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PETA & other animal rights group upset by Trumbull County kids squirrel hunt contest

By Staff report Mahoning Matters

Updated October 3, 2023 3:36 PM

Fowler Township Police Department and a local outdoor sporting goods company in Cortland announced a youth squirrel hunting contest Oct. 14. McClatchy

There’s a kick-off hunting event inviting kids to compete for monetary prizes that has some animal rights organizations raising concerns.

It’s happening in Trumbull County’s Fowler Township Police Department and Luoma Outdoors in Cortland.

The police department and the outdoor sporting goods company announced a youth squirrel hunting contest at 3 p.m. Oct. 14.

Fowler Township Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Facts of the youth contest

Participants hunt on their normal hunting grounds before meeting at Luoma Outdoors for a weigh-in at 3 p.m. Oct. 14 in Cortland
Kids have to pay $5 and register by this Saturday to participate
All ODNR laws must be followed
Trumbull County ODNR Officer Martin Cisine will be at Luoma to meet with participants.
According to Luoma Outdoors, the registration money will be split in half and given to two winners: one winner selected for heaviest squirrel caught, and another winner for squirrel caught with the longest tail.
Animals are caught and field-dressed by the participants.

Concerns raised

Friends of Animals raised concerns including that other states like New York and California have laws against wildlife killing contests.

Priscilla Feral, president of Connecticut-based Friends of Animals, said squirrels already have many natural predators.

“These slaughters should be protested everywhere, at the local, national, and international level,” Feral said. “As the number of hunters declines every year, these sanctioned hunting contests are just another way to initiate children into the killing culture. That a police department is promoting this bloodbath in Ohio is obscene.”

Friends of Animals first raised awareness over the event.

Next, PETA joined the conversation and posted online to tell Fowler Township police and city officials to cancel the hunting contest.