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We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Animal Defenders of Westchester
P.O. Box 205
Yonkers, NY 10704

Campaigns
Stop Hunting

NYS DEC Running Free Hunting Training Course

The NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation, Division of fish, wildlife and marine resources, is running a three day FREE bow-hunter/hunting training course in Mount Vernon, on Aug. 29, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19.

It is being held in a poor neighborhood, in a smoke/gun shop. This is typical - it would not be held in Scarsdale or a tonier neighborhood.

It also seems highly questionable and outrageous that taxpayer dollars are being devoted to teaching poor people how to kill, while Yonkers teachers are being laid off. Taffy Williams and I are attempting to block this course by injunction; further info about that shortly.

The DEC flyer states the 'course' is funded IN PART by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (!!!) and by federal excise taxes on hunting equipment; but, according to Anne Muller, president of the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting, "The Bureau of Wildlife is running a private hunting business on taxpayer money.

The excise taxes on firearms, bows and arrows are insufficient to pay for their sport of killing animals. (New York State is required to match 25% of the federal excise tax that is contributed to the State.) All of the Bureau of Wildlife's overhead costs are paid out of the general fund. No good deed goes unpunished, because with our money the Bureau of Wildlife increases "game" species which then create human-animal conflicts." www.all-creatures.org/cash  

I have strongly felt that the hype about the deer 'problem' in Westchester was just that - hype to help bring hunters in; the creation of a 'deer committee' in Greenburgh has added to it.

PLEASE MAKE THE FOLLOWING CONTACTS TO HELP STOP HUNTING TRAINING!!

CALL NYS DEC Sportsman 'educator' Matt Merchant (845) 256-3063

Demand this program be terminated IMMEDIATELY!

One reason we were able to get them to drop rodeos was that Mt. Vernon didn't want to sully its image with that garbage; stress that this is no different. Please write polite letters to Mayor Ernest

Davis, who may not realize this 'course' will be held:

Email for Mayor Davis:
[email protected]
cc: Asst. Denise Lima
[email protected]

Press Secretary
Leslie Alpert:
[email protected]  

Westchester County Executive
Andrew Spano:
[email protected]  

Please make these additional contacts regarding these courses, also being given in Rye and Yonkers (when possible, please call as well):

RYE: Mayor Steven Otis
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (914) 967-7404

City Council President Rozamond Larr
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (914) 967-3042

YONKERS: Mayor Philip Amicone
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (914) 377-6300

City Council President Liam McLaughlin
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (914)377-6314

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