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California Houndsmen to State: Don’t Use Anti-Hunting Money to Stop Poaching

California Houndsmen for Conservation (CHC) recently offered the state Department of Fish and Game $5,000 to support the agency’s anti-poaching program.  To get this support, the wildlife agency must first return a $4,000 donation made to the Turn In Poacher (CalTIP) program by the nation’s leading anti-hunting organization, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

According to Josh Brones, a legislative analyst for CHC, “When one considers the stated intentions of The Humane Society of the United States to ban all hunting throughout this country, the acceptance of such a donation from an anti-hunting organization is fundamentally at odds with the Mission Statement and goals of the California Department of Fish and Game.”

In the press release announcing the offer, the President of CHC, John Kunkle, expressed support for CalTIP and went on to outline the pivotal role played by sportsmen in founding the Department of Fish and Game and conserving state wildlife resources.

Thus far, the Director of DFG has not responded to the CHC offer.

“CHC is among the leaders of California’s conservation movement and we would hope that the Department would make some sort of a response to this request,” said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president and CEO.  “We certainly expect one will be forthcoming.”