Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
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
Michigander Charlotte M. Peyerk, 66, of Shelby Township, Michigan has gone from hero to zero after killing a grizzly bear out of season. Her fine is $25,000 and she must apologize to the Safari Club International for cheating. Her son, Mark of Mio, Michigan must pay $30,000 and write a letter of apology, as well.
Both rightfully earn a place in my Poachers category.
Details here…
Thanks to the OutdoorPressroom.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are seeking information regarding a bear poaching incident that occurred in the evening of Nov. 16 in northeast Manistee County.
Conservation officers were called to investigate the shooting of a female black bear, found dead of a shotgun wound near a hunting blind on public land in Cleon Township. Witnesses said that the bear had been killed on Nov. 16 at approximately 5:30 p.m. Three bear cubs are believed to have been orphaned as a result of the bear being killed, although the cubs were not located.
Conservation officers are seeking to interview a white male who was spotted at the scene on Nov. 16. The male is believed to be involved in the killing and is described as having a thin build, standing approximately 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches tall. The male had facial hair and left the scene driving a dark-colored pickup truck. The DNR Law Enforcement Division is requesting any information to aid in the investigation of this poaching incident. Read more
The United States has destroyed its six-ton stock of confiscated elephant ivory, sending a clear message that the nation will not tolerate wildlife crime that threatens to wipe out the African elephant and a host of other species around the globe. The destruction of this ivory, which took place at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Property Repository on Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver, Colorado, was witnessed by representatives of African nations and other countries, dozens of leading conservationists and international media representatives. It is the latest in a series of actions by the Obama administration designed to crack down on international poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. Read more
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
Sept. 30 – Oct. 14, 2013
Conservation officers are fully commissioned as state peace officers, with full power and authority to enforce Michigan’s criminal laws. They are a unique class of law enforcement officer, whose duties include enforcing regulations for outdoor recreational activities such as off-road vehicle use, snowmobiling, boating, hunting and fishing. For more information about the work of conservation officers, visit www.michigan.gov/
CO Doug Hermanson located a pile of trash on public land and located a shipping label mixed in with the garbage. He tracked the subject down who turned out to be living in a camper. The subject was unemployed with no source of income. He was given the option of returning to the area and cleaning up the entire site instead of a ticket. He agreed and cleaned up the site.
COs Trey Luce and Jason Wicklund checked a well-used bear bait on state land. They located a non-resident hunter sitting over the bait while not wearing hunter orange. The hunter tried to hide the rifle in the brush but Read more
GW: This guy is the poster boy for the anti hunters and earns himself a spot forever more on my poaching wall of shame. Good job getting this cheater.
In one of the larger poaching cases in recent Michigan history, a Shiawassee County man has been sentenced under a plea agreement and will pay the State of Michigan $75,000 in restitution and have his hunting privileges revoked for the remainder of this year and the next three years. Read more
Charles Kokesh was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pensacola, Florida, for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act by selling two African elephant tusks and for making false accounts of wildlife related to that sale, the Justice Department announced today. Read more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in the investigation of a poached bald eagle in Clinton County. USFWS is offering a cash reward of up to $2,500 for tips or information that lead to an arrest and conviction. Read more
Conservation officers with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are seeking tips and information about a wildlife poaching incident that occurred on April 27 in Clinton County involving a bald eagle. Read more