Wisconsin Chapters of Safari Club International
Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association
Wisconsin Chapters of National Wild Turkey Federation Wisconsin Branches of the Quality Deer Management Ass.
Sporting Heritage Inc
US Sportsmen’s Alliance

2007 Session Hunters Rights Coalition Issues

1 – Land Access – Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition supports all efforts to open more land to public hunting.  We support the budget proposal to require land purchases from MFL funds to be open to all hunting.  We support Stewardship reauthorization contingent upon all suitable lands being open to hunting, fishing, and trapping, and support the proposition that no more that 10% of the fund be used to purchase parcels less than 10 acres in size.  We oppose the efforts of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to close portions of the Upper Mississippi to hunting.

2 – Apprenticed Hunting – Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition strongly supports all efforts to bring more hunters into the woods; young people especially need to be encouraged to enjoy Wisconsin’s outdoor heritage.  We support legislation similar to last session’s AB 586.  This would allow apprenticed hunters to hunt with a mentor as long as they are within arm’s-length of the mentor and there is only one gun between them.  Many other states have adopted similar proposals and the results have been amazing – tens of thousands of new hunters and not one accident.

3 – Wolf Delisting – Wisconsin Hunters Rights Coalition supports the US Fish and Wildlife’s decision to remove Wisconsin’s wolf pack from the endangered species list.  Delisting gives back to our state the right to control our wolves.  Our state management plan is the nation’s best and has worked to dramatically increase the number of wolves here.  Now it is time to allow the plan to work so that wolves can peacefully coexist with Wisconsin’s sportsmen, farmers, and homeowners.  Currently the US Humane Society and others have filed a suit in opposition to the delisting.  We ask Wisconsin’s elected officials to oppose this lawsuit and defend our state’s management plan.