Editor:
Further to the discussion regarding bow hunting of elk, I would like to direct public attention to an eye-opening report which summarizes 24 reports from across the country: www.animalrightscoalition.com/doc/bowhunting_report.pdf. This report details the cruelty to animals, the wastefulness of bow hunting and the cover-ups of hunting publications that attempt to deny these facts.
Here is just one quote: "Adrian Benke, a Texan and still active firearms hunter, laid down his bow in 1969 after he had shot 31 deer with arrows. Of these 31 animals [he] killed just seven and later found the carcasses of four others. He declared bow hunting a farce and quit the sport. According to Benke, archery wounding is the most denied problem in bow hunting and the most ignored problem in wildlife science. He cites empirical studies and hunter surveys that consistently indicate that bow hunters wound at least as many animals as they kill."
I'm thoroughly alarmed that the District of Sechelt would even consider allowing bow hunting in such close proximity to the urban area. After reading the report cited above, I believe that the barbaric practice of bow hunting should not be allowed at all.
Peggy Collins
Madeira Park
