Let’s Stop Promoting “Man’s Dominion” Over Nonhuman Life
On 9 February 2005, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced a bill (S. 304) with the short title “The Sportsmanship in Hunting Act of 2005.“ Proponents of the bill claim it will “crack down on ‘canned hunts,’ the abhorrent practice of confining tame, exotic animals in an enclosed space and shooting them at close range.” [1] As Senator Lautenberg has acknowledged, it is important to note what the bill does and does not do.
By its own terms, the bill would not prohibit the stalking and killing of any birds, such as doves, turkeys, quails and pheasants, nor any native mammals, such as white-tailed deer and elk. Yet these animals make up the vast majority of animals killed on hunting ranches.
The bill, if passed, would not forbid killing exotic (non-native) mammals in enclosures of less than 1,000 acres, including animals on 2,437 ranches, in Texas [3] alone, which have 2005 Hunting Lease Licenses for 1,000+ acres. Additionally, of the more than 8,000 total ranches licensed for hunting by the state of Texas, all could offer native mammals and birds.
The exempted hunting ranches — those with 1,000 or more acres — are offering exotic animals, including those in danger of extinction, such as scimitar-horned oryx, addax and dama gazelle.
The bill does nothing to impede hunters from frequenting private hunting ranches.
If passed, the bill would provide a cover of legitimacy to trophy hunting ranches over 1,000 acres.
S. 304 glorifies the hunting industry with the label of “sportsmanship.”
As its title suggests, it accepts the concept of “fair chase” formulated by the Boone and Crocket Club, which Theodore Roosevelt founded to promote competition for antlers, horns and skulls. The “fair chase” is “intended to enhance the hunter’s experience.”[2] Within such a paradigm, the nonhuman interest in life and freedom is never seriously considered.
Can The Act That Sells Out Endangered Antelopes
The Sportsmanship in Hunting Act impedes the effort to protect and respect endangered antelopes and other animals.
In 2005, pressed by legal action from Friends of Animals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed as endangered the scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and dama gazelle. These antelopes, native to arid northern Africa, are now all highly endangered due to habitat destruction caused by agribusiness, armed conflict, mining, and poaching.
Private canned-hunting ranches in the United States, mainly in Texas, breed and keep some of these antelopes, and charge tourists for the opportunity to take home trophies. It is hypocritical in the extreme to refer to U.S. tourists who kill these antelopes as “sportsmen,” while identifying African hunters of the same animals as poachers.
Yet, pressed by ranchers, the government exempted U.S.-bred antelopes from their “endangered” designation. With a few limited requirements, the new rule allows any person to kill, export, or sell live antelopes.
Plotting of ranches with over 1,000 acres with 2005 Texas Hunting Lease Licenses
Data used to plot this map was provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Members and supporters of Friends of Animals thank the Environmental Law Clinical Partnership of the University of Denver for their steadfast work in the legal challenge to keep all antelopes the highest level of legal protection possible.
15,000 acres
scimitar-horned oryx and addax
Canoe Creek Ranch (KY)
15,000 acres
scimitarhorned oryx and addax
Casa Grand Game Ranch (TX)
3,700 acres
addax
Circle E Ranch (TX)
2,000 acres
scimitarhorned oryx and addax
5,400 acres
scimitar-horned oryx
Continental Ranch (TX)
47,000 acres
scimitarhorned oryx and addax
Diamond K Ranch (TX)
5,000 acres
scimitar-horned oryx and addax
High Adventure Ranch (MO)
1,000 acres
scimitar-horned oryx and addax
10,000 acres
scimitar-horned oryx and addax
More or Less Game Ranch (TX)
1,200 acres
scimitar- horned oryx
Wild Horse Prairie Ranches (TX)
7,500 acres
scimitar-horned oryx
Y.O. Ranch (TX)
60,000 acres
scimitar-horned oryx and addax
Please encourage your legislators to oppose this bill. You can locate your Senators through http://www.congress.org or write to them at:
The Honorable ______________
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Congressional Switchboard 202-224-3121
Footnotes
- “Take Action: Stop Canned Hunting,” The Humane Society of the United States
- “Fair Chase Statement,” Boone and Crocket Club
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report of Hunting License Leases report 31 August 2005