Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A Road We Don't Want to Go Down.

Things are getting real for a friend involved in a lawsuit filed against him personally by anti-hunting groups.

This guy runs a ranch in Southern Oregon. The past several years he has hosted a coyote contest in the county he resides. This year he had trouble though...

Two anti-hunting environmental terrorist groups filed suit on him personally for being the organizer of the coyote hunt. The groups suing him are Animal Legal Defense Fund and Project Coyote.

They tried to keep the hunt from happening by filing the suit and Temporary Restraining Order (Which the judge denied.)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/home/1692941-151/suit-tries-to-stop-coyote-hunt

Duane actually loses money on the hunt because the expenses and payouts exceed the money taken in. The event also takes place on private property, and most hunters hunt private property when going after the coyotes. But, if they are licensed to hunt, they can hunt public land legally as well.

The radical environmentalists are also claiming he is conducting illegal gambling, by organizing the coyote hunt where the top teams are paid back entry fees... Does this make Rodeos or Motocross, or car races illegal too? Or any event where entry fees are paid back? Golf tournaments?

Duane's lawyer quit him a couple of days ago because he felt the lawsuit was out of his area of expertise, and he could not give Duane proper legal advice.... The environmental terrorist group has 4 lawyers dedicated to the lawsuit though, and if awarded court costs, it could be in the millions of dollars.

Some interesting conditions the bunny huggers want in the lawsuit is that Duane never hunt public land again. For as long as he lives. They are also seeking agreement that if he DOES organize hunts in the future, he will PAY THEM money each time, with increasing amounts each year. They want cash settlement paid to them even though they have no actual damages...

If this type of legal action against hunters is allowed, just how long until the radical environmentalists are out in the field writing down everyone's lic. plate numbers so that they can file lawsuits on them?

Duane makes about $2k a month running that ranch he lives on.

Can anyone offer advice about where he can turn for legal help, or a competent attorney? Are there organizations or groups that would support him?

Any input, advice or support will help!

Thanks!

The anti's have almost unlimited funds. Their plan is to win these cases by forcing the defendant into near bankruptcy. There are very few who can outspend Hollywood on these cases. They know they don't have a case that will win in court but they win them in bargaining.
We SERIOUSLY need a loser pays setup to let them pay their own bills.

I think your friend should contact the NRA as they might be VERY interested in seeing this suit gets dismissed. I have a feeling though this is just the beginning of this kind of crap! AND the Citidots still won't get it when their little dogs and cats go missing from their neighborhoods!

From what I gather, the NRA gets involved only on firearms issues. They don't have enough butter the spread on the hunting issues.

I appreciate your help and support though.

One of the top 2A attorneys in the country is Dave Hardy, who runs the Of Arms and the Law blog. He's well connected with SAF. Although he's probably not the guy to represent the case, he might be able to direct you to the right resource.

dthardymindspring.com

That is what his attorney that quit told him. He said they don't expect to win, they expect to break him. (Which took about 10 minutes...)

Have him contact OHA the Oregon Hunters Assoc. they should be able to steer him in the right direction and most likly provice help directly

Safari Club, perhaps?
Or maybe he can just not charge fees and organize it with Twitter or some darn thing.

I think Duane already tried them. In fact he had donated twice to the assn. for their events. (They even have a coyote contest in the same county he does.)

The answers he gets from clubs like that, is they tell him they fight legislation. Not lawsuits.

I think the environmental terrorists know this, and that is why they file lawsuits against individuals. Just another tactic.

That's a real shame! Firearms and hunting go hand and hand and to me seems like the same issue! I think Northern Michigan would fold up and disappear if not for the money hunting season brings to them!

I hope I don't live long enough to see the day when all hunting is banned and these arm chair ecologists get their way!

Am I correct in thinking it costs very little to file lawsuits like this?

They are sure fighting tooth and nail to see that happens.

how about the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation, big game forever or one of the other pro-hunting conservation groups or the Oregon Cattlemen's Association.

Id look for pro bono work thru the bar association outthere, or your local university.

Worse comes to worse, stop it for a year, talk to the Sheriff and some judges, get the legal challenges and law worked out, then fire it back up next year and present the fuggin bunny stroke-offs with a big "fugg you" when the try to do the same thing

The judge will know your coming and possibly dismiss the lawsuit after knowing its true intentions and frivolity.

When any rancher of even sheep raiers have coyote (or wolf killed) stock, THEY should file suit against the hugger groups for preventing any active control measures. Give THEM a pain in the ass

Sounds to me like a frivolous lawsuit which should be thrown out immediately. Can he countersue for various reasons?

OR must be different - in WI each side must pay their own court costs and not collectible from the other side.

He has countersued because of death threats due to publicity by the radicals towards him.

They threatened to gut shoot Duane. They have threatened to rape and kill his wife, and have threatened to kidnap his 2 year old daughter so that she doesn't have to be raised around hunting...

He can't just let the lawsuit go and return it another time. They sued him, and now there are deadlines and court appearances that must be met, or the bunny huggers win by default.

He told me this morning he would represent himself if it came to that, but he'd rather not... I told him the only legal jargon he should have to say was "Your Honor, I wish to file a motion to dismiss."

The team of 4 lawyers the radicals have on staff, totally bombarded the lawyer that quit with so many demands he was overwhelmed and had to quit.

What are the names and addresses of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Project Coyote lawyers?



ETA:

Here's a source of information about the groups.
http://aldf.org/about-us/
http://projectcoyote.org/contact.html

There are literally dozens of names on these websites that you can look up. You can call the Better Business Bureau and complain too, since ALDF is a BBB member.

A search of CA business filings yields the following:


OH! And look! There's more!


Everyone should let these people know how they feel.

You've got to give these people back the same things they are dishing out.

...threats of family violence/retaliation?

Sounds like domestic terrorism to me. Contact the FBI. Im serious.

Also, look into contacting the postal police if threats are coming that way.

Look into tapping his phone to record any phone threats. You can look it up on the internet or talk to the phone company.

Threats are serious obviously, no matter whos making them, self righteous or not.

some relocated Potland Liberal....it figures....

I hope the Judge sees this for the crock of Schitt it is...

Sadly tho, all of these appointed judges always seem to be from Salem, Potland or Eugene.... the democrats strong holds within the state... Imagine that...

another example of the liberals in Metro Potland, trying to tell the rest of the state what to do, to fit their conveniences...
when they are 400 plus miles away in this instance...

and this woman's excuse is that it stops her weekend plans for outdoor activities? well 'scuse us all to hell Bittcchh...