yanici
NES Member
If you are an Andover resident you can vote to keep the town conservation land open to bow hunters. Town meeting on April 28th has article #46 to ban such hunting.
Below is an email I received from my club, Andover Sportsman's Club, with pertinent information. Please make an effort to attend the Town Meeting. Thanks.
*********************************************************
Dear Member:
There is a private warrant article to come before the Andover Town meeting on Thursday April 28th at the Collins field house at the high school.
The article bans bowhunting.
The proponents will try and raise doubt about the existing deer population control program, which has been successful and is consdered the best long term solution. Nevertheless, the proponents have added a ban on trapping as well. This is a classic animal rights ploy. Don't be fooled by this, as recreational trapping is already not allowed on town conservation lands. The only trapping that is currently allowed is by town officials to protect property, roads and watersheds.
Please vote NO on this article. Please also pass this along to friends and associates in order to amass as many supporters as possible to show up and vote this down. We owe it to our kids so they can have a place to hunt as well.
History
Last fall, in an attempt to begin reducing the overabundance of deer, town officials opened select parcels of conservation land to bowhunting. Mass Wildlife estimates that Andover harbors 25-30 deer per sq. mile. A healthy deer herd is considered 8-12 per sq. mile. Other than humans, there are no major diseases nor predators that have been effective at keeping the deer population in check. Lowering the deer population is important to preserve the biological diversity of our forests, to prevent the spread of invasive plant species, to reduce motor vehicle collisions, to reduce landscape damage, to protect our watersheds, and is important for the health of the deer. Hopefully over time, we can also stabilize or reduce the number of Lyme disease cases. The highest rates of Lyme disease are always associated with the highest deer densities. The hunt also provides a free range organic food source for residents.
Opening up town conservation lands to bowhunting was not rushed. It was a two year process. State officials met with local officials and boards. The deer hunt was reviewed and approved by the police department, the board of health, town legal council, the conservation commission, the board of selectmen, and the school committee. Sharpshooting, pesticide application, trap and relocate, birth control, fencing and predator control were all reviewed. These options were found to be either not legal, experimental, impractical or not approved for use in Massachusetts. Many other towns and land conservation groups such as Essex County Greenbelt and the Trustees Of Reservations have researched and addressed this issue before us. These groups all came to the same conclusion as Andover did, recreational hunting. This is because it is the best option. Recreational hunting is free, it is a long term solution, and has been proven effective throughout much of this state when hunters have access.
The feasibility of hunting in Andover was tested this past fall. The first season was a success in that Deer were taken and things went very smoothly. Many good conversations were had between the hunters and other user groups and there were no negative interactions. The permitted hunters located and removed fifteen illegal tree stands. Rules were put in place stricter than state law. Among these rules are that hunters have to wear a town issued photo ID, hunt from an elevated stand, pass a shooting proficiency test, and hunt by bow and arrow only. Hunters are also required to graduate from a state mandated hunter safety education course. Among the topics included in this course is ethical shot placement to minimize animal suffering. The town also requires that hunters pass a proficiency test. The archer must hit a six inch square target at 75 feet. Bowhunters take their shots within thirty yards of the stand and shoot into the ground. A pet cannot be confused with a deer. The deer hunting season is only eleven weeks long and there is no hunting on Sundays. There has never been an accident between a bowhunter and a non hunter since the state began keeping records over forty years ago. Last year, there were 15,068 bowhunters in Massachusetts. This activity, like all others, will be continually monitored by town officials.
Action Required
Again, please vote NO on this article (#46 - General Bylaw Amendment - Bow Hunting Ban), the cost of doing nothing about the deer overpopulation issue is too great.
More Information about this issue can be found on the conservation division page of the town website under deer hunting at:
http://andoverma.gov/conservation/deerhunt.php.
Thank you,
The Andover Sportsmen's Club
Below is an email I received from my club, Andover Sportsman's Club, with pertinent information. Please make an effort to attend the Town Meeting. Thanks.
*********************************************************
Dear Member:
There is a private warrant article to come before the Andover Town meeting on Thursday April 28th at the Collins field house at the high school.
The article bans bowhunting.
The proponents will try and raise doubt about the existing deer population control program, which has been successful and is consdered the best long term solution. Nevertheless, the proponents have added a ban on trapping as well. This is a classic animal rights ploy. Don't be fooled by this, as recreational trapping is already not allowed on town conservation lands. The only trapping that is currently allowed is by town officials to protect property, roads and watersheds.
Please vote NO on this article. Please also pass this along to friends and associates in order to amass as many supporters as possible to show up and vote this down. We owe it to our kids so they can have a place to hunt as well.
History
Last fall, in an attempt to begin reducing the overabundance of deer, town officials opened select parcels of conservation land to bowhunting. Mass Wildlife estimates that Andover harbors 25-30 deer per sq. mile. A healthy deer herd is considered 8-12 per sq. mile. Other than humans, there are no major diseases nor predators that have been effective at keeping the deer population in check. Lowering the deer population is important to preserve the biological diversity of our forests, to prevent the spread of invasive plant species, to reduce motor vehicle collisions, to reduce landscape damage, to protect our watersheds, and is important for the health of the deer. Hopefully over time, we can also stabilize or reduce the number of Lyme disease cases. The highest rates of Lyme disease are always associated with the highest deer densities. The hunt also provides a free range organic food source for residents.
Opening up town conservation lands to bowhunting was not rushed. It was a two year process. State officials met with local officials and boards. The deer hunt was reviewed and approved by the police department, the board of health, town legal council, the conservation commission, the board of selectmen, and the school committee. Sharpshooting, pesticide application, trap and relocate, birth control, fencing and predator control were all reviewed. These options were found to be either not legal, experimental, impractical or not approved for use in Massachusetts. Many other towns and land conservation groups such as Essex County Greenbelt and the Trustees Of Reservations have researched and addressed this issue before us. These groups all came to the same conclusion as Andover did, recreational hunting. This is because it is the best option. Recreational hunting is free, it is a long term solution, and has been proven effective throughout much of this state when hunters have access.
The feasibility of hunting in Andover was tested this past fall. The first season was a success in that Deer were taken and things went very smoothly. Many good conversations were had between the hunters and other user groups and there were no negative interactions. The permitted hunters located and removed fifteen illegal tree stands. Rules were put in place stricter than state law. Among these rules are that hunters have to wear a town issued photo ID, hunt from an elevated stand, pass a shooting proficiency test, and hunt by bow and arrow only. Hunters are also required to graduate from a state mandated hunter safety education course. Among the topics included in this course is ethical shot placement to minimize animal suffering. The town also requires that hunters pass a proficiency test. The archer must hit a six inch square target at 75 feet. Bowhunters take their shots within thirty yards of the stand and shoot into the ground. A pet cannot be confused with a deer. The deer hunting season is only eleven weeks long and there is no hunting on Sundays. There has never been an accident between a bowhunter and a non hunter since the state began keeping records over forty years ago. Last year, there were 15,068 bowhunters in Massachusetts. This activity, like all others, will be continually monitored by town officials.
Action Required
Again, please vote NO on this article (#46 - General Bylaw Amendment - Bow Hunting Ban), the cost of doing nothing about the deer overpopulation issue is too great.
More Information about this issue can be found on the conservation division page of the town website under deer hunting at:
http://andoverma.gov/conservation/deerhunt.php.
Thank you,
The Andover Sportsmen's Club
