Winnipeg — Western farmers have started to take out their frustration over the mad-cow crisis on American hunters.
Black-and-white rectangular placards started appearing on fence posts and mailboxes across the prairies over the past few days.
"No American hunters allowed due to BSE," the signs declare, in bold capital letters. "Your unfair trade in beef and wheat by your government has led to these actions."
As fall hunting season begins, some farmers in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are threatening to bar American hunters from collecting the annual bounty of deer, ducks and geese from their fields.
One farmer has already towed away hunters' vehicles to make his point, and others warn they're prepared to follow through with the threat written on their new signs: "Violators will be prosecuted."
It's a spontaneous protest, not sponsored by major agricultural groups and vehemently opposed by the tourism industry.
However, the idea has quickly gained momentum as farmers grasp at any means of showing the United States their anger about U.S. agricultural policies, and particularly the ban on Canadian cattle exports since an Alberta cow tested positive for mad-cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, last year.
"Our government is spineless," said rancher Gerry Duckworth, from his 3,200-hectare farm southwest of Moose Jaw, Sask. "We've got to do this ourselves."
Mr. Duckworth came up with the concept of banning hunters shortly after losing money on the sale of a young bull that would have fetched $3,700 if the border hadn't been closed.
He called a print shop in Moose Jaw and ordered some signs, 45 centimetres high and 60 centimetres wide, with the words "No beef =No hunting" written large enough to be spotted hundreds of metres away.
Friends and neighbours started asking for them, he said, and four days later he has already taken orders from across the Prairies for 2,000 more.
"Holy smokes, this thing has skyrocketed," Mr. Duckworth said. "People are as fed up as you can get."
Alberta feedlot operator Rick Paskal called Mr. Duckworth this week and asked for some signs to post around his 1,400 hectares of cornfields northwest of Lethbridge, where U.S. visitors usually shoot ducks and geese.
"They're not welcome this year," Mr. Paskal said. "It's a strong position, but what the hell do you expect us to do? We're dealing with some unreasonable people south of the border and you'd better believe that's making us a little unreasonable, too."
Hunters usually ask permission before shooting on a farmer's land and sometimes pay them for the privilege of using their private property.
The protest has divided farmers. One of Mr. Duckworth's neighbours, Jean-Claude Tremblay, raises cattle, but also guides American hunters.
He says he's concerned that damage to the tourism industry would devastate the already stricken rural economy.
"People are hurting, no doubt, but why hurt another industry?" Mr. Tremblay said.
Another Saskatchewan farmer, Michael Burgess, 49, agreed: "You're biting your nose off to spite your face," he said.
Others are skeptical that the protest will work. Wayne Jones of Birsay, Sask., said he appreciates the $100 tip he gets from outfitters when U.S. visitors roam his land. "I think you'll find these people don't turn anybody away when the price is right," Mr. Jones said.
But Hal Stupnikoff, executive director of the Saskatchewan Outfitters Association, said his guides are very concerned. Hunters bring 4,000 jobs to a rural economy in Saskatchewan and the province can't afford to lose them, he said.
"It's not something we're taking lightly," Mr. Stupnikoff said. "We're trying to dissuade [Mr. Duckworth] from doing this."
But Mr. Duckworth said the flood of calls into his answering machine has been largely supportive, despite messages from a few angry outfitters.
Les Johnson, 50, who farms cattle and grain near Fillmore, Sask., said he doesn't need one of Mr. Duckworth's signs, but he has already decided to kick U.S. hunters off his property this year. U.S. congressmen, doctors, lawyers, and even basketball stars visit the prime hunting grounds in the area, he said, so it's a chance for some face-to-face lobbying.
"The Americans are kind of bastardly," Mr. Johnson said. "They're getting pretty nasty as neighbours. So why not make a quiet statement? I'll just walk up to them and politely explain: 'I'm sorry, but you'll have to go elsewhere.'"
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