hunting in MA on Sundays

[leebo]

I read in yesterdays globe an article about a bill allowing hunting on Sundays. I know this has been dicussed before. Does this bill have a chance of passing?

[Tim]

Hard to say. It does seem to be getting more press than previous years. But there's no predicting what the Massachusetts legislature is going to do - it's all about the deal, and making money for their buddies - has nothing to do with what makes sense, or what the public wants.

Wait a minute - didn't we have a tea party about that a couple hundred years or so ago?

Tim

[easilyspooked]

what were the specifics of the article? when will it come up for a vote? who do we contact to lodge protest?
I'm origionally from NH and I loves me some second amendment, but now that I'm in MA I like seeing all the families and dogs using the trails on sundays without having to wear orange more.

[digger]

Bill text:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/185/ht02pdf/ht02315.pdf

Bill history:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/185history/h02315.htm
I believe that the news articles were related to a Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee hearing on the bill.

I have requested and am receiving updates from Rep. Gobi on the bill but haven't heard the results of the hearing which might have been to recommend a vote on the floor.

This is not the first attempt. Others have failed to reach a vote.

I'm sort of ambivalent about Sunday hunting. Two things bother me however.

There is a cost in adding Sunday hunting - increased enforcement. It seems to me that additional EPOs should be funded to cover the extra days.

The news article I saw as usual touted the benefit of the $5 Wildlands Stamp that is sold with (almost all) hunting licenses, basically claiming sportsmen were responsible for protecting 4000 acres last year. Let's see 70000 licenses X $5 = $350K purchased 4000 acres? That's the price of a house lot in my community. A full price license is $27.50. 70K licenses generate total about 2 mill. I doubt that covers the full budget of DFW much less covers the cost of preserving 4000 acres.

I do think a campaign for mtbers to voluntarily make a contribution to the wildlands fund and/or the DCR Conservation Trust might be a good thing.

DS

[UngaWunga]

I do think a campaign for mtbers to voluntarily make a contribution to the wildlands fund and/or the DCR Conservation Trust might be a good thing.

DS

Don't be silly. You know that will be redirected right into the general fund and end up in some BigDig payoff package.