Felons issued gun hunting licenses

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ^ | 31 oct 07 | BEN POSTON

[rellimpank]

Dozens of convicted felons in Wisconsin were issued gun deer hunting licenses in 2006 despite a state law that bans them for life from possessing firearms.

Dozens of felons bought gun deer hunting licenses last year despite laws banning them from possessing firearms. Convicted felons are not asked to disclose their criminal history when seeking a hunting license, and the state has no tracking methods. Rep. Terry Musser (R-Black River Falls) said he will draft legislation requiring criminal background checks on firearm hunting license applicants.

If a felon lies and marks the box stating that he or she is not a felon, it's considered making a false statement, a misdemeanor carrying a one-year jail term. But hunters are basically on the honor system, said Mark Ostermann, researcher for the Maine fisheries and wildlife department.

"We are asking them to attest that they are not a felon, and if they lie on their application the clerk at Wal-Mart won't catch them," Ostermann said. "Does it work? A bad boy is gonna be a bad boy. Does having one more stick to beat them with encourage them to be a good boy? Maybe."

The state, meanwhile, does not prohibit felons from buying gun hunting licenses and makes no effort to monitor if felons are purchasing them, the Journal Sentinel found.

An analysis of records from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Department of Natural Resources shows that at least 77 felons bought deer licenses last year. The actual number was likely higher because only one of every five Wisconsin hunters consented to release their names when applying for a license.

[goldstategop]

Yeah. The funny thing is Wisconsin is the same state that bars law abiding folks from obtaing RTC gun licenses. Go figure.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[SeaHawkFan]

I don’t think a felony conviction should automatically disqualify someone from having a firearm, unless they committed a violent crime, or a crime while using a firearm; and I’m not even a hunter.