Staff report
CLAREMONT — Farmers may soon be able to shoot at predators from their vehicles, including tractors and ATVs under a bill the New Hampshire House passed Thursday.
Rep. James Spillane, R-Deerfield, said the bill was necessary to allow farmers “to take care of predators, varmints, things that critically decimate their crops or their livestock,” according to the Associated Press.
Rep. Raymond Gagnon, D-Claremont, voted in favor of the bill and said most of his colleagues did as well.
Gagnon, who said he’s “not a big fan” of loaded weapons in vehicles, approved the bill because of an incident in Claremont about 25 years ago, he said.
He said wild boar destroyed a local farmer’s corn field and cost him “thousands of dollars.”
“If a farmer feels confident and comfortable plowing a field and having a shot gun on a tractor, that’s his decision,” Gagnon said.
The New Hampshire bill limits farmers to only carrying loaded rifles across their own fields. It modifies a current law that prohibits carrying loaded rifles and shotguns in motor vehicles and creates an exemption for farmers protecting their crops and livestock.
Eighth-generation farmer Becky Nelson, of Beaver Pond Farm in Newport, took a moderated view of the legislation. She noted that it can help farmers protect their crops and livestock, but farmers should also work alongside state agencies to take care of bigger animals like bears that might come onto their land.
“Frankly, I think most farmers have done that anyways,” Nelson said.”People should be able to protect their land, but within reason.” Gagnon said many have complained about wild animals impacting their farms.
Oak Knoll Dairy owner George Redick of Windsor, Vermont, has had issues with woodchucks and coyotes destroying his fields and killing animals. Oak Knoll is a dairy goat farm with about 700 goats.
“I’ll shoot a woodchuck if it bothers me enough,” said Redick.
The bill was opposed by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and police, according to the Associated Press. Opponents argued it was confusing and needed further study.
“In committee we heard many things,” said Rep. Jonathan Manley, D-Bennington, according to the Associated Press. “One of the things I heard was that if you’re a farmer, and you see a varmint, you don’t have enough time to slow your vehicle down, stop it and load your gun because that would make a noise, and then it would be gone. I was sort of worried about that a little bit.”
The bill still needs approval from the Senate, which had passed a different version of the bill earlier.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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