Should Fish & Game Commissioners be hunters?

A newly formed organization wants to remove the requirement that Fish and Game commissioners hold a hunting or fishing license.

The Fish and Game Commission includes eleven individuals appointed by the governor. They are responsible for setting policy and rules for the Fish and Game Department.

Under a decades-old state law, commissioners must hold a resident hunting, fishing, or trapping license "in at least 5 of the 10 years preceding the appointment." 

The New Hampshire Wildlife Coalition, co-founded by outdoors writer John Harrigan, wants the commission to include a "broader range of outdoor constituents," not just hunters, trappers, and fishers. 

Supporters of the idea argue that the Fish and Game Commission is out of step with many outdoor enthusiasts who do not hunt. They point to the recent Fish and Game Commission proposal to allow bobcat hunting, which faced significant opposition from the public.

The last attempt to change the requirements for Fish and Game commissioners occurred in 2009, as part of House Bill 559. Opponents of that bill argued that the license requirement protected the commission from animal rights activists who are anti-hunting and anti-trapping.  The House killed HB 559.

Other supporters of the current requirements note that hunting and fishing license fees account for a large portion of Fish and Game funding, so it is only fair that the interests of hunters and fishers are represented on the commission. 

Do you think Fish and Game commissioners should have to hold a hunting or fishing license? Let us know in the comments.