Rep. Jerry Weiers

H2130 offers legal protection for harassed hunters
What it will do: Criminalizes the harassment of hunters engaged in lawful hunting activities on public and private lands and waters. Violators can face jail time and be subject to fines and penalties from Arizona’s Game and Fish Commission.

Groups and individuals who purposely interfere with Arizona’s hunters will now face misdemeanor charges, fines and up to four months in jail.
The guidelines are part of H2130 (Chapter 128), a bill that passed 30-0 in the Senate and 57-1 in the House before being signed into law by Governor Napolitano on April 17.
“We’re trying to do something for the hunters and sportsmen so they have some legal protection to go out and legally do what they have permits and licenses to do,” said Rep. Jerry Weiers, R-12, the bill’s sponsor.
Mr. Weiers, an avid hunter, said that disruptive tactics of animal rights activists in other states inspired him to draft the bill as a preventative measure.
“This hasn’t been a huge problem (in Arizona), but we don’t want it to become one for the hunters in this state,” he added.
There were 203,159 hunting licenses and 212,273 tags and permits issued last year, according to Tom Cadden, public information officer for the Game and Fish Department.
The legislation drafted by Mr. Weiers removes the authority the Game and Fish Commission previously had to shut down hunting areas if they found it likely that a hunt could be disrupted.
Instead, a variety of disruptive actions have been named Class 2 misdemeanors and clearly defined for enforcement by the agency’s law enforcement officers.
Violations include:
Entering the line of fire.
Making gestures, noises or using other stimuli to disrupt wildlife or the hunter.
Impeding, obstructing or making physical contact with a hunter.
Stealing, vandalizing or disturbing hunting equipment.
Ten animal rights activists were arrested and charged with harassing hunters during a black bear hunt in New Jersey in December 2005.
Scattered instances of activist interference have also been reported in other parts of the country.
Mr. Weiers said he hopes H2130 is never used to fine or imprison anyone.