WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) is responsible for all hunting rules and regulations for the taking of native game species throughout the State of Louisiana and making changes to those rules and regulations as deemed necessary, and
WHEREAS, this includes various regulations dealing with the taking of certain wild quadrupeds, nuisance animals and other species where hunting is used as a management tool to control populations, protect crops, or defend our wetlands and property from harm, and
WHEREAS, these species typically include, but are not limited to, small game such as raccoons, opossum, nutria and coyotes as specifically mentioned in Louisiana hunting regulations; some allowed to be taken under special provisions separate and apart from other game species, and
WHEREAS, these special provisions may also include special harvest seasons, such as Daytime/Nighttime hunting, year round harvest by permit, or in response to crop predation, all currently limited to .22 Cal rifle or shot gun only, and
WHEREAS, in recent times the firearm industry has successfully developed and marketed the .17 Cal HMR rim-fire cartridge as a small game/varmint rifle with exceptional performance and accuracy, that is fast becoming a popular alternative to the standard .22 Cal for all types of small game hunting, and
WHEREAS, many hunters feel that the .17 Cal is not only more accurate, but also less dangerous because the lighter grain bullet is far less likely to ricochet off hard objects or skip across the water’s surface, endangering other hunters in the area, and
WHEREAS, in addition, the .17 Cal HMR’s high velocity and low bullet weight (as compared to the .22 cal) by design, disintegrates or fragments the projectile on impact with the target or its surroundings, greatly reducing the chances of downrange accidents.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation urges the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) and state legislature for statutory rules and regulations to consider adding the .17 HMR Cal rim-fire rifle cartridge, in addition to the. 22 Cal where allowed in current regulations, for the taking of small game quadrupeds, nuisance, or population control programs with/without other special provision seasons as described in the hunting regulations for the State of Louisiana.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, March 20, 2011 in Alexandria, Louisiana