Rep. Cheatham and Lawson buddie up to HSUS

[indiansbeaglers]

Democrat State Rep. Dave Cheatham, District 69 has joined forces with HSUS in attempting to take away our opportunity to train Coyote dogs and hold field trials in an enclosure. Rep. Cheatham has also teamed up with Rep. Linda Lawson to sponsor House Bill 1135. House Bill 11335, if passed by both the house and the senate, and then signed by the Governor would prohibit Fox or Coyote field trial and dog training enclosures. Rep. Cheatham was quoted in HSUS papers saying:

“As a lifelong sportsman and hunter, I believe that the issue of ‘penning’ foxes and coyotes should be publicly debated and addressed by the General Assembly,” Rep. Cheatham said. “This practice represents a fundamental departure from past practices in our state. It is important enough be determined by the Legislature. I am hopeful that my colleagues in the House and Senate will allow this issue to move through the process.”


“We thank Representatives Cheatham and Lawson for introducing legislation that would shut down a cruel practice before it spreads in our state,” stated Anne Sterling, Indiana state director for The HSUS. “Voters want a strong, clear policy that prohibits this staged animal cruelty that has absolutely no legitimate role in conservation

In a phone conversation just over a week ago I ask Rep.Cheatham if he had been to the enclosure in Jasonville, Indiana, and he admitted that he had not been there, and not seen first hand what an enclosure entailed. Just last week i also sent Rep. Cheatham information that exposed the lies that have been spread by HSUS and the Indiana Coyote Rescue. Rep. Cheatham indicated that he would research the issue before making a decsion.

Rep. Cheathams contact information is:

Email [e-mail]

phone; (S) 317-232-0243 (H) 812346-6697

HSUS says it did a poll and that the majoriety of registered voters were against field trialing enclosures. Please contact Rep.Cheatham and tell him the pollsters must have missed calling you and you want him to know you want your Fox and Coyote enclosures left open

Thank you
Jack Hyden, President
Indiana Beagler's Alliance
[e-mail]
574-551-4067

[indiansbeaglers]

Indiana Beagler's Alliance has exposed another false video that has been put on the Indiana Coyote Rescue website. First we were able to prove that the videos used by HSUS and the Coyote Rescue ladies did not come from an enclosure in Indiana, and in fact, did not come from an enclosure at all. They came from free range actual hunting in another state, and one is from Montana and a Coyote that had been killing a ranchers Sheep. Go look at their video now. They are, again, showing Coyotes dead and being attacked. they are saying they came from Florida's Sand Shifters Fox Enclosure, and one in Tamtlico, S. Carolina. Coyote Rescue shows one Fox hunters name, Billy Melvin-Fox hunter, and then shows a page that says 97 Coyotes were killed in the Sand Shifter pen in one year. and that 19 Coyotes were Killed in one weekend in S. Carolina. Indiana Beagler's Alliance Called and spoke with the owner of Sand Shifter's enclosure, Jerry Martin, We also spoke on the phone today with Billy Melvin, and the owner of the Tamtlico enclosure, Charles Graham. Mr. Martin, said he has 730 acres of very rough terrain and there has never ever been 97 Coyotes in his enclosure. Martin states he does not know where HSUS and the Coyote ladies get their "public records" from but they are totally false. Sand Shifter's has never had a problem with the Coyotes being caught by the dogs. Billy Melvin stated that he has never talked with anyone from HSUS or the Coyote ladies and is unaware of how they think its OK to use his name in their video. Mr. Melvin also said he is very familiar with the Sand Shifters enclosure and knows there has never been a problem with dogs catching Coyotes there, and to say 97 Coyotes were caught is hogwash. He is in the process of contacting Indiana Coyote Rescue and demanding they remove his name from any of their material. As for the S. Carolina enclosure, Owner, Charles Graham has 1,000 acres behind fence. He knows most of the enclosure owners in the state and says without hesitation that there has never been 19 Coyotes caught in his or anyone elses enclosures in the state, let alone 19 in one weekend. Graham also wondered what kind of screwy "public record" HSUS and the Coyote ladies are using. All three of the gentlemen spoken with also state the pictures of dead Coyotes did not come from their enclosure, or any enclosure they have seen.

A good friend of mine once told me that his uncle use to tell him that if you have to lie to get your point across, your just plain wrong. It is now obvious that HSUS doesn't much concern itself with the truth, only with getting what they want. It doesn't say anything better for the Coyote Rescue ladies.

If anyone wants to confirm what i have written you can contact each of these sportsmen at:

Jerry Martin
Sand Shifters Fox Pen (730 acres)
850674-9922

Billy Melvin
850-258-0869

Charles Graham
Easton Carolina enclosure (1,000 acres)
843-386-2070
please give Mr.Graham a few days, he just had surgery and is recovering.


Jack Hyden,President
Indiana Beagler's Alliance
[e-mail]
574-551-4067