Triggered Activists Shoot Down Columbia County Squirrel Hunt

An annual event in Columbia County where participants team up to shoot, kill and bag squirrels is still going on as planned despite desperate attempts to end the tradition.  The 7th Annual Germantown Sportsman Club  "Squirrel Scramble" is slated for February 27th, but according to reports, some powerful entities are trying to squash the scramble.

Get our free mobile app

The Times Union reported that the New York State Humane Association is asking the Germantown Sportsman Club to terminate the tradition in a recent statement.  They claim that "killing in the name of fun and family bonding seems contradictory and lacking in respect for living beings and their place in nature, and squirrels have their place in nature like all wildlife.”

The February 27th scramble is open to men, women and youth hunters.  The competition consists of two-person teams and awards a cash prize for first place as well as bonuses for black and red squirrels according to the Germantown Sportsman Club Facebook page.

According to the Times Union, it's perfectly legal to kill up the six squirrels a day but the NYS Humane Association contends that an actual squirrel hunt is somewhat egregious in nature.  "Do we really need to add to the callousness of adults and children by encouraging them to outdo each other in the number of helpless animals they kill and bag?" they wrote in a press release according to the Times Union.

The Times Union story explains that The Humane Association recognizes that squirrel hunting is perfectly legal, but “many if not most ethical hunters condemn these killing contests as unsportsmanlike.”