New AZ gun law protects hunter, not victim : AZ IMC

Hikers, campers, and wildlife defenders beware!

The Arizona Legislature passed a new gun law that states walking into a hunter's gunfire will be fault of the person who gets shot, not the shooter.

With the passage of House Bill 2130, a person putting herself/himself in the line of fire can be charged with a misdemeanor. The law also forbids making a loud noise near a hunter about to shoot. The law takes effect Sept. 21.

Clearly, this new gun law is targeted at animal-rights direct action activists who have been using passive, non-violent tactics to protect Arizona's wildlife from hunters.

While the newspapers failed to look deeply into this new law, the fact sheet for Bill 2130 details that culprit behind the bill is the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) who want to stiffen the penalty for "interfering with hunters." The recent successful campaigns by Arizona Earth First! to protect wildlife from hunters - sandhill cranes, mountain lions, black bear, bighorn sheep, Gunnison's prairie dog - have driven AGFD to appeal to politicians for stronger laws.

The law passed quietly the same year that Earth First! activists engaged AGFD through the public process, writing postcards and attending public hearings regarding proposed changes to wildlife hunting rules.

Some of the major legal changes in this bill include:

1. Expands the list of actions that constitute a class 2 misdemeanor for intentional interference, prevention or disruption of a legal hunt to include:

a) harassing, driving or disturbing any wildlife.

b) blocking, obstructing, impeding or attempting to block a person lawfully taking wildlife.

c) making or attempting physical contact with a person lawfully taking wildlife.

d) the act or attempt of theft, vandalism or destruction of real or personal property of a person lawfully taking wildlife.

e) disturbing or altering the condition or authorized placement of real or personal property of a person lawfully taking wildlife.

f) making loud noises or gestures, setting out animal baits, scents or lures, using or making visual or aural or similar activity in order to disturb, alarm, drive, attract or effect the behavior of wildlife or disturb, alarm, disrupt or annoy a person lawfully taking wildlife.

g) interjecting oneself into the line of fire of a person engaged in a lawful hunt.

h) erecting a barrier with the intent to deny egress or ingress from areas where wildlife may be taken.

2. Includes public or private lands or waters as areas in which it is a class 3 misdemeanor for a person to enter or remain with an intent to interfere with, prevent or disrupt a legal hunt.

3. Removes Commission authority to establish designated hunting areas on public land by rule when significant interference of a hunt is likely to occur.

The entire Fact Sheet can be read at:
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/47leg/2r/summary/s.2130nrra_caucus-floor.doc.htm

To read more about Arizona Earth First! Campaigns to Save Wildlife:

Gunnison prairie dog:
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/06/27962.php

Sandhill crane:
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/01/24744.php https://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/11/32428.php

Sabino Canyon Mountain Lion Trial:
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/12/33515.php
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/47234.php

AGFD Regional Director Gerry Perry takes photographs of wildlife activist during the Feb. 9, 2006 Tucson public hearing.

More than 50 wildlife activist activists attended the AGFD public meeting Feb. 9, 2006. Many wonder if AGFD officials actually listen to public comments regarding hunting laws.