Sportsman’s bill stalls in Senate

Hunters and anglers received bad news Monday, as a bill that was ready to support a wide range of proposals to benefit outdoorsmen was blocked by GOP senators.
 
Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) sponsored the bill, which was originally supported by Republicans, but was blocked under accusations of over-spending and violations of the budget.
 
Not without controversy, the bill would allow hunters to bring home the 41 polar bears killed in Canada before it was deemed illegal to import the bears back into the U.S. The hunters harvested their bears legally, but were not able to get the trophies back before the new laws were implemented.
 
Also In the bill is a provision to allow bow hunters to cross federal land where hunting isn’t allowed, as well as exclude ammunition and fishing tackle from federal environmental laws that prohibit lead in certain instances. The bill would have left the decision on lead ammunition to the states, instead of the Environmental Protection Agency.
 
Additionally, the bill would boost funds for conserving fish, wildlife and their habitat. One way of doing this would be raising the price of duck stamps, proceeds of which fund habitat protection, for the first time in two decades.