The following is an article taken from the 1998 Activities Report of The Wildlife Legislative Fund of America.

Bowhunters Face Threats In Maryland, Massachusetts

Archery hunting may be coming under fire again in two East Coast states. In Maryland, a gubernatorial appointee to the state's wildlife rule making body, the Maryland Wildlife Advisory Commission, has pushed for the state wildlife agency to ban all bowhunting, statewide.

In Massachusetts, the state wildlife agency director is concerned about rumors of a statewide voter issue to challenge bowhunting in the 2000 elections. 

The Maryland situation dates to the 1996 elections when Governor Paris Glendenning named Dr. E. Joseph Lamp to the state Wildlife Advisory Commission. Lamp is a member of several national animal rights organizations. In the face of sportsmen protests surrounding his appointment, Lamp professed to not let his animal rights leanings cloud his judgement as regarding sound wildlife policy. 

The proposal failed, but Bowhunters and all sportsmen nationwide must be vigilant. The anti-hunting organizations have for years been attempting to pack the states wildlife agency rule making bodies with their members. If that happens, it will be the simplest, least costly way for them to achieve their goal of outlawing all hunting, fishing and trapping.

Although details are sparse, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Director Wayne McCallum has expressed concern to WLFA staff that the same crowd, which successfully campaigned to end, bear hunting and trapping in the state is coming back for more.

For years, anti-hunters have ranked bowhunting within their top two or three primary targets.

In Massachusetts, where hunters and trappers were trounced in the 1996 elections, anti-hunters believe the climate is ripe to extend their successes to a ban on bowhunting.

Bowhunters in Massachusetts, Maryland and throughout the East and the nation must circle the wagons because the siege is being intensified. Have your organization contact the W.L.F.A. for information on how you can get involved to fight back through the WLFA's Bowhunter Defense Coalition.

Wow, That is some sobering information. Imagine if a vote were taken today in the state of Florida regarding your right to hunt with a bow. A vote that included all registered voters. Even the ones that think meat is produced by some magical process, not by killing cows, chickens and pigs. The kind of people that would be voting on your right to bowhunt are the folks that think Disney cartoon characters are animals. The closest they get to the food harvesting process is driving up to a fast food take out window. 

We can learn a thing or two from the above article. Notice how the animal rights people do not attack all hunting at once. They choose the least popular and weakest forms of hunting first. By weakest I mean the forms with the least probable amount of members and money. They choose the ones least likely to have high public support. Maybe the anti's are more predatory than they would like to think. At any rate, each time they take out a form of hunting they are emboldened. They are also learning through these experiences. This is evidence that we as hunters (all hunters) need to stick together and support one another. While I do not care for some forms of hunting, I do not attack any form of legal hunting. They are just forms of hunting I do not participate in. I do think illegal hunters should be exposed and turned in to the law because they are the fuel used by anti's in many cases to fight good honest hunters and they are in a sense thieves stealing from us all.

You will also notice from the above article that anti-hunters are now attempting to work from the inside of the rule making process. This is something else we need to be on the look out for. We as an organization should get to know as many of the people involved in the GFC legislative process as possible.

We can also learn from the article that we (Bowhunters) are on the anti's hit list. Matter of fact our turn has been coming up lately in some areas. We need to be ready and organized for that possibility here. In that respect the TBOF is attempting to join a coalition of hunting organizations within the state as a means of establishing a unified front to stand against any anti-hunting attacks. We will not be able to stand our ground alone, and it would be foolish to attempt to do so.

Let me leave you with one other thought. I think it was one of our great presidents that once said, "You should keep non-hunters as friends" Maybe Theodore Roosevelt, I am not sure. At any rate, the saying still rings true. If you are a typical, ethical, conscientious traditional Bowhunter you can do much for our sport to promote your values to your non-hunting friends. As they come to realize the respect you have for the animals you hunt, your reverence for the outdoors, your hunt first, harvest second attitude, they will gain great respect for you and have a more positive attitude about the sport we so cherish. Actually I do not like the word "sport" to describe an instinctive natural occurrence that has taken place between man and beast since we were given dominion over all creatures, but do so for lack of a better term. I think letting non-hunters know a little about us, sharing our learning experiences, and in general behaving like good stewards of the land, will go a long way if bowhunting ever hits the ballot box. Well, I have said my piece, like it or not, it's up to you now. Unless you think, it could never happen here!