Connecticut: Hunting Bills Scheduled for Committee Hearing

On Monday, March 6, the Connecticut Joint Committee on Environment has scheduled a hearing for several hunting bills.  Two bills, House Bill 5499 and Senate Bill 522, would expand hunting opportunities for Connecticut residents by legalizing firearm hunting on Sundays and creating a bear hunting season, respectively.  Unfortunately, Senate Bill 942 would ban the importation, possession, sale, or transport of any legally acquired hunting trophies of African “Big Five” species.

Please contact the members of the committee and urge them to SUPPORT both HB 5499 and SB 522!  Also, please urge them to OPPOSE SB 942.  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact the committee members!

HB 5499, sponsored by state Representatives Kevin Skulczyck (R-45), Linda Orange (D-48), and Ezequiel Santiago (D-130), will legalize firearm hunting on private land on Sundays.  Because of the current prohibition, many hunters are prevented from introducing their children or friends to hunting because they are competing with organized sports and other activities on Saturday, which is currently their only opportunity to hunt outside of the work week.  Countless hunters stop hunting because of the lack of opportunity, time restrictions and accessible land.  The addition of an extra day in the field, especially on the weekend, increases the opportunity for those individuals to experience hunting.  Opening hunting on Sundays is vital to preserving Connecticut’s hunting heritage for future generations to come.

Other outdoor activities are allowed on Sunday, including those that take place on public and private property, such as fishing, hiking and golf.  Restrictions on Sunday hunting effectively treat hunters as second-class citizens and tacitly endorse the view of animal extremists that there is something wrong with hunting.  Such a view ignores the fact that hunting is part of America’s heritage and hunters contribute billions of dollars to wildlife and conservation programs, through license fees and revenues generated through purchases of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment.

SB 522, sponsored by state Senator Craig Miner (R-30), would authorize the creation of a bear hunting season in Connecticut.  Hunters play a vital role in the state’s conservation efforts. State wildlife officials may use hunting to control bear populations, reduce human interactions with bears in certain areas, and maintain a sustainable and healthy bear population.  Authorizing bear hunting would help ensure that Connecticut’s wildlife management techniques are based on sound science and not emotion.

SB 942, would ban the importation, possession, sale, or transport of any legally acquired hunting trophies of African “Big Five” species.  Anti-hunting extremists have long targeted legal African big game hunting, while claiming that they were combating illegal poaching.  In reality, these hunts are carried out in a sustainable manner by law-abiding hunters and are an integral part of conservation efforts based on sound science.  Further, revenue from these sportsmen fund conservation and anti-poaching efforts in many foreign countries.

Please stay tuned to your email inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates on these bills.