Oklahoma: Will Fear or Facts Decide Hunting Policy?

After receiving overwhelming approval in the Senate by a 40 to 3 vote, Senate Bill1743 has come under attack from some state game wardens, and needs your help to pass in the House Agriculture, Wildlife and Environment Committee. Known as the “Landowner's Hunting Freedom Act,” this important pro-hunting legislation would allow Oklahoma landowners and their guests to use lawfully-possessed suppressors (also referred to as silencers) on firearms for hunting. Some state game wardens are taking a page out of the anti-gunners’ playbook, spreading false and unfounded concerns to derail this common sense reform. Opposing game wardens are pressuring Committee members to oppose the bill. It is important that you contact Committee members TODAY, urging them to base their legislative decisions on fact and not fear.

Firearm suppressors are already legal in the Sooner State. Law-abiding Oklahomans currently own and use firearm suppressors at shooting ranges or for target practice in the fields or woods. Hunting is the only firearm-related activity for which suppressors remain illegal is hunting, and the National Rifle Association seeks to repeal this unnecessary restriction in Oklahoma for landowners on their own private property and their invited guests.

Some game wardens have begun to claim that poaching is a major concern and reason for their opposition to SB 1743. However, in his Senate bill presentation, bill author Senator Steve Russell (R-45) testified that he asked the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for the number of poaching incidents involving the use of firearm suppressors over the last twenty years and never received an answer to his inquiry. The bottom line is that there is no problem with poaching using suppressors in any state. In fact, a number of states are expanding suppressor use for hunting, realizing the many benefits that the sound-muffling devices provide. Yesterday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved allowing the use of suppressors to hunt all game species, following Arizona’s House Bill 2728 that was signed into law the same day.  

READ THE FULL NRA-ILA ALERT ON SB 1743 HERE.

Comments

I think Wayne hit on some very true points about the ehatrt on the 2nd Amendment, and the freedoms we enjoy. I haven't felt this concerned about our rights under the 2nd Amendment since the early years of Clinton, and the Clinton gun ban. As terrible as the economy has been for the last 3 years, I think it was a major reason that Obama hasn't had time to go after gun rights. I think that time is changing. SHOT 2012 had a record attendance, and gun sales continue to soar. Castle Doctrine is in over 40 states, and all but Illinois have some form of CCW. This should be an indicator that Americans want to support our firearms industry and are concerned where our government is going on our 2nd Amendment rights.What Congressional hearings have now learned is that the President's agenda, through BATFE, was to deliberately set up gun dealers, so that they could falsely claim that 90% of Mexican drug cartel weapons came from American dealers. Then there would be justification for more restrictions on guns to be imposed. What hypocrisy and deceit! The tragedy is that it took the death of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent to uncover the truth. The BATFE cronies involved have been promoted not disciplined or fired! And now the Obama administration boldly imposes a mandatory reporting on semi-auto rifle, shotgun, or multiple purchases from over 8700 dealers in the border states (CA, AR, NM, TX). Smoke and mirrors to hide their plans to rob Americans of their rights.My concern is that another Obama term could create a Supreme Court that will reinvent the meaning of the 2nd Amendment and take our rights away. Several of the liberal justices, including Obama's 2 appointees, have already made it clear that they do not believe that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right! Amazing, when you consider they have no problem seeing the other Bill of Rights as individual rights. The ehatrt of U.N. involvement seems ridiculous, but our own Constitution recognizes treaties as supreme law even over our laws. We have to be really cautious and aware of that ehatrt.The election this November will be crucial for gun owners and gun rights. I fully expect another surge in gun sales, and ammunition shortages as the election draws near. From Antonio on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 4:13 AM

Name:* Email: Comments:* Enter the above code here: (Code is case insensitive. You can put lower or upper case.) Can't read? Try different words.