Little protest at latest Squirrel Slam

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 February 2016 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

HOLLEY – Only one protestor was in Holley on Saturday to publicly denounce the Squirrel Slam, a hunting contest that is a fund-raiser for the Holley Fire Department.

The event in the previous three years drew national and international attention from animal rights activists. But this time Holley wasn’t in the Bull’s Eye of activists. Only Richard Brummel, an environmental activist from Long Island, was in town with placards against the event.

Brummel chatted with people holding signs in support of the hunters. It was a friendly conversation and Brummel shook their hands before leaving around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Brummel was in Orleans County Court in February 2015, trying to get Judge James Punch to stop the contest. Brummel tried to make the case an environmental impact study should have been done to determine if the contest had a detrimental effect on the local squirrel population. Punch dismissed the case.

Brummel said he is optimistic the case will be taken up by the Fourth Appellate Court in Rochester. Brummel wants the Holley Fire Department to do an environmental impact study on the squirrel population.

“We want an analysis,” Brummel said.

Laura Knab, right, of Albion was across the street from Brummel. She arrived at 9 a.m. by the Holley Hotel and held signs in support of hunters. She was joined by Ahmad Asci, center, and Joe Kellenberger.

Knab, 23, said she has been hunting since she was 12.

“People don’t understand our way of life,” she said.