Many of you know of late that I have been hard on politicians and animal rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States. I have good reason.

In New York, the HSUS along with slimy politicians are making every attempt to slide a terrible piece of legislation through the Assembly and Senate before the current session ends in 6 days. I have been told that this is typically when New York’s legislators try to hide their pet bills before any of the other “I’m tired and I don’t give a hoot” legislators discover them.

The bill in question is labeled as a “canned hunting” bill, A2612. This bill is bad in many ways. First it is being pushed by the Humane Society of the United States. It is no secret what their long term goals are. They care nothing about individual and property rights and their only goal is to see the end of all forms of hunting, fishing, trapping and any sport or recreation that involves animals.

The below is taken from the Humane Society’s New York office website.

A.2612, introduced by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, and S.784, introduced by Senator Frank Padavan, ban canned hunts.

Canned hunts are hunts that occur in areas where the animal has no reasonable chance of escaping. Usually animals who are accustomed to human handling are used in canned hunts so they do not even attempt to escape their killers. Some of these animals are from zoos, others from circuses, and still others are bred in captivity.

It has been reported that lions raised as pets who end up at canned hunt facilities would lick the hands of hunters before being shot. In another widely reported case, a ram stood still as arrows were repeatedly shot at the defenseless animal.

Currently, New York State law prohibits canned hunts in areas of 10 acres or less. The canned hunting facilities in New York are much larger than 10 acres so the law has been ineffective.

A. 2612 and S. 784 would amend the law by banning canned hunts regardless of the acreage.

We need you to contact the legislators listed below in support of
A. 2612 and S. 784. Tell them that canned hunting is not a sport. It is unjustifiable cruelty and senseless killing that should be prohibited by law. The current law is not good enough. The issue is not the size of the facilities, but the fact that the animals have no means of escape and often make no effort to escape because of previous human contact.

All of the information that is put forth in this writing is false. I have a pdf file that has been written by members of the New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association. In this writing, each of the arguments being used by HSUS to influence public opinion and convince New York legislators to pass this bill, is clearly disputed with facts.

HSUS says that, “Canned hunts are hunts that occur in areas where the animal has no reasonable chance of escaping. Usually animals who are accustomed to human handling are used in canned hunts so they do not even attempt to escape their killers. Some of these animals are from zoos, others from circuses, and still others are bred in captivity.”

Here’s the facts from NYDEFA.

Statement—“Preserves are stocked with captive animals”
Fact–These animals are not captive. They are not forcibly confined, restrained, controlled or imprisoned. Farms are stocked with captive animals; Hunting preserves are not.

Statement—“Big game animals are enclosed”
Fact–American Heritage defines enclose “ to fence in so as to prevent common use”. Enclosed animals are not state owned. They are privately owned, fed and cared for. Enclosing them is the only way to differentiate private and public animals. Wild animals tend to be vectors for disease. Fencing is one way to prevent disease from spreading to private herds.

Statement–“These animals are just “penned up”.
Fact– Penned up gives the image that these animals are confined to a small areas where folks can simply walk up to an animal. Most preserves are several hundreds of acres. These animals may be fenced, but they are hardly penned.

Statement–“There is no means of escape”
Fact– Hunting preserves offer areas for game to hide and escape the hunter. This could include tall grass, heavily forested areas, brush and diverse terrain.

I also have another file (pdf) that is a letter from Martha Goodsell, Chair of the New York Deer and Elk Farmers Association to Carl Platka, Senior Assistant Counsel to the Governor of New York. The letter deals with issues surrounding “field harvesting” of domestic livestock and game preserve animals.

HSUS uses the argument that these “penned in” animals are harvested inhumanely. Goodsell explains to the Governor’s Assistant Counsel the legal and recognized means of field harvesting.

