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Judge allows Massachusetts pheasant hunt to continue (10/17/2002) A federal judge in Massachusetts has rejected a request by
anti-hunters to stop pheasant hunting at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
The State Wildlife Division will proceed with its pheasant
release and the hunting season will begin as scheduled on Saturday,
October 19. In early October, animal rights groups brought a
lawsuit demanding an end to pheasant hunting on Cape Cod National
Seashore. They asked for a
temporary restraining order to stop this season’s hunt immediately.
United States District Court Judge Patti Saris rejected the
anti’s request for a restraining order. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, a
national sportsman advocacy organization, has been granted permission by
Judge Saris to become a defendant intervenor in the lawsuit.
The decision came despite the objection of anti-hunting
plaintiffs including the Humane Society of the United States, the Fund
for Animals and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals. “We commend the court for following the law and
not playing wildlife manager with this issue,” said Rob Sexton,
manager of government affairs for the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
Foundation. “Unfortunately,
this was just one battle. We
must continue our efforts to ensure that the court fully understands the
case and the impacts a negative ruling would have on wildlife.” The potential implications of the lawsuit go far
beyond the state of Massachusetts and pheasant hunting.
It could impact hunting, fishing and wildlife management for an
array of species introduced in areas or states where they were not
historically found. This
includes species such as rainbow trout, brown trout, elk and wild
turkey. The anti-hunters claim that release and hunting of pheasants is endangering habitat for various species at Cape Cod and endangering non-hunters. The suit also claims that pheasants are exotic animals and should not be released. The anti’s singled out pheasants because they
are not native to the United States.
However, pheasants were introduced in the United States over 120
years ago (1881), and are now found in the wild in 39 states and six
Canadian provinces. It is
even the South Dakota state bird. Pheasant hunting has been taking place on Cape
Cod since 1914, and since 1961 with the concurrence of the National Park
Service on Cape Cod National Seashore lands. Joining the Foundation in the case are the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Council Inc., Barnstable County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs and sportsman Michael Veloza of Manomet, Massachusetts. CopyrightÓ U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance- www.ussportsmen.org
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