Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
PHOENIX — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) have initiated actions for the release of two Mexican wolves in Arizona to replace wolves illegally shot, as directed by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission in 2012 and to increase the genetic diversity of the wild population. Read more
(Sydney, NE) Richard N. Cabela, co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the world’s largest outdoor retailer, Cabela’s, Inc. passed away today at the age of 77. Read more
A Nova Scotia trapper talked to a barred owl, he noticed in a tree as he checked his traps. Apparently, the owl didn’t like his tone and took it out on his face. Details and photo here…
In an effort to increase elk numbers, officials in Idaho want more wolves killed. Details of the proposal are here…
Pro-hunting group says lawsuit indicates that anti-hunters lack in-state support
LANSING— The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)-financed front group Keep Michigan Wolves Protected (KMWP) is suing the State of Michigan to allow out-of-state petition gatherers as the anti-hunting group tries to repeal a law that provides free hunting and fishing licences for active military members and authorizes the bipartisan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to designate game species and issue fisheries orders using sound science.
“The anti-hunters wouldn’t be suing the state to allow out-of-state circulators if they had the support of Michigan citizens,” said Drew YoungeDyke, spokesman for Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management (CPWM), which is circulating a competing petition for a citizen-initiated law that would protect free military licenses, the NRC’s ability to name game species and issue fisheries orders, and establish a $1 million rapid response fund to fight Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species. Read more
A group called Trap Free Montana Public Lands is attempting to gather signatures to end trapping on Montana’s public land, which accounts for some 35 percent of total land in the state. Typical arguments are here…
New York, N.Y. and Ithaca, N.Y.-The 17th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) kicks off this Friday, February 14, and runs through Monday, February 17. Anyone anywhere in the world can count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and enter their sightings at www.BirdCount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track the health of bird populations at a scale that would not otherwise be possible. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
The traditional style, wood-framed Canadian snowshoes hung on a hook in the garage, since a 1997 predator hunt in the Cedarville area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. However, a hankering to reacquaint myself with some favorite hunting grounds and the wildlife within had gotten the best of me.
Bear Paw Snowshoes
I’ve always considered the contraptions to be items of necessity and never donned them unless all other modes of mobility had become useless. The time had come.
The first thing I noticed on the same hook were the new rubber bindings that my brother in-law had given me a few years ago. I recalled how he claimed that the improved bindings were superior to the leather models, which were problematic to buckle up and to keep adjusted properly – especially after they got wet. Read more
GW: Although a good step forward, those interested in transparency will meet a dead end unless Senate leader Reid allows the bill to move forward. Hats off to these lawmakers in any event.
MISSOULA, Mont.–The bipartisan Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act passed the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 5 by a voice vote. This is a show of strong support for the bill, H.R. 2919, by Reps. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).
“Lawsuits are still controversial and the disagreements still run deep on lawsuits in conservation, but we now have clear, bipartisan agreement that transparency is the first step toward solutions,” said Lowell Baier, president emeritus of the Boone and Crockett Club. “This bill ensures public disclosure of the facts: who files these lawsuits, why, and how much public money is spent on them.” Read more
GW: I like the new changes and higher fines and only wish they’d be even more…
New state laws designed to deter poaching of antlered bucks, especially those with trophy-sized racks, and to reduce recreational trespass are now in effect in Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today.
The new laws make several changes to the fines and restitution payments for poaching deer, including a progressive penalty system: