Data alone won’t delist Yellowstone grizzlies
GW: A perfect example of how delisting anything from protected status – no matter the facts – becomes problematic. The usual suspects will fight any attempt to hunt anything. Here’s proof…
Category: Animal Rights
Marketing the Truth About Hunting
By Glen Wunderlich
It’s almost time to toot our horn. No it’s not New Year’s Eve, but when Governor Snyder signs HB 4993 into law, as is expected, Michigan sportsmen and women will have reason to celebrate.
The bill sponsored by Representative Jon Bumstead, would create a statewide council, called the Michigan Wildlife Council, which would be charged with hiring a marketing firm and directing funds for the creation and implementation of a targeted multi-media marketing campaign.
Here is how the plan would work: Revenue for the information campaign will be derived from the hunting and fishing license package already signed into law. Beginning in March 2014, a $1 surcharge on every hunting and fishing license purchased will be used to educate the general non-hunting and non-fishing public relative to the significance of wildlife conservation through hunting and fishing. Read more
Boone and Crockett Revisits Roots, Role and Process in Saving Yellowstone
DENVER, Colo.–At a meeting marking the conclusion of Boone and Crockett Club’s 125th anniversary year, held at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver on Dec. 7, attendees revisited the Club’s first order of business at its inception–saving Yellowstone Park for all Americans. Read more
Results Matter in Black Rhino Hunt
By Glen Wunderlich
A controversial black rhino hunt is set to be auctioned by the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Fueled by typical emotion-driven rhetoric, the usual suspects, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), oppose the hunt on the grounds that the animals are endangered. On the other side, conservationists and biological scientists support the auction as a means to brighten the future of the prized African game species.
First a few facts are in order. The number one reason for the decline from around a million rhinos in the year 1800 to approximately 30,000 today is poaching. Rhino horn is one of the mainstays of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and thus has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of rhinos. The question is not whether rhino horn actually has medicinal value; enough Asians believe it does, and therefore, its value is literally double that of gold.
Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) was established in 1990 and is responsible for the safeguarding Namibia’s environmental resources. Since 2004, with the support of scientists in the international Convention on Trade in Endangered Species, Namibia is authorized to sell up to five hunting permits a year. With selective hunting as a part of its comprehensive rhino conservation strategy, the country’s black rhino population has more than doubled since 1990.
DSC expects the permit to sell for at least $250,000, perhaps up to $1 million. All proceeds will be returned to Namibia for underfunded rhino-related projects such as anti-poaching patrols.
Did you catch that? All proceeds are to be returned to Namibia.
Contrast this with how HSUS uses its questionable tactics to line the pockets of its hierarchy.
HSUS CEO, Wayne Pacelle, raked in $395,000 in total compensation according to its latest tax return. In total, 38 people received over $100,000 in compensation from HSUS—up from 24 the previous year. HSUS put $2.9 million into its pension plan—significantly more than it made in paltry grants to support pet sheltering.
So, rather than paint the DSC with the same brush used on poachers, while lining its own pockets, wouldn’t it be philanthropic if HSUS leaders invested that money in anti-poaching efforts or in efforts to reduce the demand for rhino horns? (That’s Wayne’s argument against the DSC, by the way, directly from his blog.) Read more
Launch Events Begin Next Week for Citizen Initiative to Protect Hunting Rights
From MUCC…
The coalition supporting the Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act will be holding launch events over the next few weeks. In addition to events in the Upper Peninsula and Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw Counties, additional launch events will be added across the state where people can learn about the citizen initiative and take home petitions to circulate. MUCC is part of the coalition, called Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management, that is supporting the Scientific Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act. Read more
How The Humane Society of the United States Spends Its Money
HSUS spent $50 million on fundraising-related expenses—41% of its budget. In other words, HSUS is a “factory fundraiser,” and the people really making the money are the fundraising contractors.
- HSUS put $2.9 million into its pension plan—significantly more than it made in grants to support pet sheltering.
- HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle pulled in $395,000 in total compensation.
- HSUS paid $7.4 million to Quadriga Art, a fundraising firm that two states investigated last year after it was exposed by CNN in connection with charity scams. Quadriga was HSUS’s second-largest independent contractor in 2012 and HSUS has paid $30 million to Quadriga over the past several years.
