Mr. Chair and Members of the Committee, my name is Wayne Derby and I am a Licensed Guide in NH. I came down here from the North Country today to oppose HB 604. This statement that I am reading is only a small portion of the evidence I have gathered to present to this committee. My report is based strictly on facts and not emotions. Since speaking time is limited I had the assistant make copies and distribute the full statement for your examination at a time of your connivance.
- Upon hearing that HB 604 had passed the house I became concerned, as it would have a direct and significant affect on my lively hood. When examining the bill it became immediately apparent that there was an extreme error. At the end of the bill it is stated that the Legislative Budget Assistant had determined that there would be a total fiscal impact of less than $10,000 for each fiscal year of 2007 through 2011. I believed that to be in error and started to find the evidence to prove that it was in error. First I contacted the 17 archery clients I had last year which were all from out of state. They confirmed my suspicions that not one of them would return to hunt in NH with out being able to avail themselves of being able to hunt over bait, as it is archery hunters that make up 98% of all people that do hunt over bait. The few hunters that oppose baiting are usually firearm hunters. I was able to calculate that the state would loose $3264.00 of licenses sales from the hunters that only used my services. I know where my clients stayed when they were here and I can calculate that at the 8% Rooms & Meals the tax, yielded an additional $488.12 of revenue that will also be lost to the state. I was unable to include the taxes that are generated from meals eaten out or from taxes collected from the purchase of fuel for their vehicles. These figures also do not include revenues that were generated from other family members that were in the area when my clients were in the field with me. How will these revenues be replaced?
- This information got me looking at what the total fiscal impact could be. First I looked for evidence in Vermont, which voted for a similar ban last year 2006. I contacted the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and I was able to obtain the following information. In 2005 Vermont sold 23,396 archery licenses. In 2006 Vermont sold 16,865 archery licenses, resulting in a loss of 6,531 archery licenses, which is a 28% decrease in sales. Once the ban was in place in July the sale of archery and out of state hunting licenses slowed drastically nearly stopping. With the help of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife I was able to calculate the amount lost of licenses revenues to be $717,755. In applying this data to NH the results would be as follows. I contacted NHF&G and obtained the following information. In 2006 there were 27,804 archery licenses sold. In 2007 the expected sales would fall by an estimated 7,772 licenses, which is 28%, to a total of 20,032. Which would result in an expected revenue loss of $ 1,044,488. With the existing economic shortfall for the NHF&G they cannot afford any further budget reduction. The unrestricted NHF&G budget for 2006 was approximately $11,000,000, the 1,044,488 is 9.5% of the unrestricted budget. How will this money be replaced?
- Hunting over bait has been labeled by the proponent of this bill, not to be a fair chase method of hunting. I contacted the three organizations that are the recognized and highly acclaimed leading authorities on hunting, nationally and internationally, by the hunting and non hunting communities, The Boone and Crockett Club, The Pope and Young Club, and The Safari Club International all three view and acknowledge baiting as a fair chase method.
- Proponent of this bill have said that the only reason that people hunt over bait is for immediate gratification and that it removes dominant breading bucks from the gene pool. I believe both of these statements are inaccurate. From the 17 archery hunters I guided last year there were 4 deer harvested and a total of 26 deer sighted. Twenty-two of the deer either did not present an ethical shot or did not come into the bait. The average time per hunter spent hunting was 39.4hr hunted with a total of 669.4 hours hunted by all 17 hunters. For the four deer that were harvested that comes to an average of 167.3 hrs. hunted per deer. That 167.3hrs hunted per deer is a far cry from the implied perception that this is done only for immediate gratification. The 4 deer shot were 1, 4 point buck that weighed 134 lbs, a 2.5 year old deer, 1, 7 point buck that went 151lbs a 3.5 year old deer, 1 doe that went 123 lbs and was a 5.5 year old deer and a doe that was 114 lbs and was 4.5 year old. Both does had other deer with them that did not present ethical shots, no large bucks were observed with the does. Baiting is a time consuming method to harvest an animal and very labor intensive method, to carry 70lb packs baskets a half-mile into the woods 10 times at each site to leave an adequate amount of bait. This must be done 10 days to two weeks prior to any human visits so that all evidence of humans has dissipated. A hunter has to be very stealthy to have a chance at an ethical harvest with a bow. The slightest movement seen, the quietest non-natural sound heard or the faintest human scent smelled and the hunter will not be successful. The animals will not appear at the sight and present themselves for an ethical harvest. The bottom line is, that this is not an easy way to hunt. Unlike what the proponents of this bill want the public to believe.
I hope that the committee finds the factual evidence in my statement to be of use in helping them make their decision to not support bill HB 604. I personally have spent in excess of 85hrs and my own funds in researching and preparing the information in my full statement and for this hearing. In closing I would urge the committee to consider the livelihood of the licensed guides and businesses affected by this bill in the state when voting on this bill and support a recommendation of inexpedient to legislate. I would like to thank the Chair and the committee members for their time and attention here for HB 604 and for the donation of their valuable time in service to our state and her needs.
Thank You.
Wayne A. Derby
Licensed NH Master Guide: Hunting Guide Lic. # 23: Fishing Guide Lic. # 36
Leave No Trace: Master Trainer
Wilderness Education Association: Certified National Outdoor Leader & Instructor
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