Category: Poachers

Yellowstone Plundered by Market Hunters

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (Sept. 19, 1876) – Soon on newsstands in all 38 states, an upcoming edition of “Forest and Stream” will feature a report by editor George Bird Grinnell on a poaching crisis still plaguing Yellowstone even in its fourth year as a U.S. national park.

Grinnell, back from an expedition in the area, witnessed the sad carnage and writes, “It is estimated that during the winter of 1874-1875, not less than 3,000 buffalo and mule deer suffer even more severely than the elk, and the antelope nearly as much.”

The concerned editor is urging Congress to help stop the rampant market hunting and exploitation of wildlife, timber, geysers and other natural resources of the park.

That’s how early sportsmen might have announced the launch of a long crusade that would change the course of conservation in America.

The plight of Yellowstone and the public outcry that followed Grinnell’s articles on what he called “the park grab,” proved to be a tipping point that rallied the 1887 formation of the Boone and Crockett Club. Founder Theodore Roosevelt was resolute in establishing the fledgling outfit’s first order of business: Protect the park.

Yellowstone elk poached by Fredrick and Philip Bottler near Mammoth Hot Spring during the spring of 1875.

Today, Boone and Crockett is commemorating the 120th anniversary of the Club’s first major success, the Yellowstone Protection Act of 1894.

“The campaign to preserve Yellowstone was the first time a natural resource issue secured the popular support of both sportsmen and non-sportsmen,” said current Boone and Crockett Club President Bill Demmer. “Yellowstone thrust Boone and Crockett into the national limelight as an organization of hunters leading America’s early conservation movement.” Read more

Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

Arraignment set for Oct. 6 for Sanilac County poaching suspects

GW:  Really?  Poaching a spotted fawn?  Hang ’em.  Hang ’em high!

Three individuals are set to be arraigned Monday, Oct. 6, in 73A District Court in Sanilac County on poaching charges related to an incident on Sept. 14 in Sanilac County.

Three men and a woman were arrested after a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer working on a homeland security patrol was alerted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection air and marine helicopter that it observed people shining deer and shooting from a vehicle in Marion Township. The incident took place at about 9 p.m. Read more

Poachers, Wildlife

DNR conservation officers seeking information on elk poaching cold case

As elk hunting season gets under way in Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources is reminding hunters and northeast Michigan residents that it is still seeking information on an elk poaching case from late 2013.

On Dec. 28, 2013, a large elk bull carcass was located near Decheau Lake Road and Meaford Road, north of Atlanta in Montmorency County. The elk was illegally killed and parts of the animal were removed.

Conservation officers at the DNR’s Gaylord Customer Service Center are seeking any information that would assist with the investigation. “If anyone saw anything or has any information, we’d like to hear from them,” said Lt. Jim Gorno, DNR Law Enforcement Division supervisor for the area. Read more

Poachers

DSC Praises Tanzania’s Crackdown on Green Mile Safari Co.

DALLAS — Reacting to egregious, alleged violations in hunting ethics and laws, Tanzanian wildlife officials have revoked all hunting licenses and concessions for Green Mile Safari Co. The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) had urged the crackdown and is praising the move as a strong step for hunting and conservation.

According to media reports, the safari company, a private outfit owned by United Arab Emirates families, is threatening to sue the Tanzanian government for lost revenue caused by the revocation.

Allegations against Green Mile include hunting with automatic weapons, hunting female and young animals, using vehicles to chase and knock down animals and hunting protected species. Read more

Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

SCI Keeps Pressure on FWS to Reverse Ban on Elephant Importation

Washington, DC – Yesterday, the House Natural Resources Sub-Committee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs held a hearing on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) policies regarding the importation of sport hunted elephants and other lawful ivory trade. Safari Club International (SCI) was represented by Air Force Veteran Scott O’Grady who highlighted the impact that the importation ban has on conservation in Africa Former Congressman Jack Fields and Itai Hilary Tendaupenyu, principal ecologist of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority also testified as to the important role that hunting plays in conservation and the devastating effect that the importation ban is having on conservation funding in Zimbabwe.

“Today’s hearing before the sub-committee gave hunter-conservationists the opportunity to express how important sustainable wildlife management is in Africa and around the world,” said SCI President Craig Kauffman. “SCI is proud of the Members of Congress who understand that funding generated by hunting is absolutely essential to conservation in Africa.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

SCI Foundation Hosts Director Of CAMPFIRE Association To Address White House Council, Congressional Caucus

June 13, 2014

Washington, D.C. – This week, Charles Jonga, Director of the Community Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) in Zimbabwe came to Washington as a guest of the SCI Foundation.  He discussed the necessity of community involvement in wildlife management before the Presidential Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking (Advisory Council) and shared how hunting is an integral source of funding for CAMPFIRE programs. Additionally, Director Jonga addressed over 150 U.S. Congressional staffers at the International Conservation Caucus Foundation to inform policy makers on CAMPFIRE’s anti-poaching efforts, and to demonstrate the negative impacts created by the recent U.S. ban of elephant imports.

“The CAMPFIRE program benefits over 750,000 households across Zimbabwe. I was very thankful for the opportunity to speak, so that I could articulate just how severe an impact would occur if U.S. government policies continue to undermine our funding base,” Jonga said. “Organizations such as CAMPFIRE rely on American hunters as a primary revenue source to fund anti-poaching programs. The current ban will severely cut CAMPFIRE’s budget and our ability to protect elephants.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

Geneticists Banking DNA to Ensure Future of African Animals

DALLAS — Dallas Safari Club (DSC) is continuing its financial support of a Texas A&M University effort to build a DNA repository of African game species. The growing bank of DNA samples can be used to track the genetic heritage and health of wildlife. DSC has awarded grants for this effort since 2011. “Biologists say this program is an insurance policy for the future of wildlife,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director. “And it’s passionate, generous hunters, mainly from the U.S., who are making it go.” Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife

Why All Hunters Should Care About Ban on Elephant Trophies

DALLAS — Relatively few hunters will ever hunt an elephant. But every hunter who supports science-based wildlife conservation and management has reason for concern about the Obama administration’s recent ban on importing lawfully hunted elephant trophies.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in April that elephants hunted in Tanzania and Zimbabwe in 2014 may not be imported to the U.S.

Citizens who are ignorant of the differences between legal hunting and illegal poaching, “May have cheered the ban,” said Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Executive Director Ben Carter, “given all the recent headlines about elephant poaching, wildlife trafficking and the federal government destroying its confiscated stockpile of smuggled ivory.”

“Even most sportsmen, who usually are offended when they’re treated like poachers, didn’t pay much attention, as if the ban would affect only those few hunters interested enough, and wealthy enough, to actually hunt an elephant,” he added.

But Carter said the ban sets a dangerous precedent for hunting and conservation overall.

Here’s why: Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Poachers

Safari Club International Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction Against Elephant Importation Bans

Washington, DC – Yesterday, April 30, 2014, Safari Club International’s (SCI) litigation team took the second step in its challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) bans on the importation of sport-hunted elephants from Zimbabwe and Tanzania.  SCI filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking the court to immediately lift the importation bans.  SCI’s motion explained that emergency relief is necessary to prevent harm to those who have elephant hunts planned for 2014 and to the elephants whose conservation has been placed at risk by the FWS’s actions.   Read more

Hunting, Poachers, Wildlife
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