Protecting Hunting & Fishing in OK

Senator promotes Hunters Bill of Rights
By Keith Purtell Phoenix Staff Writer October 26, 2008 12:26 am—

An Oklahoma state senator said he is promoting a change to the state constitution that would protect hunters and fisherman from animal rights activists.Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee, said that State Question 742 is also known as the Hunters Bill of Rights.

“We’re trying to put in our constitution the right for Oklahomans to hunt, fish and trap like we always have,” he said. “This will protect our children and grandchildren’s ability to hunt and fish like we always have in Oklahoma. I think it’s a good thing because most hunters and fishers are conservationists first.”

Garrison said one reason to establish constitutional protection is that hunting and fishing are important Oklahoma traditions.

“For most Oklahomans it’s a heritage we can pass on to our children and grandchildren,” he said.

“Hunters are some of the most sensitive people in the world; they understand the value of passing this on to the next generations.” Read More

There are a couple of points to take home from this article. First, it is very important that Americans maintain the right to hunt and fish so we can promote healthy balances in our wildlife populations. And second, never assume someone won’t make an effort to take away your ability to continue a tradition like hunting. Thirty years ago, it would have seemed absurd that today we would be fighting for our ability to manage our own horses, or that we would be talking about a ballot measure that will outlaw your ability to put a chicken in a cage.