A little known law passed in the state of Tennessee recently without much public fanfare. At first glance it doesn’t sound that important and one wouldn’t really question why it was done, that is until you read why it was done.
The law change I’m referencing is HB 2119 in the Tennessee Game and Fish laws that will actually become law on July 1st, 2009. The law reads as from the HB 2119 that is recorded:
HOUSE BILL 2119
By Hawk
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70,
Chapter 4, Part 1, relative to bear hunting in Unicoi
County.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-116, is amended by adding the
following as a new, appropriately designated subsection:
( ) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, or any rule, regulation or
proclamation to the contrary, it shall be unlawful to hunt, take and kill bears in Unicoi
County during the archery-only season established by the wildlife resources
commission.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009, the public welfare requiring it.
You say, ok so what, they have stopped bear hunting during the archery season in Unicoi County. The Game and Fish Dept. must feel that they need to slow down the taking of bear in that county and better manage the number of bears harvested. That is what I would think at first glance. The law was written cleverly as to state that bear hunting wouldn’t be allowed during archery season in that county. Then you see the line written in Section 2 that states at the end of it, “the public welfare requiring it”.
Here is the rest of the story! I recieved an email this morning from my Up North Journal Pro Staff Member Tim Ford. In the email was an attachment of an article that appeared in the latest issue of Bowhunting World Magazine. In the article it stated that a petition was circulated in eastern TN where bear hunting is allowed by non-archery bear hunters. That is to say that the firearm bear hunters of eastern TN started a petition signature drive that stated and I quote: “Bear bowhunting is ineffective and inhumane” according to Doug Lynch a Unicoi County resident.
The article goes on to say that this same group that is pushing the petition has sighted 21 different bears with arrows sticking out of them running throughout the woods. According to Lynch the article states that there has been some recent conflicts between archery hunters and firearm hunters in the region that has more than likely led to this action.
The Unicoi County Commissioners unanimously approved the bill which was then passed on to the Tennessee State Legislature and passed on as a “private act”. The private act may be passed as an override of administrative rules of the TN Wildlife Resource Agency. In otherwords a private act takes precidence over what the TWRA says.
This action has not ended with Unicoi county, a similar drive has been started in Crocke County by bear houndsmen there! There is definitely a unified effort to ban bowhunting for bear in the state of Tennessee. I for one cannot fathom the thought that fellow so-called hunters would outright lie about archery not being an effective tool to harvest bears. I also cannot believe that a fellow hunter would try to take away a lawful way of taking game. This plays right into the anti hunting groups hands! I’m appauled at the fact that a hunting group would deliberately try to abolish a form of hunting.
The hunters of Tennessee along with the additional 49 states needs to stand up and help fight for the rights of the bowhunters of that area. If we allow this to happen we are all doomed to the fate of the end of hunting as we know it. Do not sit back and allow this to happen. Take a stand and help stop this mis informed group of houndsmen! I personally don’t agree with hunting bears with hounds, but I will stand up for them and help them in any way I can, they should do the same for the bowhunters. I challenge every bear hunting group out there to help these bowhunters retain their rights to bear hunt! If you don’t you are part of the problem!
