Odd Man Out

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Editorial in JSonline:
FELONS HUNTING

Close the deer hunting loophole

The idea of convicted felons being able to obtain gun hunting licenses is preposterous.

Rep. Jeff Smith's proposed bill to prohibit convicted felons from obtaining gun hunting licenses of any kind is one of the smartest ideas I've heard in a long time.

As an avid deer hunter, I can understand the desire to get out in the woods. But our state laws work at cross purposes - felons cannot possess firearms, but they can get a gun deer hunting license.

I urge legislators and Gov. Jim Doyle to remove the temptation to break the law and to close this silly loophole.

Evan G. Bane
Glendale


I just can't agree with this. I've never hunted in my life but I have not a care in the world if, say for example, a convicted embezzler owns a rifle and hunts. If the person embezzled, he should be punished appropriately. To flat out say, your punishment is x AND by the way as a default you also can't own a rifle again- it's just plain wrong. Depending on circumstances, a judge should be able to apply that punishment if appropriate. By the current logic, anyone is susceptible to losing rights based on completely unrelated events/actions/activities.

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This goes back to the whole discussion about lowering the bar for felons.

Can't ban guns outright? Just turn everyone into felons thus barring them allfrom owning firearms.

I do agree that people convicted as felons of VIOLENT crime should lose thier rights; but so many things these days can turn a normally decent person into a "felon".


How does it go, Doug? "Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns and the truth."

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To me, I guess it should depend on the nature of the felony, that's just me...

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gollbladder13 wrote:

To me, I guess it should depend on the nature of the felony, that's just me...

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That's my feeling. A judge should be able to say to someone "you're a danger to society and therefore you are forbidden from gun ownership, period".

But by slipping it in there by default, there is no discussion to be had, it simply is what it is. And if some politician or group wants to get rid of more firearms, just throw another crime in the felony pile. That'll get rid of even more. No discussions. No debate. Game over.

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I know a few felons thatpurchase deer hunting licenses and tags, but they do not actually hunt with a firearm!
Most I know are doing this to get tags so others can fill them for them, and they still get venison. The go out in the woods, sit with the guy, clean and gut the deer, and even haul it out.

Does a felony chargeprohibit muzzleloader firearms too, or justmodern guns? I see no problems with a felon hunting with a muzzleloader, especially since WI has made hunting a protected right.

I believe you can also use up any unused gun-deer tags during late archery season, So i see this as the DNR just selling off our deer herd for profit.

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Nutczak wrote:

I know a few felons thatpurchase deer hunting licenses and tags, but they do not actually hunt with a firearm!
Most I know are doing this to get tags so others can fill them for them, and they still get venison. The go out in the woods, sit with the guy, clean and gut the deer, and even haul it out.

Does a felony chargeprohibit muzzleloader firearms too, [YES, Wisconsin considers a smoke pole to be a firearm and therefore felons may not possess]or justmodern guns? I see no problems with a felon hunting with a muzzleloader, especially since WI has made hunting a protected right.[Not quite. They added "subject only to reasonable restrictions as prescribed by law" to the end and therefore I still see it as aprivilege because they could just change the law and hunting would near impossible.]

I believe you can also use up any unused gun-deer tags during late archery season, So i see this as the DNR just selling off our deer herd for profit.

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