Longtime Vermont House Rep. David L. Deen operates the oldest trout fishing guiding business in Vermont, Strictly Trout, and sits on the House Committee on Natural Resources, Fish, and Wildlife, yet he introduced the bill to stop coyote calling contests. A move against hunting in Vermont.
A bill that directly negatively affects Vermont’s hunting rights by taking away a legal, moral, humane, and respectful method of hunting.
The bill states that coyote hunting contests are bad, but the language does not stop there. In the animal rights world, loose, vague, and non-detailed language related to the taking of any wildlife is what they prefer. They want the law or policy passed first and then the real intent and the real interpretation is applied.
A contest is defined as “an event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport, activity, or particular quality.” The dictionary further states, “A contest is a competition or game that people try to win.” The entire world is a place of competition and nearly everything humans do daily is a competition; a contest. Catching the biggest trout is certainly a contest!
With this flawed bill it opens a whole new world of interpretations to Vermont.
For example a fishing guide could no longer advertise that they are “best for getting fish.” That’s a competition. That a particular fishing guide “will get the biggest fish.” Again a competition. It would be illegal for one fisherman to say to another “I bet that I get more fish than you do!” A contest! The guide would have to report the fisherman to authorities as breaking the no contest law! If they did not then the guide(s) would be breaking the Vermont law too!
Sounds farfetched? Not so when it comes to animal activists and when you look at Rep. Deen’s past legislative history. It is easy to study as it is all on the internet and a matter of record in Vermont.
Deen has a long history of proposing language changes and corrections to existing legislation, he knows how it works.
Those seemingly simple word adjustments can totally change the meaning and impact once on the books.
This is exactly what animal activists do all across America nearly every day! It appears that animal activists now have a like-minded friend. Is he a willing friend to animal activists? We hope not.
Let’s hope that Vermont’s senators see the flaws, the tricks, and traps in the proposed coyote bill and refuse to pass it.
To tell Vermonters that they are watching, listening, and acting in their best interest when it comes to Vermont!
They are protecting the rights of Vermont’s fishermen, hunters, trappers, and Vermont’s fishing guides and their businesses.
James Schmidt II
Dragoon, Ariz.
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