New Kentucky bill to allow permits to kill federally protected hawks

[Winny]

A new bill proposed by lawmaker, Sen. Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro, hopes to remove the penalties for killing or the capture of two federally protected hawks. The protected hawks being Cooper's hawks or red-tailed hawks. He wants to amend a bill protecting these hawks from being hunted and allow permits to hunt said hawks.

Boswell's reason for the bill, is that he believes there is an overpopulation of said hawks, and wants to curb the danger that songbirds, game birds, rodents, turkeys, farm chickens and cats would face. Currently it's a fine of around $100-$500 and up to a six month imprisonment for killing one of the birds. Federally, fines could reach as high as $15,000 per bird and six months imprisonment.

Kentuckians are not happy and have raised concerns about the new bill. The killing of such beneficial animals, is not ideal when they help protect against the rodent population and other small mammals that usually prey on ground-nesting birds.

How do you feel about this bill? I don't agree with this bill one bit. These hawks are more important than Sen. Boswell thinks. Read more on this article from Yahoo.

As well, you can read the actual bill here - https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24rs/sb59.html#actions

 

[Jake]

Leave the hawks alone, what people need to do is take better care of their pets. Hawks provide a service to the ecosystem, by taking out those nasty rodents we can't have reproduce often. Hunting hawks will cause rodent populations to rise, and will result in us needing to overturn this new bill anyway. This politician isn't very smart.

 

[Nomad]

I am against killing animals for recreational purposes, I am also against killing animals to "curb overpopulation." Therefore, I am against a bill like this one. While I do agree that sometimes wild birds and animals cause enough harm to humans and their farms, however, I believe that this should not give a reason to kill these innocent creatures.

 

[Mike30]

I don't like when they kill one of my chickens, but I also like when they catch rats and snakes in the wild. For me, they are service birds.
My question... Besides humans, what controls them when they get overpopulated?

When any specie gets overpopulated, it is also bad. It causes many other hidden problems. Rats and snakes whether I like them or not, they are also part of the ecosystem to set some examples.

This is not a simple yes or no answer, there are facts to be considered.