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.”
Garrison said putting specific language in the state constitution would fend off any intrusions by animal rights activists.
“And you never know when extremist groups might come in and say this is not a good thing,” he said. “I think there is some fear that some groups will make it against the law to even hunt and fish because they think it’s cruel to animals.”
Dorothy Farmer, director of Promoting Animal Welfare Society, said she does not understand why existing laws are not good enough.
“We’re already able to get a hunting and fishing license to go hunting and fishing, so why mess with something that’s not broke?” she said. “Some of your animal rights groups might try something like that, but I doubt if they could get it to pass. And they would have to do it in each state. I’ve never worried about it. We’ve been hunting and fishing for years, and it hasn’t happened.”
However, Farmer does expect hunters to follow a code of honor when they are in the outdoors.
“If you go out and kill a deer and eat it, I have no problem with that,” she said. “But I don’t think you should have to kill something two or three times just to get it to be dead; you should be a good shot and eat your meat.”
Farmer said her only objection to Garrison’s proposal is that she doesn’t think anyone should be tinkering with the state constitution.
“I don’t see any reason to change the law that’s there,” she said. “I think they’re messing with our constitution too much as it is. It has worked for many years, so why change it? I don’t see any need to put something in the constitution. We’ve got enough in there as there is. I would just say leave the law alone and leave our constitution alone.”
Garrison said hunters and fishermen play a role in game management that needs to be protected.
“Animals have to be harvested,” he said. “And if you have good management, and that’s what the Oklahoma Wildlife Commission does, it’s important that you have management because if you don’t, you get overpopulation, and the animals get smaller and there’s too much inbreeding.”
Some of the language in State Question No. 742 emphasizes Garrison’s concept of the outdoorsman as part of the state’s overall game management: “This measure adds a new section to the state constitution. It gives all people of this state the right to hunt, trap, fish and take game and fish. It allows for taking of game and fish by traditional means. It makes hunting, fishing and trapping the preferred means to manage certain game and fish.”
Garrison said the existing system has been stable and successful.
“We do a good job in Oklahoma of managing our deer population and our turkey, quail and all of our fish,” he said. “It’s important to hunt and fish under good management; the animals thrive, and we protect the habitats.”

Reach Keith Purtell at 918-684-2925 or Click Here to Send Email