Montana’s Wolf Recovery Act: An Exercise In “We The People”?

I’m sure the majority of Americans know absolutely nothing of Montana Senate Bill 183, the Short Title being, “Montana Wolf Recovery Act”. As I understand the proceedings, the bill is up for second reading in Committee as small items get tweaked.

The Montana Wolf Recovery Act may be a preview of more of what is to come in this country as more and more people are becoming completely fed up with the shenanigans that go on in Washington and the takeover of environmentalism. Just today I posted a YouTube video of a reporter in the U.S. Senate building asking Senator Charlie Rangel to explain his current tax cheating, among other things. His response, “Why don’t you might your own god damn business!” It’s this sort of tyranny that is beginning to get to the people. It’s supposed to be “We the people” not mind your own god damn business. Read more

The Peasant Wars

(Republished by permission)

Opinion by George Dovel

George Dovel is Editor and Publisher of The Outdoorsman.

In 2003, North America’s foremost wildlife scientist, Dr. Valerius Geist, made the following observations:

“The miracle of North American conservation is that it is basically a blue-collar system, grounded in the political and financial support and the active participation of large numbers of middle-class citizens who bring their basic honesty and decency to bear on important issues. This is just the opposite of the elitist system that has existed throughout Europe for centuries and is spreading like cancer around the world today, even right here at home. Read more

Did Feds Address Court Rulings For Wolf Delisting?

Yesterday Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlett announced the intentions of the Department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the gray wolf from protection of the Endangered Species Act in the Western Great Lakes region and portions of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Following legal procedures, the USFWS will post the Final Rule in the Federal Registry next week and then 30 days thereafter, the rule takes effect.

The process of attempting to get the wolf delisted has been a confusing mess, mired in lawsuits, twisted out of shape by frustrating and puzzling rulings by judges and just as disturbing was the direction or seemingly lack thereof, the Feds took in dealing with the issue. Read more

Idaho Elk Survival Data Disturbing Yet Revealing

Recently the Idaho Department of Fish and Game released new information from its Elk Survival Study. This study began in 2005 when biologists radio-collared 673 female elk in 11 elk management zones across the state. IDFG personnel have been tracking the elk and collecting data about their survival and causes of death. While some news reports are saying the results show that despite the presence of wolves, IDFG is meeting their elk objectives. I have to disagree.

It seems more and more the trend, I would suppose coming from wolf advocates, to spin the facts about what effect the wolf is having on ungulate populations. It’s easy to claim that elk populations in the aggregate across Idaho are meeting “objectives”. But what is going on within some of the wildlife management areas? When you look more closely at the results being shared with the public, it is disturbing and tells a story. Read more

Information On Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves

This edition of The Outdoorsman focuses a lot on the 20%-plus hunting, fishing and trapping license fee increase being requested by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. As is always the case, the Outdoorsman in loaded with history and facts about wildlife management. I would like to point out that even though the Outdoorsman originates out of Idaho and much of the articles and information pertain specifically to Idaho, I subscribe to it and read it regularly because it contains a wealth of information that can be applied to most any state wildlife management programs.

If you would like to subscribe to the Outdoorsman, please use the information contained below to purchase such.

Below is an article written by the editor of the Outdoorsman, George Dovel containing updated information on the Northern Rocky Mountains gray wolf. Read more

USFWS Reinstates Protection For Wolves “In Compliance With Court Orders”

On December 11, 2008, recorded in the Federal Register, the Department of Interior, more specifically the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published the final rule that places the gray wolf in nearly all of the lower 48 states, under federal protection of the Endangered Species Act. What this final rule does, I doubt 99.999999% of Americans understand. Read more

Can We Conclude There Are More Wolves?

What a confusing mess! I guess this is another classic example of government making shambles out of anything they touch. Idaho Department of Fish and Game in their most recent wolf report shows they have confirmed wolf kills on livestock outnumbering last year. The same report shows more wolves have been killed than last year but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in September that wolf populations were on the decline in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. So what gives?

According to IDFG, since January 1, 2008 until November 24, 2008, they have 325 confirmed kills by wolves – 100 cattle, 212 sheep and 13 dogs. For all of last year, there were 278 confirmed kills – 57 cattle, 211 sheep and 10 dogs. Can we conclude that there are more wolves? Read more

Montana Shooting Sports Association President Submits Comments On Wolf Delisting

Gary Marbut, President of the Montana Shooting Sports Association, has submitted his comments to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the public comment period required before the Service can proceed with a second attempt to remove the gray wolf from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Below is a copy of those comments. Read more

When One Judge Dictates Wolf Management

I find it very unbelievable that one judge in the United States of America wields enough power to be able to dictate his own “science” in ruling on wolf management. This is the case as I see it. Judge Donald Molloy allowed a temporary injunction that returned the gray wolf to Endangered Species Act protection last July, 2008. He gave two reasons for doing so.

One, he disliked Wyoming’s Wolf Management Plan that had been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Each of the three states, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana had to have USFWS approved plans before delisting could be considered.) Read more

Idaho F&G Announces Wolves Major Cause Of Elk Kills

Reports coming out of Northern Idaho say that Fish and Game Deputy Director Jim Unsworth is blaming the gray wolf as the main reason for a 13% per year reduction in cow elk in the Lolo Hunting Zone. Another F&G biologist, George Pauley, states that at least 87% of the elk in this region needs to survive each year in order to sustain an elk herd. At present that survival rate is estimated at 75%.

And with this information, I have some questions. The first one and most obvious is what took IDFG so long to make an official announcement, assuming Unsworth’s announcement is official and not some rogue event? Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »