Lock Five locked down to hunters

WHAT?: Some 440 acres of Lock Five, a state-owned, 900-acre wildlife refuge along the Cumberland River in Wilson County, was closed to public hunting by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission at its May meeting. The issue was brought up for discussion after a resident bordering the WMA, David McMahan, approached the commission about problems with hunters trespassing on his property during the spring turkey season (the WMA was only open for bow hunting and spring turkey hunting). Following discussion, the commission voted to close the property to hunting. Hunters from across the state have since expressed their outrage at the TWRC's decision. At its June meeting, the commission voted to allow youth hunting only on the property for four weekends this fall and an additional four weekends next spring.

NOTABLES: Commissioner Jeannette Rudy, who represents Wilson County and voted against closing Lock Five, told the Wilson Post's John Sloan that, "(McMahan) is a good personal friend of (Commissioner) Tom Hensley . . . and it is my opinion Mr. Hensley was doing a special favor for a friend in getting this done." But Commission Chairman Buddy Baird, who voted for the closure, told the Chattanoogan.Com Website's Richard Simms that closing the refuge was "the right thing to do," adding that the entire 900 acres should be closed to hunting.

THE PROBLEM?: We're concerned that the TWRC has set a poor precedent by closing the property to hunting after one landowner complained about trespassing rather than using the proper revenues (law enforcement) to directly combat the trespassing issue. If one refuge can be closed to hunting, any refuge can be closed to hunting, resulting in extensive loss to public hunting lands by the hunting community. We also feel that the commission acted without sound biological or physical evidence, acting not out of the best interest of the wildlife that inhabit Lock Five but on a whim at the request of a single landowner, who just happens to be a powerful lobbyist on the state level. Furthermore, statistics indicate that, on average, 80 percent of the funds used to acquire land for a WMA, set up the WMA, and manage the WMA, are paid for by hunters, making it unfair to close the WMA to hunting without sound biological evidence.

ACTION?: Hunters on the Website TnDeer.Com are spearheading an effort to see the commission's decision reversed.

THE LATEST?:The TWRC met June 22 and 23 in Nashville. After it appeared that the original vote would not be overturned, some hunters and Mr. McMahan met and reached a compromise, under which youth hunting would be allowed on the refuge for four weekends during the fall archery season and another four weekends during the spring turkey season in 2007. The issue will likely be revisited at the commission's May 2007 meeting, if not before.

OUR POSITION: The Lock Five closure should be overturned, and Commissioner Baird should issue a public apology to the hunters of Lock Five for acting without solid reasoning to close the property based on the unproven testimony of a single landowner.

ACTION: Click Here for a list of phone numbers and email addresses of TWRC commissioners.

HOW DID THEY VOTE? Want to know how your commissioner voted at the June meeting? In the Wildlife Management Committee, on a vote to move the issue back before the full commission for possible amendment, commissioners voted yes to send it back to the commission or no to leave it closed to all hunting. Voting was as follows: Michael Chase - NO; Johnny Fred Coleman - YES; Bill Cox - YES; Mike Hayes - NO; Gary Kimsey - YES; Boyce Magli - YES; Jeannette Rudy - YES; Skip Simonton - NO. Before the full commission, on a vote on whether to allow youth hunting on the property, all commissioners voted YES, with the exception of Mr. Cox and Mrs. Rudy, who voted "NO" because they supported reopening the property in full.