All lower 48 states with wolves?

Can you possibly imagine a super predator much like the black plague in the 13th century going through your home state and wiping out nearly all of your big game animals within only a few years time? Well it is happening right now in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. And will absolutely happen to the surrounding states and all states if sportsmen sit back, remain idle and do nothing to fight the animal rights groups and the wolves they reintroduced back into the wild.

There are anti-hunting groups right now that are trying their damndest to reintroduce wolves into all of the lower 48 states. Their argument is that wolves were here first and so they should be allowed to roam free and kill at will. Well in our opinion humans were here first and its up to us to control the wildlife populations not a super predator (killer) that will wipe out every big game animal in its path if given the chance. Wolves have no sense at all of wildlife population control. There wolves right now in Montana and Yellowstone that are dying of starvation because they wiped out all of their food source.

The elk and deer that are roaming the mountains in America right now have never seen or dealt with a super predator like this and that makes them very easy targets. It was a very bad idea to reintroduce wolves back into Yellowstone and an even worse idea to want to reintroduce them back into the lower 48 states. We at Hunters Against PETA have made this serious wolf problem our crusade and personal fight and will keep fighting this threat until we win.

If wolves spread throughout all the lower 48 states our big game will disappear and our hunting rights and hunting period will disappear.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Update Regarding Our Wilderness

This article was pulled directly from MSNBC.com

DENVER — The Obama administration on Thursday undid a Bush-era policy that curbed some types of wilderness designations within the 245 million acres managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management.

While Congress remains the only body allowed to create “Wilderness Areas,” the move gives BLM field managers the go ahead to protect areas determined to have “wilderness characteristics.”

“I am proud to sign a secretarial order that restores protections for the wild lands that the Bureau of Land Management oversees on behalf of the American people,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in Denver, where he announced the shift.

Congressional Republicans pounced on the announcement as an attempt by the Obama administration to close land to development without congressional approval.

“This backdoor approach is intended to circumvent both the people who will be directly affected and Congress. I have to question why this announcement is being made only after Congress adjourned for the year,” said Washington state Rep. Doc Hastings, a Republican tapped to lead to the House Natural Resources Committee when the GOP takes control of the House in January.

The order essentially repeals a policy adopted in 2003 under then Interior Secretary Gale Norton. That policy stated that Interior could not designate some wilderness protections on its own and had to rely only on Congress for any designations.

The 2003 policy reflected an out-of-court deal struck between Norton and then-Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt to remove protections for some 2.6 million acres of federal land in Utah.

The policy allowed oil and gas drilling, mining and other commercial uses on land under consideration as wilderness areas.

The new policy creates a management category called “Wild Lands”.

The Interior Department said that “‘Wild Lands,’ which will be designated through a public process, will be managed to protect wilderness characteristics unless or until such time as a new public planning process modifies the designation.

“Because the ‘Wild Lands’ designation can be made and later modified through a public administrative process, it differs from ‘Wilderness Areas,’ which are designated by Congress and cannot be modified except by legislation, and ‘Wilderness Study Areas,’ which BLM typically must manage to protect wilderness characteristics until Congress determines whether to permanently protect them as Wilderness Areas or modify their management.”

BLM Director Bob Abbey said it hasn’t been decided how many acres are expected be designated as “Wild Lands” and whether those acres will be off-limits to motorized recreation or commercial development while under congressional review. It’s also unclear whether there will be a time limit on how long acres can be managed as “Wild Lands” before a decision is made on their future.

Salazar said the agency will also resume evaluating federal BLM lands that could be recommended to Congress for designation as wilderness areas.

The BLM has six months to submit a plan for new wilderness evaluations, Salazar said.

Ranchers, oil men and others have been suspicious of federal plans to lock up land in the West, worrying that taking the BLM land out of production would kill rural economies that rely on ranchers and the eastern Montana oil and gas business.

Their suspicions have been heightened since memos leaked in February revealed the Obama administration was considering 14 sites in nine states for possible presidential monument declarations.

That included 2.5 million acres of northeastern Montana prairie land proposed as a possible bison range, along with sites in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.

Environmental groups praised the reversal, though there has been grumbling that it took the Obama administration nearly two years to overturn the Bush-era policy.

“Washington D.C. always takes longer than you want, but we’re glad we’ve gotten here,” said Suzanne Jones, regional director for The Wilderness Society.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Lead Fishing Tackle is Safe

Thanks to your help, on Thursday, November 4, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected the petition to ban lead in all fishing tackle.

The EPA and Members of Congress received more than 43,000 messages from anglers just like you opposing a federal ban on lead in fishing tackle. Your voice was heard and had a direct impact on the EPA’s decision.

