Who are these idiots??? I can't find a web site or email for any of them.

Citizens still protesting Family Rabbit Hunt ODF&W has “postponed” not canceled killing… yet


Portland—The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODF&W),has been telling all concerned citizens that the Family Rabbit Hunt has been canceled. However, IDA discussed this matter in detail with Lindsay Ball, the director of ODF&W and he was very clear on this point— the hunt is “postponed” and not happening this Saturday, but the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has not yet divorced themselves from this rabbit hunt billed as “family fun”. In fact, the event may just be rescheduled to a later date.



An outraged six-foot bunny and other concerned citizens will still be gathering to demonstrate against the ODF&W’s sponsorship of the Family Rabbit Hunt, today, Wednesday, January 8th at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Headquarters, 2501 SW First Ave, from 12 Noon-1 pm.



[/b]“We are all too familiar with the tragic events—shootings at school or home—that happen when children and guns mix.”[/b] stated Matt Rossell, of In Defense of Animals. “More than ever, now is the time to find more appropriate and positive ways to encourage ‘family fun’ without using guns and violence against innocent life.”



Mr. Ball did say that the ODF&W’s commissioners will hear comment from the public at 1pm at their meeting this Friday at their headquarters 2501 SW First Ave. IDA and other concerned citizens will be there to express their feelings about ODF&W’s sponsorship of such an event.



According to one concerned citizen, Leslie Hemstreet, “We are aware that ODF&W is charged with regulating wildlife in Oregon, but that involves protecting animals, not promoting hunting. Sponsoring a rabbit hunt billed for ‘family fun’ and [b]encouraging youngsters to shoot wild animals is an outrageous misuse of tax-payer revenues. They have clearly crossed a line.[/b]

"Matt Rossell, a resident of Portland, Oregon, who worked as an animal technician at ORPRC for two years, exposed the place as a chamber of horrors when he quit and went public in August 2000"

More pussyfooting around for the fagget camp.  So gun use is violent or is it just against "innocent animals?"

When is an animal guilty?

The ODF&W gets most of it's funding from Hunting and Fishing licenses and tags.

I think they need to open season on bunny huggers

You gotta love that quote.

[img]http://fp.entertainmentearth.com/AUTOIMAGES/TYVMP005lg.jpg[/img]

[b][i][size=4]He'd do you a treat, mate![/size=4]][/i][/b]

anytime politics and renewable natural resource management mix, nothing good comes of it.  Bunny huggers should stick to hugging their pet furballs at home and leave the wildlife conservation issues to the biologists.

A beagle is scared of a 6 ft bunny???

I am so embarrassed about this.

I'll try calling these nice folks today and posting some contact info.

Hopefully we can have a nice chat. You know, PR Director to nice guy.[;)]

-Z

This will be decided by the Oregon Game Commission. Here is a list of the commissioners:

Please be polite.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/AgencyOrganization/commissioners.htm

If someone smarter than me could make this link active that would be great.

More info later.

-Z

Here is email I received from Mr. Tony Burtt. Tony is very supportive of the hunt and a fine gentleman. Please do not direct any anger towards him.

email follows:

Thank you for your call. I am attaching the email response that we have given to people who have contacted us objecting to the BOW Rabbit Hunt and our hunting and shooting sports education programs. The following link is the main one that seems to have mobilised the opposition. See the fourth feature item: http://www.portland.indymedia.org/

Emails to this Agency should be addressed to the Commission Chair, John Esler, [email protected] and/or to the Director, Lindsay Ball [email protected] Copies of all emails received will be provided to the Commission who meet for their regular monthly meeting at the Portland HQ office of the Department on Friday Jan 10th. They will take unscheduled testimony at 1:00pm and members of the public wishing to testify on any subject should call Mike Lueck (503) 872-5272 Etx. 5447.

Please send POLITE email with our position to:

Commission Chair, John Esler: [email protected]

Director, Lindsay Ball: [email protected]

DO THIS!

Thanks for the help!

I will post some talking points in the next post.

