PETA Gives Samsung an Award Over Anti-Hunting Video

9/1/10

PETA recently gave an award to the massive Korean company Samsung for a web based video that bashes hunting while promoting Samsung’s Bluetooth devices.

In an August 26 press release, PETA states that it was bestowing a “GOODY” award to Samsung for a recent online viral video created for Samsung by the ad agency promoting its Bluetooth technology.  The ad, titled “Deer Rudolph and Eagle Eye team up to escape Redneck Hunter,” negatively stereotypes a hunter in the field.  During the ensuing hunt, a bald eagle flying overhead “phones” a deer on the ground using a Bluetooth device and warns it to avoid the hunter.

According to PETA’s Executive Vice President, Tracy Reiman, “Samsung’s ad reflects society's evolved attitudes toward animals and shows that compassion is a far better marketing tool than cruelty.”  Reiman went on to say that hunting should not be a part of modern society.

“We all appreciate funny, creative videos for marketing a product, but Samsung misses the mark in this case,” said Doug Jeanneret, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of marketing.  “While PETA will never tell the truth how sportsmen are the largest contributors to conservation, it is surprising that typically respectable companies like Samsung would wallow in the mud of negative, false stereotypes.  I guess their marketing research missed the fact that the vast majority of Americans support hunting”

Migratory Bird Hunting Report No. 1

Weekly migratory bird hunting reports are posted from early September through early February.

North Zone Dove: Dove hunters saw good shoots around the Panhandle over cut corn and milo. The region has received rain during the summer so there are plenty of watering holes around playas. The cool front with stiff north winds dispersed birds a bit, however, it also prompted new birds to migrate to Texas. Lubbock and fields north of Abilene were good for morning shoots of mourning doves. Fields along the Red River enjoyed fair flights of mourning doves near Paris. Conditions have been dry there, so evening tank shoots were best. Soy beans, sunflowers and corn fields have been the ticket. Prospects are fair to good.

Central Zone Dove: Shoots were fast around San Antonio. A few mourners flew early, but the brunt of the flight was whitewings about 30 minutes after sunrise. Cut corn was the ticket near Castroville and Pleasanton. Sabinal, Hondo and Uvalde saw good shoots as well. Afternoon hunters saw a steady flight as well. Fields north of Houston in the Cypress area were fair to good. The Hankamer and Devers area just north of IH-10 saw steady flights. Steady flights of mourners kept shooters in the field through mid-morning and resulted in good hunts south of Austin. Hunters situated around ponds and tanks took good numbers of mourning dove near Marlin and Waco. Sealy hunters saw their best action around treelines and cut rice fields for whitewings. Brenham hunters enjoyed easy limits of whitewings. Harrison County hunters saw limited flights of mourners. Plowed ground held limits of mourners near Sulphur Springs. Prospects are fair to good.

Teal Update: North winds blew in excess of 15 knots on the coastal bay flats last week. North winds, coupled with a bright moon, prompted bluewings to begin filling coastal prairie and marsh ponds. Good numbers are reported in Eagle Lake, Garwood, Wharton and Collegeport. Many outfitters are just now filling ponds, waiting until the last moment to hopefully receive “free” water from rains. Most of the coast has been wet during the summer so dirt is moist and should readily hold water. A few teal are showing on lakes and reservoirs in North and East Texas. The region is dry, so sloughs and bayous have little water. This should congregate teal on lakes. The Panhandle has plenty of water on playas and teal are scattered throughout the High Plains. Another cool front is expected to blow through Texas this weekend, which should deposit more birds. Teal season runs Sept.11-26, with a bag limit of 4.

GAME COMMISSION TO HOLD DRAWING FOR ELK LICENSES

           HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe said the agency’s public drawing for the 2010 elk hunting licenses will be webcast beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 10. To view the drawing, a “Live Elk Drawing” icon will be posted on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) for individuals to click on and watch the drawing.

            In order to watch the live feed, you will need to have Flash Player installed on your computer.  If you do not have Flash Player installed on your computer, please go to this link: http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/.  Once Flash Player has been installed, you will be able to properly view the live feed of the drawing.

            “Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for an elk license,” Roe said.  “Unfortunately, not all of them can make it to the public drawings. And, due to financial limitations, we are only able to send notification letters to those who were selected to receive an elk license. By webcasting the public drawings, we hope to allow more people to view this drawing without having to travel to the agency’s Harrisburg headquarters.”

            Beginning at 10 a.m., the agency will conduct the public drawing to award 50 elk licenses. Roe also noted that those who have submitted applications can check to see if they were selected, by Sept. 17, thanks to the new Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS). 

            Presently, the status for all individual’s applications for elk licenses is listed as “Pending.”  Once the database is updated, which is expected by Sept. 17, those who were selected for an elk license will see the status changed to “Awarded,” as well as the designation of the Elk Hunt Zone and whether they were awarded an antlered or antlerless elk license.  Those not selected will see the status changed to “Unsuccessful.”

            To access the information, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue box in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.  Click on the “Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit” option, which includes the ability to “Check on the status of any Lottery Application,” scroll down and click on the “Start Here” button at the bottom of the page.  At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the “Continue” button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information.  At the bottom of the page, choose the “Check on the status of any Lottery Application” button, and then hit “Continue.”

“While this may seem like a lot of clicking and box checking to get to the information, the system is designed to protect an individual’s personal information, while at the same time enabling that person to check on the status of his or her applications, as well as their antlerless deer license applications,” Roe said. “Prior to PALS, the only way to know for sure that you were awarded an elk license was to attend the public drawings, wait for a letter in the mail or to call the Game Commission.

“This year, thanks to PALS, we will be able to update the data files for each license buyer shortly after the elk public drawing is completed so that license buyers will be able to see for themselves if they were drawn for one of the 50 licenses.”