News Corporation, the parent company of Fox Sports Net and other Fox Cable Networks, has approved a 15 second anti-trapping commercial, produced by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), as a public service announcement. Fox Sports rejected a request by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, to immediately pull the commercial. The company agreed to run the ad through the end of last month at no cost to the anti’s. The advertisement features HSUS leader Wayne Pacelle and a second animal rights activist urging viewers to support trapping bans.

To add the this sensationalism, the spot opens with a loud clank as a foot hold trap, with teeth, snaps shut. Yet, this type of a trap has been banned for use throughout America for decades.  A senior official for Fox told the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance that he and other associates had reviewed the ad and believe the contents meets their criteria for public service announcements.

Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president, said, "This is not a public service announcement at all. It is a free political advertisement

for a movement that wants to eliminate trapping, hunting, fishing and other forms of animal use. Hunters and anglers must understand that the Humane Society has repeatedly stated that a ban on trapping is merely a means of softening public sentiment to clear the way for a ban on all hunting and fishing. Hunters, trappers and anglers should create a flood of complaints from friends, family and everyone they can reach out to."Trapping is recognized by every wildlife agency at both state and federal levels as a viable and important conservation tool. It helps to keep furbearer populations at healthy levels and is important in stemming the spread of wildlife diseases, such as rabies, that threaten animals and humans alike.

The Human Society of the United States not only opposes all forms of animal use, including hunting, fishing and trapping, it has a multi-million dollar budget that it invests solely in legislative and ballot campaigns to ban trapping and hunting. It also has a legal arm to challenge sportsmen and women’s rights and state and federal wildlife agencies in the courts of America. It does nothing to support animal shelters for pets.

But, sportsmen and women can make a difference in this fight. For instance, in 2002, Jeep raised the ire of sportsmen and women when it aired a blatantly, anti-hunting commercial called the "Deer Hunter". After a flood of sportsmen and women contacts, Jeep pulled the commercial in three days. Jeeps are a vehicle that is highly used by hunters and many threatened to never support Jeep vehicles again if Jeep continued with its outrageous anti-hunting commercial.

Sportsmen and women need to contact News Corporation and demand that the spot be cancelled and that they not allow further anti-trapping and hunting advertisements again. Let the company know that you outdoorsmen and women object to the network acting as a mouthpiece for the animal rights movement. Explain that the state wildlife professionals support trapping and hunting and see it as a necessary tool for managing furbearers. Inform News Corporation that trapping has proven to be a critical element in the comeback of waterfowl populations and that managers see it as extremely important in protecting the public from outbreaks of diseases such as rabies. Readers should write to: Rupert Murdoch, Chairman/CEO, News Corporation, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10036. He may also be reached by phone at: (212) 852-7000 or fax at: (212)852-7147.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislature and at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Readers can find more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work by visiting their website at: www.ussportsmen.org. But, please write your letter of protest today. Happy New Year.

Bob Harris can be reached via e-mail at: outwriter2@aol.com