorial against LD307. Of course immediately following the article are the countless attacks and counter attacks that can only be expected when discussing hunting, guns and in this case, Sunday hunting.
Don’t miss an episode as this is sure to change the lives of every Maine resident from Kittery to Fort Kent. If we are lucky, this debate will rage for months, maybe even years, but you can rest assured that no matter what happens NO ONE will know the truth.
Tom Remington
