Dear Editor:
Several years ago, animal advocates and sportsmen all breathed a collective sigh of relief when Gov. Nixon vetoed dangerous legislation that would have re-classified white-tailed deer and other cervids as livestock. Despite this, thanks to hard lobbying by the captive hunting and deer breeding special interests, the same legislation has once again been reintroduced.
SB 123 seeks to protect captive hunting operations, where semi-tame deer and other animals are stocked inside of fenced enclosures and shot for guaranteed trophies. These facilities market themselves as "hunting ranches," although they bear no resemblance to traditional, fair-chase hunting.
Because captive hunts and deer-breeding ranches concentrate their animals in unnaturally high densities, and constantly truck live animals throughout the state, they create breeding grounds for diseases like chronic wasting disease - an incurable, always-fatal illness similar to mad-cow disease.
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was originally found on a captive facility in our state, and has since spread to the wild deer herds. The Missouri Department of Conservation is the only agency with a vested interest in keeping our wild deer herd free of disease, and should retain oversight of captive deer. Urge your senator to vote "NO" on SB 123.
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