-Z out

Here is email that is being sent to people who are opposed to the hunt. Please not key talking points:
1) no tax dollars
2) safe and responsible
3) legal

message follows:

Our director, Lindsay Ball, forwarded your e-mail message about the upcoming BOW Family Rabbit Hunt Workshop to me for response. I understand and respect that hunting is not for everyone. I hope, however, that the following information will help provide some background that places the event in context.

First, we are in no way encouraging people to kill rabbits. We are teaching individuals who already want to hunt wild rabbits and other small game to do so safely, responsibly and legally. This is part of our statutory responsibility under state law, and is funded by the fees paid by the state's hunters and anglers. Those fees and the uses to which they are put are legislatively approved and directed. As a state agency, we are required by law to make hunting and angling opportunities available to Oregonians, and to educate hunters and anglers on how to engage in those activities safely, responsibly and legally. Your tax dollars are not being used for this.

The workshop in question is being produced at the request of participants in the Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program who consistently have asked for workshops where they can have an actual hunting experience. Previous BOW workshops have provided hunting education opportunities for pheasant, turkey and ducks.

Oregon also has offered for many years two other wild rabbit hunts at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, one for youth each fall and one for disabled hunters (wheelchair users) each winter. This upcoming hunt is an extension of the existing series of workshops. In addition, similar workshops are offered throughout the year at other locations in Oregon.

All hunting workshops sponsored as part of the BOW program and other ODFW educational programs are structured in accordance with hunter education requirements, Oregon hunting regulations, and any regulations specific to the location where the workshops are held.

This workshop focuses on women and youths who are interested in learning safe and responsible hunting behavior. It is being put on under the sponsorship of Mary's Peak Hound Club, a local sporting and conservation organization. ODFW works with many such groups across the state to promote and offer educational opportunities to both the citizens of Oregon and to residents of nearby states.

I realize this information may not make the event more acceptable to you, but I hope you will understand that as long as people are interested in hunting -- whether they are men, women or youths -- it is ODFW's statutory responsibility under the law to educate them to hunt safely, responsibly and legally.

At this time, because of the public interest in this event, we have decided to postponed it pending direction from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. We did this for three reasons.

First, we sincerely value public involvement in our decision-making processes. That's why, for example, we are holding 15 town hall meetings around the state to get public input on what to do about wolves dispersing into Oregon from Idaho. In the same way, because of the controversy surrounding rabbit hunting, we have offered individuals opposed to the event the opportunity to speak before our Commission to state their case and make their request regarding this kind of event. We also are giving the Commission copies of all e-mails we have received. Once all sides have been heard, the department will make a final decision based on the direction we receive from the Commission. Please remember that ODFW is required by law to making hunting opportunities available and to provide hunter education.

The second reason we postponed the event is because we are concerned about the safety of the individuals who planned to stage a protest at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area. The event was scheduled for this weekend because there is hunting occurring there now. There will be many people hunting both rabbits and waterfowl at E.E. Wilson, and we wanted to minimize the number of individuals in the area who are unfamiliar with safety practices in hunting areas.

Third, the women and teenagers who requested this workshop paid for it with the expectation of receiving a specific experience, and we were increasingly uncertain that we could provide them with the quality of experience they expected. Please remember that there are more than 35,000 licensed women hunters in Oregon, and more than 20,000 licensed hunters between the ages of 12 and 18. This event was held at their request.

That should do it!

Here they are:

[b]Emails to this Agency should be addressed to:[/b]
the Commission Chair, John Esler,
[email][email protected][/email] and/or to the Director, Lindsay Ball
[email][email protected][/email]

shameless bump

take 2 minutes and send a quick email.

What a bunch of weenies. According to the article I saw in the Albany Democrat Herald, there were only 12 protesters - including the bunny (this isn't Computer Guy on steroids is it - I know he lost his job [:D]).

I think ODFW needs to start requiring people to ne nude for interviews. Then they would at least know who had the balls to stand up to or ignore a FEW protesters.

NMSight