Squirrel Nut Clippers: Pol Outraged At Varmint Hunting Contest

Written by Aaron Short on . Posted in Blog, News, News & Features.




Ted Nugent would be proud.

Western New Yorkers of all ages will be able to hunt and kill wild squirrels with shotguns and semi-automatic rifles for sport next Saturday—and it’s all perfectly legal.

The squirrel shoot, titled the “Seventh Annual Hazzard County Squirrel Slam,” is a fund-raiser for the volunteer fire department of  Holley, a village of less than 2,000 people just outside of Rochester.

The contest is open to both adults and children ages 14 and under in groups of two and features cash awards for the heaviest individual rodent and a total weight of a scurry of five.

The hunt has alarmed public officials.

“I’ve been very supportive of hunting legislation in Albany, even as a Democrat, but this is just insane in my opinion,” state Sen. Tony Avella said. “Now we have telling young people to go out and shoot as many defenseless animals as possible to win a contest. This is just wrong on so many levels.”

Participants must pay a $10 entry fee to be eligible for the prizes, which include a first place prize of $200 for largest combined weight of carcasses, $100 for second place, $50 for third place, and $50 for the heaviest individual squirrel in both the adult and youth divisions. Contestants are only permitted to kill red and gray squirrels during the day of the shoot and must not soak or pack their bodies to add extra weight.

Aspiring hunters can use a .50 caliber muzzleloader, an AR/22 semiautomatic, a Mossberg 835 shotgun, a Remington 870 12-gage shotgun,  or a Henry .22 lever action rifle to subdue their prey, although some guns may be swapped out based on the state’s recent gun legislation banning assault weapons and reducing the size of magazines.

The State Department of Environmental Conservation prohibits hunting of endangered species, most songbirds, and birds of prey but allows riflemen to target an unlimited number of “unprotected” species, including porcupines, red squirrels, woodchucks, English sparrows, starlings, rock pigeons, and monk parakeets. The state also allows hunters to use airguns for squirrel shooting, but they must have a hunting license if they use a bow or firearm.

Avella said he would hold a press conference on Monday with Friends of Animals, an animal welfare group, calling for the immediate cancellation of the event. He is considering proposing legislation preventing hunting contests where the premise is to shoot the most animals.

“This sends the wrong message,” he said. “They just go out and shoot squirrels in the forest and neighborhood.”

Calls made to the Holley Fire Department and several organizers of the event were not returned.

A poster for the squirrel shooting contest.




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  • Frickthoughts

    So glad to see a politician stand up for the animals. “Until mankind can extend the circle of his compassion to
    include all living things, he will never, himself, know peace (Albert
    Schweitzer).”

  • Ron Adam

    Rats with a tail, shoot them

  • chefQ
  • Monica Arias Miranda

    This is OUTRAGEOUS!

    There is a national discussion going on about the need to address our violent society. Ridiculous contests like this in Upstate New York are actually encouraging children to come out and “have fun” while killing living beings?

    Seriously, America, get a grip and look at the norms being created and accepted; encouraging violence is not the right answer.

  • jim pierce

    We
    were shocked that fire fighters – a group dedicated to saving
    lives, including animal lives – would sponsor what is basically a
    “blood sport” event. The fire fighters we have known always set
    the example for younger generations through their integrity,
    compassion for all living things and selflessness.

    Petitions
    with thousands of signatures have been presented to the mayor and the
    fire department and they have received hundreds of phone calls and
    letters. Yet they plan to hold the event regardless of public
    outcry – hardly good publicity for fire fighters or for the town.
    A number of national animal protection groups have joined in to
    denounce this event, and Gov. Cuomo has received a number of calls
    protesting this event.

    This
    is not about hunting nor is it about our right to bear arms. This is
    about the teaching of children that it is fine to carry a gun and use
    it for “fun” to shoot animals in a contest with prizes
    going to the biggest, etc. Just because something is legal, does not
    mean that it is moral or that it sets a good example for young
    people. In a time when gun violence is constantly in the news, it is
    time to start looking at some of the root causes of such violence.
    Hundreds of articles link desensitizing children to the pain and
    suffering of animals to potential later violence.

    Some
    legislators are starting to sponsor legislation against these
    “shooting.” events.

    A
    number of Slam supporters have said that nobody has objected for the
    past six years. Well, I think Holley has flown under the radar, but
    now it is getting international attention – and not in a good way.
    It reminds me of the same mentality that did not want to change other
    social issues – making Blacks sit in the back of the bus and not
    allowing women to vote. Change is in the air, and I do not think
    these protests are going to go away.

    Why
    not have an alternate fund raiser that even non hunters could
    participate in? For example “Prison-Break
    Paintball” in which volunteer ‘fugitives’ (the fittest
    fire-fighters?) can be dressed in prison uniform, to be tracked and
    caught by all those signed-up hunters – but with paintball guns,
    instead of real rifles. The idea being that the ‘fugitive’ with
    the least paintball splats can win a good prize.
    Even
    kids can really enjoy that paintball hunt idea – and I’ll bet you
    would raise more money this way. By the way, offers from opposition
    to the Squirrel Slam to match what the fire department would raise,
    also fell on deaf ears.

    It
    is not too late for Holley to do the right thing.

    Sincerely,

    James
    Pierce, Colonel, US AF, retired

  • llrbas

    Fisrt of all read the poster again the guns you are talking about is not what the hunters are using that is part of a raffle. Am sure you live in the big city.have you ever hunted. Teach your child about guns not to be scared of them. As for killing unlimited amount red again. Got that wrong too.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nina-Schipperke/100002776368647 Nina Schipperke

    Is anyone able to corroborate this?
    ” squirrel hunters exhibit a collective IQ which is 36 points lower than the norm”

  • http://www.facebook.com/hscurapoglu Hezmet Sigdiz Curapoglu

    Squirrels are not

    so nice