Posted on 01/29/2006 12:48:45 PM PST by Pharmboy
HELENA, Mont. -- Hundreds of people barred from having guns because they are felons on parole or probation are still able to get hunting licenses in Montana with no questions asked, an Associated Press investigation found. Montana may not be alone.
While nearly all states ban felons from possessing guns, only a handful -- including Rhode Island and Maine -- keep them from receiving hunting permits, and just a few others -- such as Illinois and Massachusetts -- require hunters to show both a hunting license and a firearms license.
"Our license dealers have no way of checking," said Lt. Rich Mann, with the enforcement program for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "If someone wants to play with the system and beat you at it, they will." The AP examination of Montana hunting and corrections records shows at least 660 felons on parole or probation received tags in the past year.
The findings are based on a comparison of unique first, middle and last names, along with other identifiable information, that appeared in databases of both hunters and felons.
A state probation official said the findings likely would prompt the state to consider its own records search to see if parolees are violating terms of their release. "Obviously that's a big concern, and it makes me want to look into each of these cases," said Ron Alsbury, Montana's probation and parole bureau chief. The licenses don't specifically require the use of firearms to hunt, and state officials note that most felons could legally hunt using other weapons, such as bows.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Wasn't a similar story posted about a year ago? I do recall this issue coming up once before.
In any case, I don't have a problem with them using bow and arrow if their state law permits it. Federal law certainly doesn't.
With the kinds of crime we are now seeing in America thanks to illegal alien drug thugs and MS13 & MS18 imigrants......everybody with a family should be armed...the evil ones sure as hell are...and won't give up their guns regardless of who says they have to...
imo
Wouldn't it be ironic for a felon that has commited murder trying to get a hunting license? :P
I wholeheartedly agree with you. As a retired game warden (31 yrs.), we targeted felons hunting with firearms for several reasons. Depending on felony, they could not possess a firearm in the first place; it could lead to further evidence of other crimes by these folks.
I don't know why the public is brain-dead on this issue. They seem to equate high-powered firearms as somehow harmless when possessed by a felon who is hunting, illogically believing that such arms can only kill four-legged critters, not the two-legged variety, you figure it out, I give up.
On other hunting related threads I always encouraged looking beyond the hunting "accident", to look deeper. Sometimes agencies are too quick to write off a hunting related death as an accident when truth be known, it could easily be a murder. Verify, verify, verify, no coincidences in crime, all leads followed to their very dead end. Not unusual for high dollar deals to be made (or lost) on hunting trips, enemies made, debts paid...
Maybe their wives own the gun and they simply use them to hunt with. Don't laugh, I heard Gordon Liddy say something to this effect when questioned about his post felon target shooting.
I have never gone hunting with anyone that owed me money...LOL!
That would still be illegal. It's not only illegal for felons to *own* firearms, it's illegal for them to "possess" them, which includes borrowing one and just holding it (or taking it hunting).
Don't laugh, I heard Gordon Liddy say something to this effect when questioned about his post felon target shooting.
I haven't heard him admit to target shooting (since that too would be illegal for him to do), but I did hear him joke about how "I don't have any guns, but my wife has a lot of them, and she keeps them in the beside table on my side of the bed..."
It's legal for felons (and others prohibited from owning guns) to hunt, as long as they use legal weapons like a bow and arrow. So what's the point of this story?
What kind of felony does G-Lid have on his record?
The article seem to try to equate "hunting licence" with "having a firearm".
The reporter probably went to public school or something. Not a deep thinker, it would seem.
Here I thought I just had a demented mind. Whenever I hear of a hunting "accident", I just about always wonder if it was murder.
I agree with you Joe ~ when you've paid your debt to society, you should get your Rights back.
There was a big article in a Delaware paper just the other day about this very same issue. Delaware is a state with no mechanism to determine if someone applying for a hunting license is permitted to own a firearm.
I do respectfully disagree that all felons should be barred from a restoration of second amendment rights.
My dead used to catch rabbits with deadfalls.
My dad is dead but I meant to say dad, sorry.
Me,too.
I don't believe in accidents or coincidence;at the lest hunting deaths are a result of the shooters carelessness.I believe too many shoot at sounds of brush shaking.
+1 on this. If you're such a risk that you can't be around weapons you shouldn't be out amoung the public, otherwise restore their rights.
It is also perfectly legal for convicted felons to hunt with muzzle loading black powder firearms (rifles/shotguns/revolvers).
When feloneys were few and simple this law made sense Now one doesn't have to to much to be covicted of a felony. I say there should be a way for some to restore their rights.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.