Vote no on I-177

Editor,

Recently, there was an advertisement in the Great Falls Tribune and other newspapers displaying the names of 63 veterinarians who supported the Ballot Initiative I-177. There are more than 2,200 licensed veterinarians in the state of Montana. In my opinion, this indicates that there are more than 2,100 licensed veterinarians who oppose I-177. Of these veterinarians many are hunters, trappers, fishermen, and outdoorsmen and women.

I-177 is not about a few dogs and cats that get caught annually in traps. I-177 is about sneaking in the back door to take away our hunting and fishing rights. I-177 is about tarnishing the long and storied heritage of trapping, which is still alive and well in Montana. I-177 is about endangering the public with vermin ridden public lands … just do the historical research documented by biologists nationwide.

I-177 is not about how we manage and harvest our furbearer resources. I-177 is about how a small, but well-funded, out-of- state group of animal rights extremists who are slowly trying to whittle away and outlaw all consumptive outdoor activities. Go to the Montana Trapper Association website montanatrappers.org for the facts and vote no on I-177.

J.L. Rader

Bozeman