Despite the good news, the fight is not over! There is still work to be done and we can’t do it without your help.

Donate now to help KeepAmericaFishing™ keep the EPA out of fishing.

Legislation recently introduced in Congress will ensure future efforts to ban lead in fishing tackle are based on scientific fact, not guess work or unproven claims. If this legislation fails to pass, the costs of sinkers, jigs and other fishing tackle will significantly increase.

Donate now to help KeepAmericaFishing advocate and preserve your right to fish on our public waters.

Your contribution will directly support KeepAmericaFishing’s efforts to keep our nation’s waters open, clean, and abundant with fish now and for generations to come.

Thank you for sharing your voice.

Here’s to tight lines!

Gordon Robertson
KeepAmericaFishing™

This is great news and a victory for all sportsmen across America. It’s great to see sportsmen ban together and fight for something we all love. – Hunters Against PETA

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Get Your Hunters Against PETA Apparel Now!

We've been around for over a year now and during that time we've received a lot of requests asking us when we'd have hats, shirts and window decals available.

Well they're finally available and we have some great and different options to choose from and just in time for Christmas. Make sure you add HAP apparel to your Christmas list.

Check them out and order yours today. Show that you're proud to be a hunter/sportsmen by sporting HAP apparel around town.

http://www.huntersagainstpeta.com/store

Thanks again for all of your support. We couldn't of made Hunters Against PETA what it is today without everyone's support.

Sincerely.

Jason Fackrell
Founder of Hunters Against PETA

http://www.huntersagainstpeta.com/store

Montana Letter that Supports the Delisting of Wolves

Monday, October 21, 2010

Dear Montana Congressional Delegation,

We write to express our support for H.R. 6028 sponsored by Congressman Denny Rehberg and Congressman Chet Edwards, to remove wolves from listing under the Endangered Species Act and return wolves to state management. We also support the Senate version of H.R. 6028, S. 3919, sponsored by Senators Hatch, Crapo, Risch, Barrasso and Enzi. We applaud the efforts which have resulted in obtaining broad based bi-partisan support for this important legislation.

The experimental reintroduction and explosive growth of wolf populations across the Northern Rockies and Upper Midwest, and in particular in our own state of Montana has become of great concern to the Montana livestock industry, wildlife organizations and sportsmen’s groups. Wolf populations reached delisting criteria as early as the 1970’s in Minnesota, 1993-1994 in Wisconsin and Michigan and 2002 in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The decisions by both the Bush and Obama administrations to delist wolves have been repeatedly challenged in an ongoing effort to stop any wolf management in the lower 48 states and to undermine state management of its wildlife and grazing resources.

Notwithstanding the best efforts by the state of Montana and the explosion of wolf populations far beyond established delisting numbers, legal and political maneuvering has prevented the promised return of wolves to state wildlife management. Montana is not alone. The states of Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are experiencing similar challenges. It has become clear that saturated wolf populations are now doing significant damage not only to wildlife populations in some of our most important wilderness areas, but also threatening the economic health of livestock producers across much of the Northern Rockies. We feel the future of the livestock industry and wildlife populations in Montana depend on the passage of these two important bills.

We join with our counterpart organizations in the states of Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona and New Mexico in support of these bills. We strongly oppose any efforts that would: (1) delist only portions of the United States wolf population; (2) leave the door open to ongoing legal challenges by anti-grazing and anti-hunting groups that could further delay needed wolf control activities; or (3) that would undermine the authority of state fish and game agencies to manage wolves or other wildlife populations.

Given the importance of this legislation to the state of Montana, we urge each of you to dedicate whatever resources are needed to enact this legislation. Additionally, we ask you to apply the political capital with members of Congress across the country to obtain the remaining votes needed for passage of S. 3919 and H.R. 6028. While we understand that Congress has many important matters to address, no legislation is more important to the future of wildlife and livestock in Montana.

Thank you for your leadership on this important management issue.
Sincerely,

Bob Hanson, President
Montana Farm Bureau Federation

Errol Rice
Montana Stockgrowers Association

David L. McEwen
Montana Woolgrowers Association

Alan Merrill, President
Montana Farmers Union

Kim Baker, MCA, President
Montana Cattleman Association

David Allen, CEO
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

Marshall Johnson, Regional Director
Mule Deer Foundation-Montana

Bill Merrill, President
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and Wildlife-Montana

Jon Wemple
Safari Club International
Western Montana

George Cobb, Regional Representative
Safari Club International-Montana

We fully support this letter and encourage other sportsmen/hunters to do the same – Hunters Against PETA

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Sportsmen in AZ vote "YES" to Prop 109

Some hunters may or may not agree with Arizona’s Prop 109. However we want to encourage and make all hunters aware that whether or not you agree or disagree with some of the laws and rules in Prop 109 you must do your part and vote “YES”. It all boils down to our freedoms to continue to hunt and fish the way we see fit. We can’t allow animal rights groups to dictate to us how and when we can hunt and fish.

Think about this for a moment. Do you really want groups like The Humane Society, PETA and the Defenders of Wildlife deciding the rules and regulations regarding our hunting and fishing? Animal rights groups are the reason that these new rules and laws protecting wildlife get started. They start with simple ideas like to quit using steel-jawed traps, hound hunting of bears and bear baiting. These methods of hunting and trapping have been common hunting practices in America for generations. After these hunting methods are outlawed then they choose the next method of hunting to try and ban, and it goes on and on.

The Humane Society is really pushing their members to vote “NO” on Prop 109.

Here’s what the Humane Society has to say regarding this: “If approved, Prop 109 could repeal the voter-approved ballot measure on trapping, legalize canned hunting, and protect outrageous practices like hound hunting of bears or even bear baiting, if someone decided to start engaging in that activity. And we could forget about any attempt to restrict the use of lead shot that is killing highly endangered California condors, since a requirement to use nontoxic shot would “unreasonably restrict hunting.”

“They don’t like that we succeeded in convincing Arizona voters to outlaw cockfighting and extreme confinement of veal calves and breeding pigs on factory farms by ballot initiative. And they especially don’t like that we succeeded in persuading the electorate to ban the use of cruel and inhumane steel-jawed leg hold traps on public lands—since that was a restriction on the taking of wildlife.”

Click here for the full Humane Society article: http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2010/10/arizona-prop-109.html

The Humane Society has spent over $250,000 on this issue, so as you can see this is very important to them.

Here’s what Sen. John McCain had to say regarding this issue: “Hunters are true conservationists and stewards of wildlands.” “Protecting the right of hunters in Arizona means a highly effective way to preserve wildlife populations and land management.”

Sandy Froman, the former president of the NRA is trying to defend sportsmen’s rights in AZ and is working with Sen. McCain on this issue. She had this to say: “Prop 109′s opponents, led by the anti-hunting Humane Society of the United States, are trying to mislead Arizona voters by throwing around terms such as – quote – power grab by the Legislature,” Froman said. “They’ve chosen this line of attack not because it’s in any way true but in an attempt to appeal to people’s current dissatisfaction with government.”

Click here for the full article: http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/102210_mccain_prop109

Hunters Against PETA is urging all Arizona sportsmen to vote “YES” on Prop 109 to defend your rights to hunt. If animal rights groups succeed in AZ then it adds power to their cause and affects all sportsmen across America.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Utah and Montana Fight Back Against the Wolf Threat

These articles were pulled directly from Standard.net.

Utah Article

“SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Wildlife Board has taken a stand supporting federal legislation that would take the gray wolf population off the endangered species list, a move that angers some wildlife advocates.

On Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to support both a U.S. House and Senate version of legislation that reverses a recent federal court decision ordering protection for the gray wolf, an animal with few confirmed sightings in the Utah wilds since 2002.

Part of the debate over how to manage the wolves is connected to state legislation passed in the 2010 session and sponsored by Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden.

The Wildlife Board believes if federal lawmakers de-list wolves from the Endangered Species Act, Christensen’s legislation will kick into gear a 2005 state management plan that has been dormant since it was written. The plan, partially supervised by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, would allow a limited population growth for the wolves.

The Salt Lake City hearing on the board letter supporting federal legislation had its tension, which often happens over the wolf issues.

“There is no neutral zone, everyone is either for them or against them,” said Bill Fenimore, a Farmington member of the board who acknowledged the long-standing heat in the room surrounding the topic.

The gray wolf, not officially seen in Utah for years, has been sighted six times in 2010, state officials said. Two of those confirmed sightings were in the northern area of Utah that was an unprotected area for the wolf until the August court case.

“We want wolves to return to Utah,” said Bob Brister of the Utah Environmental Congress.

Brister and others at the meeting worry how the wolf-management plan would be carried out.

Wildlife advocates say the federal ruling to renew Endangered Species Act protection buys time to create a plan that ensures the wolf population doesn’t dwindle again in the northern Rockies.

“Wolves are growing exponentially; (the population) grows worse, not better,” said Don Peay, representing a multi-state group called BigGame Forever.

Peay and others believe wolves deplete big game or livestock and remain a threat.

The board also supported a second letter to the Utah congressional delegation, one signed by leaders in nine groups and three state agencies, which expresses a similar view to supporters of the move to override the court ruling.

The federal legislation that does that is co-sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.”

