August 12, 2005

To the Honorable Members of the

Illinois House of Representatives 

94th General Assembly

Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby veto

­House Bill 1486, entitled “AN ACT concerning wildlife.”   House Bill 1486 allows hunters to use snares to trap animals such as raccoons, foxes and beavers on land. These traps have been banned in Illinois for over 50 years because the trap’s wire hoop strangles the animal. Twenty-one states in the nation do not allow the use of snares.

Snares are inhumane and indiscriminate. Not only do they cruelly kill wild animals for their fur, they may also kill domestic pets and even endangered species. Even though the bill requires a mechanism on the snare to reduce the chance of strangulation, the safety provisions are still inadequate and animals would suffer unnecessarily.  While I support the hunters and trappers of Illinois, I refuse to support this particularly gruesome hunting method that’s been banned in the state for years.

            For this reason, I hereby veto and return House Bill 1486.

Sincerely,

ROD R. BLAGOJEVICH

Governor