- In total, 38 people received over $100,000 in compensation from HSUS—up from 24 the previous year. For as much as HSUS complains about Big Ag, this “non-profit” corporation is clearly Big Animal Rights.
- HSUS just had a ritzy gala in New York City last month. According to the tax return, HSUS lost money on these glitzy events in 2012. Between the NYC gala and the Hollywood “Genesis Awards” last year, HSUS had a net loss of $350,000.
- HSUS claims it helped pass or defeat 132 laws in 2012. We’ve never heard of a nonprofit—which is not supposed to engage in much lobbying—that has such a high count when it comes to influencing laws.
- HSUS’s membership magazine only goes to 545,000 people—up only 15,000 from last year. HSUS claims to represent a “constituency” of 11 million people (whatever that means), but the magazine circulation provides a good idea of HSUS’s actual membership—about 22 times smaller than HSUS’s claimed “constituency.”
- HSUS’s contributions ticked up a little after a drop last year, but they’re still below where they were in 2010 (when we started this website).
- HSUS admits that “a large portion of The HSUS’s work on direct care and service is accomplished through affiliated entities such as the Fund for Animals.” The Fund for Animals has its own separate fundraising. Shouldn’t HSUS make this fact clear in its own fundraising? Why is HSUS taking the credit for this animal care?
Despite Death Threats, DSC Auction Will Go On
DALLAS (Dec. 4, 2013)-Against a torrent of death threats, the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) is forging ahead with plans to auction a black rhino-hunting permit on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Namibia. Read more
HSUS Alters Tax Return Data in Light of IRS Complaint
This from www.HumaneWatch.org
We have received a copy of HSUS’s 2012 tax return. You may recall that we recently filed a formal complaint with the IRS over HSUS’s previous tax returns. In short, we believed that HSUS was inflating its revenue in violation of IRS instructions by counting PSA air time as “contributions.” Bloomberg News reported on the matter, and quoted a Minnesota tax attorney who specializes in nonprofit returns who backed up our position. CharityWatch, which gives HSUS a “C-minus” grade, also wrote that HSUS was violating IRS rules. Read more
African Conservation Leaders Deliver Strong Message to U.S. Government
Last week, Safari Club International Foundation held its 12th annual African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) in Livingstone, Zambia. Conservation leaders attending included wildlife management authorities from the nine African counties of Botswana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as representatives from the safari industry, NGO and wildlife science sectors.
The government representatives attending the AWCF delivered this week a letter to the Co-Chairs of the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Attorney General Eric Holder. The letter presents their
The letter recommends that the Task Force appoint Safari Club International Foundation to its Advisory Council to act as a liaison for the African governments who are the principle agents for conserving wildlife on their continent. “It is distressing that Africa’s governments were not included or even consulted on the U.S. government’s new Task Force to stop poaching. This policy decision of the U.S. government directly affects Africa’s communities, wildlife, and economies. To ignore these countries is an obvious misstep that needs to be rectified,” SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer said. Read more
Democrat Strategy for 2014
Nancy Pelosi called Harry Reid into her office one day and said, “Harry, I have a plan to win back Middle America in 2014!”
“Great Nancy, but how?” asked Harry.
“We’ll get some cheesy clothes and shoes, like most Middle Class Americans wear, then stop at the pound and pick up a Labrador retriever.
Then, we’ll go to a nice old country bar in Montana and show them how much admiration and respect we have for the hard working people living there.”
So they did, and found just the place they were looking for in Bozeman , Montana. With the dog in tow, they walked inside and stepped up to the bar.
The Bartender took a step back and said, “Hey! Aren’t you Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi?”
“Yes we are!” said Nancy, “And what a lovely town you have here. We were passing through and Harry suggested we stop and take in some local color.”
They ordered a round of bourbon for the whole bar, and started chatting up a storm with anyone who would listen.
A few minutes later, a grizzled old rancher came in, walked up to the Labrador, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, shrugged his shoulders and walked out.
A few moments later, in came another old rancher. He walked up to the dog, lifted up its tail, looked underneath, scratched his head and left the bar.
For the next hour, another dozen ranchers came in, lifted the dog’s tail, and left shaking their heads.
Finally, Nancy asked, “Why did all those old ranchers come in and look under the dog’s tail? Is it some sort of custom?”
“Lord no,” said the bartender. “Someone’s out there running around town, claiming there’s a Labrador Retriever in here with two assholes!”