Hello ferret experts on the FML,
 
The California Department of Fish and Game and one wildlife biologist
with nothing else to do (who spends most of his time fighting the ferret
legalization effort) has put up a ferret misinformation page.
 
I perused the page just before our last committee hearing and I told the
author of our bill about the incredible lies and misinformation there.  To
give him (and you) one example, under "Threat to Poultry", one of the
references is to a1950's book which pretty much has an anecdotal reference
to the fact that it wouldn't be a good idea to have a ferret in a hen
house.  No studies, no facts, just anecdotes.  Another reference is to a
book by an English ferreter who recommended feeding ferrets poultry
including male chicks.  That's the threat to poultry!!!  Human picks up
chick and hands it to caged ferret.  Literally you have to see this page to
believe it.  Nowhere on this misinformation page are the letters from the
two Californina poultry associations stating that they have no opposition
to ferret legalization.  Nowhere on the page are letters we received from
poultry associations outside California stating that ferrets were not a
threat to poultry.  Well, that got the author a tad bit angry and I've been
asked to find other lies on the webpage.
 
Problem is, I'm swamped!!!  I'm going to be short staffed for the next
month which is going to make it especially hard for me.  I also have to fly
to New York for a photo shoot which we normally do in LA (two days of my
time instead of 4) at the end of this week and next weekend I'll be working
with my volunteers to send out the largest mailing (by almost 2 times) that
we've ever done in the six year history of CFL.  And I need to get back to
our author in the next 10 days or so!
 
I've got one super expert, Bob Church, who has promised to look at the page
and find the lies but it's a pretty big page with lots of links and I'm
forgot to tell him that this is a little time sensitive.  (Bob, if you're
there, let me know if you can help out before the end of this month).  Then
I got to thinking.  There are so many of you out there who are really well
read on ferrets that I am hoping you will take some time to review thepage
and let me know about the lies and misinformation.  One person suggested
dividing up the page and I'm happy to do that but I need to know who will
spend a little time researching the page for me.  I'll check all the lies
out in the end, but it would save some time if others could do the initial
search of the page.  The address is:
 
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/ferret_issues.html
 
I warn you, you might want to take a swig of Pepto before reading this
ridiculous piece of work that is really an ode to the irrational hatred
of this tiny little animal by a state agency.  It will make you sick.
 
Please e-mail me if you can help and want to look only at a section of the
page.  That way, I'll divide it up so the work isn't duplicated.  If you
want to persue the whole thing, fine with me.  Please make a list of the
stuff that you find, I will locate in and write it up for the author.
Thanks in advance for your help, I really appreciate it.
 
Jeanne Carley
Founder Californians for Ferret Legalization
http://www.ferretnews.org
[Posted in FML issue 2747]