Pheasant Hunting

In “Bird in Hand Worth Tourists in the Bush” (Jan. 11), the public has learned about “canned hunting” of pheasants in forlorn areas of Kansas.

Well, Los Angeles County, subject to an appeal pending before the Board of Supervisors (continued to Jan. 26 at 500 West Temple St.) has make it even easier for “sportsmen” wishing to shoot pheasants in style. The planning board granted a conditional use permit to an Orange County group called the High Desert Hunt Club to bring back an archaic form of entertainment called “the European shoot.” This “sport” emanated from the time that European nobility and landowners had peasants drive wild pheasants out of their grain fields while they hid behind stone walls till the birds were in range.

The High Desert Hunt Club has refined this shoot, on a portion of the Tejon Ranch that they lease, to permit up to 100 stationary shooters to fire at pen-raised pheasants released from cages so they fly over the guns. This they call hunting.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission apparently feels that using these pheasant for live targets is an appropriate sport for Los Angeles County. A comparable [activity] would be shooting fish in a barrel.

This activity in Los Angeles County, along with the “canned shoots” allowed in 35 fields, is not carried on away from everything and everybody. The 8,000 acres adjacent to Pine Canyon Road (connecting with the Ridge Route) is unique and one of the most beautiful, tranquil areas of Los Angeles County. There are numerous ranches and property owners adjacent to this proposed usage who are adamantly opposed to the granting of this permit, along with numerous members of the public.

Why should Tejon and the High Desert Hunt Club be allowed to shoot up an area that brings such pleasure to equestrians, hikers, motorists and campers and is one of the few places left in Los Angeles County where life is not in the fast track?

I certainly hope Los Angeles County demonstrates its understanding in not condoning what in effect is skeet shooting with live targets.

LOUIS I. BELL, Three Points (Lake Hughes)