Let anti-hunting group foot the bill

March 8, 1996

Outdoor News

By Nate Olson

To quote a "B" movie I once saw, hunters should, "Be afraid. Be very afraid." This is the only conclusion I can draw after attending a recent press conference held by Minnetonkans Against Animal Cruelty (MAAC). It's also the only advice I have for hunters regarding the anti-hunting movement.

The press conference was held in a Minnetonka City Hall conference room after three people were arrested for allegedly interfering with the deer management program in that city. Two of those arrested are members of MAAC and the third was an out-of-state instigator hired by the group. The third individual, Steve Hindi, of Illinois, is the president of the Chicago Animal Rights Coalition.

Mr. Hindi provided MAAC with his expertise in anti-hunting terrorist tactics, as well as the use of high-tech electronic equipment, so that the group could videotape deer caught in the traps. The group intended to air the footage on local television to gain sympathy and support from the public and portray DNR and Minnetonka city officials as evil-doers and inhumane louts.

What disturbed me the most about the group was its use of Gestapo-like tactics before the media circus even erupted. Though they invited the press to cover the event, which was being held in public building, they asked each of us to identify ourself and the organization we were representing. There was to be no flies on any of those walls. Intimidation was so thick in the air, you could've cut it with a … warm, fuzzy thing. I want to say knife, but I fear I may come off as cruel and inhumane.

At one point during the press conference, Hindi, flanked by one of his lawyers, called DNR officers, "a bunch of half-assed Barney Fifes in camouflage running around the woods." He also referred to Minnetonka as the animal cruelty capitol of Minnesota. These childish antics were aired on a local TV station during its news cast that same evening. The defendants did a fine job of portraying themselves as the fanatics they are.

Just a few days ago the group let it be known that they had received several threats because of their opposition to the management program. Someone who saw the letters said they looked like they had been scribbled by a child. Hmmmm. Sounds kind of fishy doesn't it?

Suppose the threats are real. Let's compare them to the number of threats DNR staff and Minnetonka city officials have received over the last couple years since the program was implemented. I believe they would pale in comparison.

MAAC members pass themselves off as concerned citizens worried about the inhumane treatment of animals. Rather, I suspect many of them are financially stable people, who live in a relatively affluent area and want to see deer prance across their manicured lawns. That's fine. But sometimes you can't have your proverbial case and eat it too.

My solution? I say let MAAC take care of the deer problem. Then they can answer to their neighbors when complaints arise. In fact, I suggest an open-door policy. That way their neighbors can knock at their doors at all hours of the night.

Especially when they have just totaled their car and sustained injuries after an errant deer has been smacked trying to cross a busy road. Not to worry. I'm sure MAAC would be more than happy to pay for the repairs on your car and cover your hospital bills. MAAC members can also foot the bill when something eventually has to be done. I'm sure relocating hundreds of deer (one of the alternatives they've suggested) wouldn't even put a dent in the group's coffers.

Now for a reality check. What should be done? Let the DNR do the job they have been given the authority to do. What can sportsmen do? Give the City of Minnetonka and the DNR our support. Phone calls and letters are good, but visible support is even better. The next time MAAC holds a press conference or rally, sportsmen should show up in numbers. As the saying goes, "United we stand. Divided we fall."