Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
October 23, 2013
As reported in April by USSA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced that they have officially obtained drones to stalk hunters in the field.
“PETA Air Angel’s” as they are referring to them, were reported today by PETA to have been taken on a test flight in Massachusetts and “went off without a hitch.” Read more
Posted on October 23, 2013
The popular TV series, Duck Dynasty, has captured the attention of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with the animal rights group criticizing the show for promoting hunting. Photo credit www.foxnews.com
Duck Dynasty, a popular show on A&E, follows the lives of the Robertson family, owners of the Duck Commander duck call brand. Family members are seen sporting camouflage, building duck blinds, and often times follows the family into the field while hunting.
PETA’s Vice President Dan Mathews is speaking out against the show, claiming that hunting encourages would-be criminals. Read more
As a result of delays caused by the lapse in federal appropriations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Thursday announced rescheduled dates for the remainder of a series of public hearings on two proposed rules-one to list the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies and delist the gray wolf elsewhere, and the other to improve recovery efforts for the Mexican wolf in the Southwest. Comment period deadlines also are extended until December 17 to allow these hearings to take place within the public comment periods on the proposed rules. Read more
Wildlife officials have indicated that it is impossible to determine if five wolves recently killed are members of a certain pack. Meanwhile, and totally predictable, Wolves of the Rockies President Marc Cooke says he believes the five wolves killed were from Yellowstone.
Of course, no supporting documentation is provided to help us understand Mr. Cooke’s perspective, other than the fact that he adores wolves.
Anyway, wolf seasons are aimed at controlling the burgeoning wolf populations throughout their range.
No animal-rights organization will ever go along with any type of managed hunt; they’re anti hunters! They never agree on population numbers or goals being met. If it’s hunting, they don’t agree. And, that may explain Mr. Cooke’s feelings.
“Calling themselves ‘Mainers’ is nothing more than a transparent marketing ploy.”
After failing to get legislation passed in Maine this spring, anti-hunting forces have begun work on a ballot initiative that would ban bear hunting over bait, with dogs and bear trapping. If they collect enough signatures, the question will appear on the November 2014 ballot.
A disclaimer on their website’s homepage reads, “paid for with regulated funds by the committee of Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, PO Box 15367, Portland ME.” An examination of the campaign finance report filed by the group tells a different, and much more accurate, story. Read more
Despite its name, the Humane Society of the United States only gives 1% of its budget to pet shelters, and the organization doesn’t run a single pet shelter. Last year The Center for Consumer Freedom polled over 1,000 self-identified donors to the Humane Society of the United States to figure out just what they knew about the group. As it turned out, many donors—like the general public—had a false impression about how their money was being used. They still do.
On his radio show last week, conservative pundit Glenn Beck had a message for listeners: Don’t give to the Humane Society of the United States. You can listen to the clip at the link here.
Did we mention the Glenn Beck Program draws 7.5 million listeners a week? Beck’s got quite a megaphone.
The California law Beck refers to is Proposition 2, a ballot measure passed in 2008 that was heavily funded by HSUS. Experts predicted it could drive state egg farmers out of business (California is the 5th-largest egg state). Read more
For two years, the independent nonprofit watchdog CharityWatch (formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy) has given the Humane Society of the United States a “D” grade. This spring, for example, CharityWatch reported that HSUS spent as little as 50 percent of its budget on programs and spent up to 48 cents to raise every dollar.
That’s now changed—but not by much. HSUS now earns a “C-minus” grade. CharityWatch finds that HSUS spends as little as 55 percent of its budget on programs, and spends up to 42 cents to raise a dollar.
MISSOULA, Mont.–Conservation groups are gathering behind a Boone and Crockett Club-initiated push to resolve decades of controversy over legal challenges against the US Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal conservation agencies.
A joint letter from many of the nation’s top wildlife, sporting and conservation organizations is circulating this week to lawmakers in Washington D.C. The letter urges support and co-sponsorship for the bipartisan bill H.R. 2919–The Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act. Read more
The Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, has announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to expand fishing and hunting opportunities throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System, opening up new hunting programs on six refuges and expanding existing hunting and fishing programs on another 20 refuges. Read more