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| Tonka |
Tonka looks like a sweetie. The photo shows the young dog near a
grinning little boy lying in bed. Light-colored, with oversize puppy ears and
chubby legs, Tonka and the boy seem to be good pals.
The Alaskan Shepherd was a year old when he was killed by a bow-hunter
who mistook him for a coyote, an animal registered hunters are allowed to shoot
(although the season when they may do so doesn’t start till Sept. 30).
Tonka’s Readington Township family is, reportedly and understandably, “devastated”
over his unexpected, needless death.
The Animal Protection League of NJ (APLNJ) could say, “We told you so,”
but that won’t bring Tonka back, or save other family pets, or people, who are
also in jeopardy. As long as bow-hunting to within 150 feet of a home’s
back door is permissible, this kind of heartbreak could happen over and again.
Or as APL (in the person of Angi Metler, its executive
director) does say: “This tragedy
demonstrates basically what we’ve been saying all along: “Coming closer to
homes, bow hunting will lead to more tragedies, not fewer of them.”
With thanks to Metler for info and links, here’s more context for the
story about Tonka, which I saw in the Times
of Trenton last Saturday, Sept. 23.
First of all, in August 2010, the perimeter for bow hunters was cut from 450 feet to 150 feet from a back door (not
property line). For schools and playgrounds, the perimeter stayed at 450 feet
for bow hunters.
The
following link leads to some grisly reading. In sickening detail, it spells out
when and in what manner (“call, stalk or stand” . . .) a hunter may try to kill
coyotes and foxes. (Or should I say
“harvest” them, using a euphemism often found in writing about hunting. Is anyone fooled?) What kind of mind, what
kind of person would pore over these specifics, day-dreaming of dead coyotes
and foxes?
And
note that the bow-only “season” for coyotes and foxes starts Sept. 30. So did Tonka’s
shooter have calendar issues? Or did his
claim that the (thought-to-be) “coyote” was chasing a deer give him the right
to shoot in “deer defense”?
What must hunters
pay for the right to kill animals? The “resident firearm hunting license” costs
$27.50, while that for “bow and arrow hunting” goes for $31.50. Ah, but the so-called “all around sportsman” license covers the first two
here plus fishing, for $72.25. A real steal.
Finally, how
successful are hunters at eradicating New Jersey animals? Here’s a link to APLNJ’s current report (the newest
is due out very soon).
http://www.aplnj.org/assets/pdf/DFW_Killing_Summary_2015-2016_LOCKED.pdf
http://www.aplnj.org/assets/pdf/DFW_Killing_Summary_2015-2016_LOCKED.pdf
It’s disturbing
to know all these things and see the Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) laboriously
prepared charts, price lists and tips for hunters, who make up such a tiny proportion
of the state’s population. (“Resident
hunting licenses” sold in 2016 totaled 32,512 in a population of 8.944 million, or less than ½ of 1%.)
Here’s a DFW
quote (italics added) that should
live in infamy: "Small game hunting in New
Jersey provides hours of recreation
afield every hunting season. From abundant native populations of rabbit and
squirrel to elusive ruffed grouse, there are ample opportunities for sportsmen
and women to enjoy the pursuit of game.”
http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/smgame_info.htm
Poor dear Tonka,
your killer may not have many hunter-peers here, but thanks to DFW, he’s got a wealth of info
and support backing him up.
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| Coyote image: Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources |
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150 feet is not enough distance from a back door. Poor Tonka!
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