Animal lovers say night hunting dangerous

The Partij voor de Dieren (PvdD) wants the Gelderland Provincial Executive (PE) to dismiss the proposal to extend the hunting season for red deer into the tourist season for more reasons than one. An important reason being the risk of accidentally shooting a tourist on a late-night walk. The Provincial Executive are considering extending the hunting season from March 1 to October 1, because there are too many deer on the northern Veluwe.

They feed themselves with the farmers' crops during the night and retreat in the woods during the day. The PE want to allow hunters with artificial light and silencers to hunt the deer at night. In addition to the danger of tourists finding themselves in the line of fire, the PvdD claim they already received an email from a forester who doesn't want to patrol after dark for fear of becoming the victim of an accident. Neighbors will also be less likely to call the police when they see lights in the woods, giving free range to poachers. The PvdD favors a solution where the fences around the farms are raised, which would be much easier and more effective than other solutions. 'Last year the hunting season had to be extended also,' according to a spokesperson for the PvdD, who doesn't understand how come the PE lets the situation get so out of hand. The Gelderland Provincial Executive will debate the plan on Wednesday.