According to the Federal Humane Slaughtering Statement provided by Ed Rowley in 2003 it states in section 1902 that

“No method of slaughtering or handling in connection with slaughtering shall be deemed to comply with the public policy of the United State unless it is humane. Either of the following two methods of slaughtering and handling are hereby found to be humane:
a) in the case of cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, wine and other livestock, all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical or other means that is rapid and effective…”

It appears that even the Governor’s counsel doesn’t know or understand the law as it applies to farm animals like deer, elk, wild boar and bison. These animals are not classified by law as livestock, therefore the law pertaining to the harvesting of these animals cannot and should not apply. Goodsell explains the reasons quite clearly.

Currently it is an acceptable practice to field harvest non native big game mammals. Field harvesting means the actual killing of the animal on location at the farm in the presence of a Veterinarian and then transporting the carcass to a facility (either federal or state) to be processed. This is most common on buffalo farms, but is also practiced with wild boar and several species of deer. This is an acceptable practice, but very different from amenable species (cows, sheep, goats and hogs) which must be loaded onto a trailer, taken to a slaughter facility, killed in the presence of a USDA inspector and then processed. Big game mammals are more susceptible to stress and therefore the meat is considered “tainted” when animals are forced to be loaded and hauled to a slaughter facility. I have not been provided access the New York State Agriculture and Markets codes (Article 5) relating to this practice, so can not reference particular sections of New York State Agriculture and Markets Law.

What the governor’s counsel and I’m sure the majority of New York legislators fail to understand is that this bill will essentially put an end to all forms of farming of animals that are not listed as livestock by the state.

All of these issues are important to everyone. The reason being that groups such as HSUS are doing just what they always do, lying. People cannot make informed decisions when presented with misrepresented information.

I have beat this drum incessantly over the past year. Not only is this bill a deliberate attempt by HSUS to pass a bad bill by attempting to force it through the Assembly at the last minute, it is being done deliberately, with deception and misrepresentation.

Is this a “canned hunting” issue? No, not really. It’s a bill to end ranching of animals not considered to be cows, sheep, horses, etc. Most of you know my position on canned hunting. This is a property rights issue and people like HSUS and state governments need to butt out of. If you don’t think hunting on a ranch or a preserve is ethical hunting then don’t do it. Call it whatever you choose. That is your right, just as it is the right of the deer farmer to harvest his crop in the best way he sees fit.

A2612 has text that should be deleted as part of the text of the bill.

The recent outbreak of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which is similar to “mad cow” disease, in New York State has been linked to captive deer farms. By outlawing canned shoots NYS can take a preventive step against the spread of CWD. By prohibiting canned hunting this bill recognizes that New York State should draw a line between sport and the cruel savagery of a canned hunt.

This is absurd and the same use of embellishing false information to promote the agenda of those opposed to private property rights used in other states as well to push through similar legislation. Chronic wasting disease has been found in captive deer but there is no evidence to prove where it came from. To suggest that it originated in New York captive deer is the same as saying the only speeders on the freeway were those who had the radar gun aimed at them. When farmers test their animals for disease and the state doesn’t or at least comparatively in small amounts, where do you think the first case of CWD will show itself?

This is terrible legislation and needs to be stopped. Hard working people will be put out of business because there are people in the world who believe that they must strip Americans of their property rights. These same people are the biggest hypocrites. Most of them eat beef and wear leather shoes. They are ignorant and are not American. They must be stopped.

Already on the HSUS website they are celebrating a victory in the New York Assembly. The Senate has to vote on the bill. I urge all New Yorkers who care at all about their rights to call their senator now and tell them to shoot down this bill. Protect your future now. Don’t let HSUS dictate how you can live and what you can do with your property.

Here are some options for you. To contact your senator, visit the New York Senate website and search for your representative if you don’t know who they are.

You can also go to the New York State Farm Bureau website and send a prepared “Action Alert” to members of the Senate.

You must do this right now. There are 6 days left in this session before recess. Don’t let the Senate slide this bill through. They could take it up tomorrow. I guarantee the majority of the senators do no have facts to make their decision.

Tom Remington

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