Weblog Entry - 11/09/2002: "They kill them but arrest us for feeding them

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11/09/2002 "They kill them but arrest us for feeding them - which side are you on?"

Dear Rex:

And when you send that Non-Hunter's Bill of Rights to the state's representatives, tell them that their constituent, Virginia Rose Ray, of Janesville, WI, 53545, urges them to review it and enact it.
Particularly in light of the fact that, in order to facilitate the interests of hunters, All wisconsin residents, including Non-Hunters, have been forbidden by law to feed starving deer all winter.

First the DNR for years artificially increased the size of the Wisconsin deer herd to meet the needs of hunters.

Then, the DNR foolishly insists the CWD problem is limited to their "kill zone" around Mt Horeb, even though CWD has been found in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota and most telling, CWD has been found in deer "farms" all over Wisconsin.
Now, having increased the herd to starvation size, the DNR demands that the Wisconsin legislature enact laws forbidding non-hunters to feed the starving deer this winter "to prevent the spread of CWD" which THEY insist is limited to the Mt Horeb area.
In an incredible, inane, summit of their never ending stupidity the DNR is enacting blanket laws to cover all taxpayers who feed deer, no matter where they reside in Wisconsin. Now if CWD is restricted to Mt Horeb why are all residents no matter where they live in Wisconsin forbidden to feed deer?
Why does NO ONE QUESTION these obvious contradictions? Our state government just acts as if the DNR is GOD and does anything it wants including giving in to the DNR's latest request for 10 million dollars.

The prohibition on feeding is supposedly to protect the deer from congregating in large herds around food. Supposedly, this close contact creates the conditions which cause the disease to spread (like the close contact of feeding deer in deer farms?).

Yet, the DNR is not asking for any prohibitions on baiting stations where overcrowding occurs. The DNR is not demanding the disease producing deer "farms/canned hunting prisons" be closed. Even though these places lie and hide the fact that their deer are sick

Every year, the DNR's rational for increasing the killing seasons, has been that we non-hunters should go into the woods in winter and see the deer yards if we do not want long hunting seasons or hunting in our parks. The "yards" are where the deer all come together to starve because not enough of them were shot during hunting season.

Aren't the yards a source of crowding? What difference does it make if deer are fed, when they will congregate whether they are fed or starving?

In any case, the DNR has no right to restrict citizens from assisting starving deer or assisting any wildlife of our state because wildlife is a public resource and not the exclusive property of hunters.

For more information go to the CAIDS website.