LITTLE
ROCK - In response to a recent Arkansas legislative proposal introduced by
Sen. Ruth Whitaker of Cedarville, commissioners with the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission recommended a code to prohibit “computer assisted” hunting
to kill wildlife located in the state. Commissioners will vote on the
proposal at their March 22 meeting in Little Rock.
At the request of the AGFC, Whitaker, who is the Senate chair of the
Arkansas Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, agreed to hold Senate Bill 177
after she introduced it. "The Commission was willing to immediately adopt
it into their regulations without having to go through the legislative
process. My understanding is that at the last Commission meeting, the
internet hunting ban was proposed as a new regulation. The Sportsmen’s
Caucus is eager to work with the AGFC to respond to these types of issues,
which bodes well for the future of conservation, hunting and fishing in
Arkansas,” Whitaker explained.
Arkansas' regulation would prohibit the use of a computer or any other
remote control device to aim and discharge archery equipment or firearms
to hunt any game animal or bird as well as prohibit facilities that
provide computer-assisted remote hunting in Arkansas. Once adopted by the
AGFC, the penalty for violating the regulation would be between $500 and
$2,000.
The regulation change follows a nationwide trend to ban so-called
"Internet hunting" that has been offered on various web sites. The
National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses adopted internet hunting bans as
a legislative initiative in 2005 and has worked with its 28 affiliated
state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses to introduce such legislation. In
the past year, 25 state legislatures have considered the issue with 12
having passed bans on the practice.
