Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers are seeking information regarding a tundra swan that was illegally shot and killed in Baraga County during the last weekend of September. Read more
GW: More wasted taxpayers’ money because of the Equal Access to Justice Act. Why? Because Senator Reid will not let reform to come to a vote, despite the efforts of the House. Why? Because animal rights whackos are part of his base.
MISSOULA, Mont.-The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation maintains a ruling that restores federal protections to wolves in Wyoming is basically a technicality that can easily be fixed on Wyoming’s end. The State of Wyoming is in the process of adopting an emergency rule to do so.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled out of her Washington D.C. courtroom that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was wrong to rely on Wyoming’s non-binding promises to maintain a buffer above the FWS minimum of 10 breeding pair and at least 100 wolves outside of Yellowstone Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation. Montana and Idaho initially had the 10 breeding pair and 100 wolf minimum, but a 50 percent “buffer” of 15 breeding pairs and 150 wolves was implemented for those two states.
The plaintiffs argued the following four points about the Wyoming wolf population, and they were denied a favorable ruling by Judge Jackson relative to the first three:
Wolves have not recovered.
Wolves are at risk because of a lack of genetic connectivity.
Wyoming allowing wolves to be treated as a predator in some areas does not meet the Endangered Species Act requirements of protections over a significant part of the species’ range.
Wyoming’s current regulatory mechanism to insure a population of more than 10 breeding pair and 100 wolves is inadequate and represents a non-binding promise.
“There are some silver linings within this ruling handed down from Judge Jackson as she ruled against three claims made by the plaintiffs including confirmation of the fact that Wyoming’s wolf population has recovered and is not endangered,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We anticipate Wyoming will be able to fix the issue with how its wolf management plan is written to satisfy the court.” Read more
Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day in Michigan. Your NRA Political Victory Fund has rated, and in some cases, endorsed, candidates in the upcoming federal and state election. These candidate ratings can now be found at the NRA-PVF website. Before casting your vote on November 4, please visit this site to learn who will best protect your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in Lansing.
Be sure to encourage your family, friends, fellow gun owners and sportsmen in Michigan to support and vote for candidates who support your Second Amendment rights on Tuesday, November 4.
Are you interested in doing more to ensure that NRA-PVF endorsed candidates are elected this election cycle? Get involved on the grassroots level by becoming an NRA volunteer in your area! The NRA needs dedicated, educated volunteers to assist with phone banks, literature drops, precinct walks, voter registration, Election Day activities and other volunteer campaign activities. Go to www.NRAILAFrontlines.com TODAY and sign up to find out about all of the great volunteer opportunities and events in your area!
By Glen Wunderlich
Getting out during early small game season in September provides an opportunity to take some protein-packed table fare not found on grocery store shelves. It’s a time to check deer stands and movements in preparation for Michigan’s archery opener October 1st, as well. This week, however, I’ll share a startling scene from one of my recent excursions to the deciduous forest in search of more bushytails for the kettle.
The early morning dew’s moisture covered any noise from my hunting boots, as I entered the big woods in silence. My plan was to hide and watch and was aided by a heavy fog permeating my surroundings; it’s always a welcome addition to an already spooky experience of strolling in the dark. “That” feeling was coming over me again, as I experienced the wild world waking. The realization that it’s good to be alive hit home.
At the edge of the woods, I heard something dropping through the leaves. The sound repeated. Since it was still too early for acorns to be dropping in any large measure, my hunch that a squirrel was involved had to be investigated.
I didn’t bother with my portable chair, because I needed to maneuver into position to locate the origin of the commotion. A stately oak tree provided a welcome rest for my upper body, as I peered through the obstructed view toward the sky.
Patience would be the key, as the sporadic sound continued, and I became one with the tree. My orange cap was in motion – the only giveaway that this apex predator was lurking. I was alone in the moment, or so I thought; little did I know, I would become the hunted. Read more
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $900,000 in grants under the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program. Grants will be distributed to the states of Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The grants assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, and compensate producers for livestock losses caused by wolves. The program provides funding to states and tribes, with federal cost-share not to exceed 50 percent. Read more
Government officials are always looking for ways to tax us under the radar. In this example, some folks will need to understand the laws regulating photography in the wilderness or face stiff penalties. Details here…
It may be only a matter of time before exploding targets are restricted or otherwise outlawed by authorities. Details here…
Ospreys, large fish-eating raptors, are experts at spotting fish in water from high above. They fold their wings back, thrust their large talons forward and smash into the water, snatch a fish, then take flight again. Larger than most hawks, but smaller than eagles, they have made a comeback in southern Michigan over the past 20 years.
Ospreys were initially listed as a threatened species in Michigan, but were removed from the list in 2009. One important reason osprey were delisted is because of the 10-year-long Osprey Reintroduction Project that took place from 1990 to 2000. This project involved moving 50 chicks from the northern parts of the state to areas in southern Michigan, and there are now more than 30 known nests in southern Lower Peninsula plus dozens of nests in the northern Lower and Upper peninsulas. The species is known to be very faithful to historical nesting grounds, which made the osprey’s return to the southern Lower Peninsula progress slow. Read more
On Monday we launched BoycottHSUS.com to ask Discover to reconsider its financial support of the deceptive Humane Society of the United States. It’s worth noting that a previous financial institution that supported HSUS apparently no longer does: Bank of America.
The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) is pleased to report that hemorrhagic disease (HD), including EHD and bluetongue virus, seems to have taken a summer vacation in 2014, and the danger of a serious outbreak this year has now passed. Transmitted by biting gnats, the disease usually hits deer hardest in late summer and early fall, especially in unusually hot, dry years.
“A small number of reports are trickling in from scattered states, but we’re not seeing any nationwide trends or large outbreaks this year,” said Dr. David Stallknecht with the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia. “This year is definitely below average so far.” Read more