The topic of legalizing the selling of white-tailed deer in Mississippi has picked up steam, and one wildlife expert is looking to raise public awareness to what’s happening behind the scenes.
During a recent interview on SuperTalk Outdoors with Ricky Matthews, Lake Pickle, a marketing and social media director at onX Hunt, shared his thoughts on the growing topic. Pickle noted that there are over 100 high-fenced areas throughout the state, but only a few wealthy high-fence owners are seeking to profit by having people pay to hunt white-tailed deer on their property.
Pickle believes these politically connected individuals, behind closed doors, have used their influence to convince the Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, which has authority over regulations of both commercial and non-commercial enclosures for wild animals, to revamp the conversation on the legality of this process after a nearly decade hiatus.
His concern is multifaceted. With chronic wasting disease being spread throughout deer populations, having the animals transported from one habitat to another could reap detriments. The other side is that Pickle is not fond of the concept of wildlife belonging to a few rich players. He believes that wildlife belongs to the public.
“The sheer implications of moving live deer in the sense that they’re wanting to do with this is so vast and so much not close to being worth the gamble. It’s asinine to me that this is even being considered,” Pickle said. “If we go back to one of the basis, one of the fundamentals of what wildlife management in this country, in this state is founded on is — they belong to the public. Decisions like this, of this magnitude, trying to be made and it being so ‘hush, hush,’ I don’t like that at all.”
Further, Pickle took issue with Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s recent opinion on the matter. He argues that a flaw in the opinion is that it failed to acknowledge the long-term ramifications of legalizing the buying and transporting of white-tailed deer will have on the state.
“One of my biggest issues with that is there really wasn’t anything in there about the implications of what selling white-tail deer would do,” Pickle continue. “The only thing that was getting argued in that opinion was, ‘Here’s why we can do it.’ I saw nothing in there that was like, ‘Hey, if we do that, we might should be cautious.’”
Although Pickle is peeved that the notion of these deer being purchased and placed in high-fenced enclosures is even being discussed, he is confident that the more the topic is exposed to the public, a growing number of concerned conservationists will speak up and ultimately convince the Commission to support the law preventing the practice.
“I’m not happy at all that this is even being discussed, but I have faith in our hunting community and I have faith in the people that are put in place to know the right thing to do,” Pickle stated. “The right thing to do is to not let this happen. Period.”
Watch the full interview with Lake Pickle below.
The post ‘It’s asinine’: Wildlife expert expresses discontent with the possible sale of white-tailed deer appeared first on SuperTalk Mississippi.