Category: Wildlife

Goldfinch

Investment in Conservation Falls Short

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday released their top-line funding levels for each of twelve federal appropriations bills, cutting conservation funding to $160 million below the already spartan House allocation unveiled earlier this month.

Known as the 302 (b) allocations, the document released today divides the $1.016 trillion in federal discretionary spending for fiscal year 2016 amongst various departments and agencies. With less money allocated to conservation, the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will be forced to cut back on services and capital investments at our national parks, refuges, battlefields, and forests.

The Senate’s allocation will result in a $2-billion cut relative to 2010 funding levels. With the return of sequestration in fiscal year 2016, conservation groups are calling for a budget deal that can serve as a successor to the Murray-Ryan Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 to give the Appropriations Committee suitable resources for preserving America’s iconic landscapes and natural treasures for the next generation. Read more

Wildlife

May 15 is Endangered Species Day

But if delisting is the hallmark of conservation success, then permanent listings are the hallmark of conservation failure.

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club acknowledges Endangered Species Day, Friday, May 15, 2015, with both celebration and concern.

Endangered Species Day recognizes our nation’s efforts to protect critically rare species and their habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Federation and others are observing the day. As America’s first wildlife conservation and hunting organization, Boone and Crockett also enthusiastically holds up the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a significant piece of conservation legislation.

The ESA was signed by President Nixon in 1973. The plain intent of the law was to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.

Achievements include the bald eagle, gray wolf, whooping crane, black-footed ferret and several other species whose populations benefited under the additional protections afforded by the ESA.

“We join in America’s applause of those hard-fought successes,” said Morrie Stevens, Boone and Crockett Club president.

Stevens added, “It’s also well to point out that the whitetail deer, elk, wild turkey, wood duck, bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and many other species also were once on the brink of extinction-but fully recovered thanks to voluntary conservation efforts and funding from hunters, long before there was an ESA.” Read more

Wildlife

First Wood Bison Calf Wild-Born In Alaska In At Least 100 Years

Washington, DC – Joseph Hosmer, President Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) announced recently that the first wild-born calves were spotted during an Alaska Department of Fish and Game aerial survey.

This marks the first time in 100 years that a bison calf was born in the Alaskan wild. This exciting milestone is part of a 20 year wood bison reintroduction project that sought to reestablish a wood bison population in the Innoko River region.

“It felt like having a baby shower or something. It’s just huge,” Cathie Harms, Alaska Department of Fish and Game regional program manager said. “It’s like the completion of the circle. We finally got animals into the wild and they are taking to it tremendously.”

SCI Foundation has aided the wood bison reintroduction effort for the past 10 years and is a member of the Wood Bison Restoration Advisory Group. Through its contributions, Safari Club has applied hunter dollars towards the maintenance of the bison holding facility, the care of the bison while in captivity, and the relocation of bison to the wild. Read more

Wildlife

ABC: Proposed Legislation Could Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths

Painted Bunting, one of the bird species of national conservation concern that fall victim to collisions with buildings. Photo by Steve Byland/Shutterstock.

Washington – American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation’s leading bird conservation organizations, applauds U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-09) for introducing the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act (HR 2280).

The bill is designed to prevent the deaths of millions of birds by calling for each public building constructed, acquired, or significantly altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. Many buildings constructed by GSA are already, in fact, bird-friendly. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. Read more

Wildlife

New MINOX DTC 400 SLIM Wildlife Camera Sets New Standards for Concealment

The new MINOX DTC 400 SLIM Wildlife Camera lives up to its name, being so flat it sets new standards for increased concealment and inconspicuous monitoring.

The SLIM’s extremely flat body is only about one inch thick and is slightly curved so it fits every tree trunk neatly and snugly. Combined with its camouflage housing, the result is the unobtrusive presence you want and need in an effective trail camera.

Equally important, the MINOX DTC 400 features a MINOCTAR lens, ensuring a nearly distortion-free recording with every movement in sharp, high-contrast detail. The SLIM provides outstanding image quality with brilliance and natural color rendering, and videos are recorded in HD resolution for 10 to 60 seconds. Even in bad lighting or twilight, a powerful IR-flash with a range of up to 49 feet provides reliable images. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

PETA Lawsuit Imperils Rhino Populations

DALLAS – Animal-rights group PETA is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop a management hunt that scientists say would benefit endangered rhino populations both biologically and financially.

Against a torrent of death threats, DSC auctioned the hunt in 2014 on behalf of the Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The auction generated a record $350,000. All proceeds were earmarked for rhino conservation in the African nation, and held in escrow pending U.S. approval of an import permit that would allow the hunter to bring home the taxidermy from his hunt. That permit was recently approved after U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists confirmed the benefits to rhino populations.

Basically, the hunt would be used to remove an older, non-breeding, aggressive black rhino bull known to decrease productivity and increase mortality of its herd, while the $350,000 would fund law enforcement efforts to thwart indiscriminate rhino killing by poachers.

PETA’s lawsuit could postpone the hunt as well as the funding for rhino protection.

“Next time you hear about poachers slaughtering rhinos in Namibia, thank PETA,” said Ben Carter, executive director of DSC. Read more

Animal Rights, Hunting, Wildlife

Help on the Way for Elk Habitat, Research in Washington

MISSOULA, Mont.—From prescribed burning and noxious weed treatments to forest restoration, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded grants that will fund 15 conservation projects benefitting 8,760 acres of vital elk habitat in Washington.

The grants total $212,692 and directly impact 8,760 acres across Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Cowlitz, Garfield, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens and Yakima Counties.

“These projects will help improve elk habitat in areas where encroaching weeds and forest overgrowth have a detrimental effect on wildlife,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are also providing funds for research regarding forage availability for elk and other wildlife near Mount St. Helens.” Read more

Wildlife

Moultrie launches new ATV spreader with manual gate

BIRMINGHAM, Al. – Moultrie Feeders, the worldwide leader in game cameras and feeders, has launched a new ATV spreader that features a category-leading 100-pound capacity and a new and improved manual gate.

Timing could not be any better for the launch of this ATV spreader – now’s the time to begin planting and fertilizing food plots. This new, improved design features a plastic, tapered hopper that will not rust and will completely empty all contents. The completely redesigned manual gate allows you to adjust the opening on the bottom of the hopper to distribute different seed and feed types – and to regulate how much seed or feed is dispensed. Read more

Hunting, Wildlife
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