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NJARA Alert. New Jersey. Hunting. A1669. A595. A3713. Call Your Representatives Now.


From the NJARA:

Forward Far and Wide

The bill that would allow bowhunting on Sundays, A1669, passed the Assembly Agriculture Committee yesterday, despite opposition from numerous individuals and groups as well as the Coalition Against Sunday Hunting, of which NJARA is a member, and which represents over 500,000 New Jersey residents.Now that bill goes to the full Assembly for a vote on Monday, March 16. That's bad enough, but there are two other bills that NJARA also opposes and we ask that you make calls again today to your state assemblymembers and ask them to vote NO on the following bills.--

A1669, the bill to allow Sunday bow hunting. This bill will increase the likelihood of hunting accidents by having hunting on Sundays, the day when non-hunting activities are traditionally enjoyed. According to the U.S .Fish and Wildlife Service’s latest survey, over 1.5 million New Jersey residents are “wildlife watchers." This is 23% of the population. And this doesn't take into account cyclists, hikers, and families just enjoying nature. Less than 1% of NJ residents hunt yet this bill caters to that minority. And of course, can't the deer have 1 day of peace during the killing season?

A595, the perimeter bill. This bill will reduce the safety perimeter around occupied buildings by 300 feet for bow hunters. With this bill, a bow hunter could legally stand within 150 feet of your home and shoot deer. As dangerous as this is, in and of itself, it would set a precedent and before long shotguns and muzzleloaders will be permitted within 150 feet of homes. In December 2008, a bullet from a 50-caliber muzzleloader was shot into the bedroom of a two-year-old in Readington, NJ. While no one was killed or hurt in this incident, what about next time? Will a family be so lucky if the hunter is now 300 feet closer to their home? In November 2008 in New York, a hunter killed a 16-month-old girl in her home in New York. The hunter was about 400 feet away. New Jersey wants to make our safety zone 150 feet. Legislators are endangering the public with both the above bills.

A3713, the license plate bill. This bill will do away with the special license plates and replace them with decals. NJ's Animal Population Control Fund, the statewide low cost spay/neuter program, benefits from the sale of the Animal Friendly license plates. NJARA has been very involved in seeking additional funding to this program, as it falls far short of the need every month. Taking away the license plates would certainly reduce the income. The decal would not be as attractive to buyers. Furthermore, the bill requires the benefiting agency or organization to foot the bill for the decals, which was previously paid by Motor Vehicle Commission. In the case of the Animal Friendly decal, that would fall to the state department of Health, at a time when there are cut backs everywhere, it's likely they will just drop this program if they have to front the money for the decal. The bill's sponsor heard not only from NJARA on this issue, but from the numerous organization and state programs this affects and it fell on deaf ears. The bill passed the Assembly committee last week.

PLEASE, call your two Assembly members and ask them to vote NO on A1669, A595 and A3713. We cannot stress enough how important it is for legislators to receive hundreds of calls are today.You can find your Assemblymembers here:

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/municipalities.asp.

If you have any questions or have difficulty finding your legislators, contact us at 732-446-6808.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance (NJARA)Upholding and Advancing the Rights of Animals since 1983 through advocacy, public education and legislation

To financially support NJARA's work, please click here: www.nj-ara.org/donation.htm
Phone: 732-446-6808 / Web: www.NJ-ARA.org

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Comments

Anonymous said…
Your are wrong on the hunting on Sundays. People are just as safe as they would be the other 6 days a week. This is a good bill to let pass so we do not seem so oppressive to the hunters and archers.
Ted Teodoro said…
Thank you for commenting.

You are right. People are just as safe as they are in the six days of hunting if ever bow and arrow hunting is permitted in New Jersey---that is, not much.
Hunting is a very offensive and destructive sport. Only today, a woman in Riverdale, New York was struck by an arrow in the stomach and taken to the hospital. It is believed that the arrow was shot from a picnic area behind a nursing home. And today happens to be Sunday as well. The point here is that people and hunting do not mix well. To allow hunting on Sundays is to increase the possibility of a deadly encounter between the two.

An increased number of people do go into the woods and parks on Sundays, that day being a family day, a day of worship, and a day off from work. Prohibiting hunting with bow and arrow on Sundays is not like taking away the sport from its practitioners. Hunters already have six days out of seven to hunt animals which truly comes down to killing innocent and sentient beings. What pleasure some people derive from killing animals is beyond my comprehension. As for the hunters being an oppressed group, people who arm themselves with high power guns, and high tech bows and arrows, and all sorts of hunting aids are hardly an oppressed group. They’re the ones doing the killing.
Anonymous said…
You pretty much have to try and hurt someone with a bow and arrow, thats how infrequent archery accidents are.

With the safty zone restriction, bullets travel hundreds of yards and penetrate walls and people, your lucky if you can shot 150 feet with a bow, much less get it to pass through a wall.

I would hate to tell you but there are only about 80 days of bow hunting in nj, with Sundays that would add about 10-12 more. Thats 90 days for hunters to be in the woods and 275 for everyone else. I dont think thats to much to ask for
Ted Teodoro said…
Well, one day of killing animals for sport(?) is one day too many. Some people should find a productive way to spend their time than being perched on a tree or hiding in some kind of blind, waiting for an animal to go for a drink at the stream or reach for food in a bush, and then shoot them in these oblivious moments. Hunting is a coward's sport (?), in my opinion. Pick up a camera, use a paddle, type on a keyboard, speak on a microphone, drive a vehicle, swim or fly...There is so much more out there to do than killing a defenseless animal. It's all so destructive and barbaric.
Anonymous said…
You fail to recognize that not everyone hunts for sport and also do not consider the financial and ecological implications of removing safe hunting practices. New Jersey is one of many states struggling with unsustainable populations of major hunting species; primarily whitetail deer and wild turkey. Our agricultural industry and heritage are threatened by regular crop disruption/destruction by the uncontrolled population growth of these two primary species. Unless you would welcome the return of their natural predators to the state, responsible hunters are a sound alternative to real barbarism and destruction.
Ted Teodoro said…
If you are concerned about damage to our heritage and our agricultural industry, you need to focus on the growth of human population and encroachment on land that would normally be used for farming and recreation. These lands are taken over for the purpose of building expansive subdivisions, gargantuan shopping malls, gasoline stations, and home centers. Small farms and family-owned country stores are replaced by these noxious supermarkets that you might consider as acceptable and emblematic of our heritage. For some of us, our wildlife is emblematic of our heritage
and killing them is an affront to our decency. It is humankind’s harmful effect on our environment--- our vehicular traffic, our trash, our commercial interests, and factory farming---that should concern you if you are truly concerned about our heritage and agricultural industry, not deer and turkeys. Thanks for your concern about our heritage and agricultural industry, but deer and turkeys should be the least of your worries.

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