RENO, Nev.—Conservationists’ bid to block what could become the first legal bear hunt in Nevada history is headed to court after state wildlife commissioners rejected a petition on Thursday to postpone the season that’s scheduled to start Aug. 20 in the mountains around Lake Tahoe.

By Glen Wunderlich

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) – a national, tax-exempt organization not affiliated with local animal shelters and the most powerful anti-hunting group in the nation – has drawn fire from a group of lawmakers that questions its status as a qualified 501 (c)(3) organization. HSUS supported a ballot initiative in Missouri (Proposition B) by pouring in some $1.85 million (plus another $300,000 in non-cash contributions) into its Missouri front group’s bank account. The measure passed by a slim 3-point margin and sets regulations for the state’s dog breeders including how many dogs are allowed per facility.

At the root of the issue is whether HSUS has attempted to influence legislation as a “substantial part” of its activities.

In a letter to Eric Thorson, Inspector General in Washington, D.C. six U.S. members of congress from Missouri and Alaska have requested a federal investigation as to the level of funding and participation of HSUS in Missouri’s affairs. The letter follows up previous letters to IRS Commissioner Shulman and Ms. Lois Lerner, Director of Exempt Organizations that have resulted in no remedial action. The members of congress state the case this way: “We believe that HSUS’s own public documents show beyond question that lobbying is a “substantial part” of its activities, Read more

Mary Dettloff
DNR Public Information Officer

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) yesterday proposed a regulation change to lift the deer baiting and feeding ban in the Lower Peninsula, which has been in effect since 2008. The proposal is not yet final, and will be voted on at the June 9 NRC meeting in Lansing.

The proposal includes the following provisions:

Hunters would be able to place two gallons of bait per hunting spot. No more than two gallons of bait could be on the ground at any given time. This is the same regulation currently in place in the Upper Peninsula, and was the regulation in the Lower Peninsula prior to the discovery of Chronic Wasting Disease at a deer breeding facility in Kent County in August 2008. The only exception would be the bovine tuberculosis area in northeast Lower Michigan, where baiting and feeding has been banned for several years.

Recreational feeding would return to the Lower Peninsula, except in the bovine tuberculosis area.

The proposal directs the DNR to spend $50,000 this year on planting wildlife food plots on state-owned hunting land in the bovine tuberculosis area.

The proposal directs the DNR to work with the Legislature to stiffen penalties for baiting violations, including escalating fees, jail time and hunting license revocation. This would be similar to the penalties for violators who snag fish.

It is important to note that this is a proposal, and not final. It could change at the June 9th meeting. Many media outlets around the state are reporting this was already approved by the NRC. It has NOT been approved – it was simply proposed. The commission will vote on it at the June 9th meeting.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Michigan wildlife policymakers tentatively agreed Thursday to remove a ban on baiting and feeding whitetail deer in most of the Lower Peninsula that was designed to prevent outbreaks of deadly diseases.

The state Natural Resources Commission scheduled a final vote for June 9 on its plan, which would allow hunters to spread up to 2 gallons of feed at each hunting site in the Lower Peninsula except for a section of northeastern Michigan where bovine tuberculosis remains a problem. The existing 2-gallon limit in the Upper Peninsula would continue.  More here…

 This from the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance…

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has struck out in its quest for money from the estate of billionaire Leona Helmsley.  Helmsley, who died in 2007 with an estimated worth of $8 billion, left the bulk of her estate to care for dogs including $12 million to her own dog Trouble.   HSUS has been fighting ever since to get a piece of the pie- and last week a court denied a motion from HSUS and other national animal rights groups for part of the money.