Today’s article for discussion comes from my good friend, Ron, who happens to reside in Nebraska. Frankly, I think he summed up his thoughts quite nicely.
“Now the Nebraska state legislature is bent on making an ASS of themselves.”
I must certainly agree.
Deer debate: Some consider deer control bill extreme is the title of the article and it starts like this:
Some farmers call them corn rats.
While Omaha Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh isn’t ready to equate whitetail deer with a vector of the bubonic plague, his agricultural constituents along the Missouri River holler that deer are death on profits.
So the senator has proposed legislation allowing farmers, ranchers and family members to kill unlimited deer on their properties, without permits and without seasons.
Were this the extent of Mr. Lautenbaugh’s bill it might garner some attention and possibly lead to additional (though certainly more reasonable) opportunities for farmers to protect their agricultural assets.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop there but, rather, had to prove himself the typical politician.
Excerpt:
The bill (LB836) also would require a special “depredation” season every two years to encourage even more people to whack deer.
No, he’s not done yet.
Excerpt:
And it would establish a bounty, in the form of a $25 state tax credit, awarded to landowners for every deer killed on their lands.
Nope, not yet.
Excerpt:
More controversially, it would allow the use of spotlights to shoot deer at night, a practice employed by poachers but reviled by ethical hunters and safety advocates.
Personally, I must send Mr. Lautenbaugh a Thank You note. He has provided me with the perfect example for why I jump on politicians on a regular basis when it comes to wildlife management.
Number one – their interests are not with proper management of wildlife or wild lands (which, incidentally, belong to us) but with securing favor from specific constituents – otherwise known as special interest groups.
Number two – they are simply incapable of taking a reasonable approach to anything. If deer create a problem, don’t solve the problem. Instead, design your response as if you are addressing a crisis of unimaginable proportions.
Number three – they rarely, if ever, have a clue what they’re talking about and they just as rarely consult with those who do.
Excerpt:
The senator did not consult with Game and Parks before writing the bill
While I doubt that a bill so drastic as the one proposed will actually pass the legislature, I nonetheless think it would be a great idea if Nebraska sportsmen were to contact the dear Senator from Omaha and offer him a piece of your collective mind.
Maybe you could even find a rail large enough that he and Ben Nelson could ride out of town together…
