Fifty (not 30) Protesters Rally Against Squirrel Slam
Dueling protests mark western NY squirrel hunt
Associated Press
HOLLEY, N.Y. — A weekend squirrel hunting contest to raise funds for a western New York volunteer fire company drew about 30 animal rights protesters and a heavy police presence following heated criticism of the once obscure event.
Organizers of the “Hazzard County Squirrel Slam” say they sold 900 tickets at $10 each for hunters as young as 12 to vie for cash prizes for bagging the largest squirrel and the heaviest group of up to five. They said that’s the most ever sold since the annual event began seven years ago. The fundraiser in the Orleans County village of Holley included raffles for five rifles and shotguns.
Local media in the Rochester area reported that some threats included in the thousands of emails critics sent to village and state officials urging them to call off the hunt prompted police to bring in extra officers from surrounding communities to monitor what turned out to be a peaceful, and sometimes colorful, protest on Saturday.
Outside the weigh-in station, one demonstrator carried a sign reading “Teach Kindness, Not Killing” as a hunter walked by with dead squirrels hanging from his camouflage jacket pockets.
Other hunters showed off their kills to the protesters.
Edita Birnkrant, director of New York Friends of Animals and an organizer of the protest campaign, said she was disturbed by an event that encourages youngsters “to pick up a gun and kill defenseless animals for prizes.”
She and other protesters chanting “Shame on Holley, New York” faced about 150 supporters of the hunt, some responding with a chant, “Squirrels taste good!”
Police charged one man with harassment after he shouted at Birnkrant, first inviting her home for a squirrel dinner and then saying “someone would be shooting you” if police weren’t standing by.
Holley Fire Department officials couldn’t be reached Monday for information about how many squirrels were killed.
Austen Reid, 19, who watched the protest with a fellow Rochester Institute of Technology student, told the Batavia Daily News he “just wanted to see this. We’re hunters, but we couldn’t get tickets.”
He said he hadn’t heard about the hunt before the national attention generated by the critics.
“It’s their right to protest and it’s our right to hunt,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. They get around on subways and we drive pickup trucks. It’s all the same.”
—Copyright 2013 Associated Press
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5 Comments
On February 18, 2013, jeanne wrote:
I was just so sad that day knowing so many defenseless Squirrels were being killed in my region. The people that were doing the killing are the first people that cry out when violence impacts their family and at the same time they are teaching their children to kill so what they can grow up to evolve to hurt other people families? For all people talk about modern times, the people of Holly and especially the Fire Department sure are living in the dark ages in their lives and in their hearts. I am glad I don’t have to count on those people for anything.
On February 19, 2013, Jeffrey Jump wrote:
And we wonder why people are desensitized to death and killing and cruelty? So many don’t have a clue that we’re all in this ecosystem together and reliant upon one another. The biggest difference of course is that we as humans are supposed to have the intelligence to make these distinctions, it’s such a shame we fail so miserably.
On February 21, 2013, Alison M wrote:
PLEASE check out the Holley Fire Department’s updated website. The new fundraising effort in June is apparently a gun raffle. I continue to be stunned by their apparent inability to understand why their association with violence is so upsetting to so many. This must be stopped. I have been slowly examining all reports of the event and the videos — as much as my stomach allows at anyone given point — and they only motivate me and strengthen my convictions. We must strive to become a society that operates on higher, smarter principles. Let’s all work together and focus on the problem.
On February 21, 2013, Leona Rockwood wrote:
I would certainly support a NYS regulation prohibiting all wildlife killing contests. Any ideas on this?
FoA comments:
FoA is working to get such a law passed in NY with the hope of getting similar laws passed in all the states. Killing contests must end.
On February 22, 2013, Alison wrote:
I am starting to gather information regarding hunting regulations and laws in various states - particularly the New England States and New York. In addition, I’ve been looking for info on hunting contests, trophy hunting and canned hunts, all of which should be illegal. I’d like to see where they’ve successfully been made illegal or even restricted and how, etc.
In one reference I see thanks to hunters for supporting wildlife management efforts via their monetary contributions (license fees and donations); my question would be: WHY, WHY, WHY are us NON-hunters doing more to support conservation efforts so that we can eliminate sport hunting? I plan to communicate with my state representatives about this, along with my objections to any form of hunting contest, trophy hunting and canned hunts.
More later…