Montana Article

“KALISPELL, Mont. — Rep. Denny Rehberg, who manages a ranch outside Billings, Mont., knows quite literally what it means to have the wolf at the door: Several years ago, a single wolf got into his pasture and killed 51 prized cashmere goats.

“‘Shoot, shovel and shut up’ is a joke in Montana,” said Rehberg, referring to a longstanding reference among landowners across the West — perhaps only half in jest — to the best way to deal with a federally protected endangered species like the gray wolf.

The reintroduction of the wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains has been so contentious that Rehberg, a Republican, is joining a group of congressmen preparing an unusual move to aim their weapons at the Endangered Species Act itself.

Bills introduced in Congress over the last few weeks would either remove the act’s protection of wolves in the Northwest or, as proposed by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, prohibit any listing at all of the once nearly extinct predator. Biologists say that outcome could jeopardize recovery efforts in the Southwest and Midwest and in fledgling new populations in Washington and Oregon.

The 1973 act, the nation’s landmark species protection law, has rarely been amended, and conservationists say the bills mark a significant shift in the enduring contest between mining, timber and ranching interests and the plants and animals often squeezed out by human expansion.

“Heretofore there’s been fairly strong bipartisan support of the sort of Noah’s Ark notion that if we’re serious about our moral commitment to share the planet with our fellow inhabitants, we don’t start throwing identified species off the ark,” said Douglas Honnold of the public interest legal organization Earthjustice, which has been fighting to expand wolf protections in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

“I think to a large degree it would really be unprecedented,” said Andrew Wetzler of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “If passed, any of these bills will rip the heart out of the Endangered Species Act and set a terrible precedent for wildlife management generally.”

Government officials in Montana and Idaho say that after 15 years of trying to follow the letter of the law in restoring wolves around Yellowstone National Park, they have been rewarded with a large and growing wolf population that threatens livestock and game animals like elk, as well as hunters and hikers in the backcountry.

“They’re everywhere. There’s a problem that’s got to be controlled, and now’s the time to do it,” Ed Jonas, a rancher from Rollins, Mont., said at a meeting Rehberg convened here and in two other towns last week.

“Two times in the last two weeks, I’ve been out there in the middle of the night with a rifle because my coon hound was chasing something. You don’t sleep well anymore because you don’t know when you wake up if you’re going to have all live animals,” he said.

The original target was 300 wolves spread across the three states. Officials now estimate there are more than 1,700 wolves; conservationists say about 2,000 are necessary for full recovery.

“It’s not that we want to gut the Endangered Species Act. It’s not that we want to destroy a species. It’s that we want some finality,” Rehberg said at the Kalispell meeting. “We met the threshold, and now the courts have changed the goal lines. That’s the problem.”

The act’s protections were lifted in Montana and Idaho in 2007, clearing the way for the states’ first legal hunts last year. Restrictions were kept in place in Wyoming, where officials have held out for the right to shoot wolves on sight outside a narrow protected area near Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

Wyoming’s intransigence proved to be the undoing of the progress that had been made in the two neighboring states; U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled in August that the government couldn’t continue to call the wolves endangered in Wyoming but recovered in Montana and Idaho.

The wolves were relisted, this year’s hunts were canceled, wolf populations have continued to increase, and ranchers and elk hunters say they have reached the end of their rope.

“We held up our part of the bargain. But the rules keep changing,” said Jon Hanian, spokesman for Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, a Republican. “People are expressing their frustration, and it’s at a boiling point.”

Similar disputes have been ongoing in the Midwest over protection of wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and in the Southwest, where federal biologists are attempting to bolster the population of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.

In Oregon, Rehberg’s “shoot, shovel and shut up” dictum has come into play: A $7,500 private reward has been offered for information about the Sept. 30 shooting of a radio-collared wolf in the Umatilla National Forest.

On Sept. 22, Idaho Republican Sens. Michael D. Crapo and Jim Risch introduced legislation to delist wolves through most of the northern Rockies.

Edwards’ bill goes a step further, removing wolves from the act’s purview across the country.

On Sept. 28, Montana’s two Democratic U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, introduced their bill to delist wolves in Idaho and Montana and place the animals under state management plans that, as currently written, could take wolf populations down as low as the original target of 300 animals.

“This bill provides a common-sense solution that will put wolves in Montana back in Montana’s control,” Baucus said in a statement. “The debate has gone on long enough.”

Only twice before have special provisions been carved out of the Endangered Species Act, beginning with a 1978 amendment passed as a result of the controversy over the snail darter blocking a Tennessee Valley Authority dam.

It allows a Cabinet-level committee known as the “God Squad” to deliberate especially problematic listings. The committee was convened in the 1991 controversy over the northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest and cleared the way for some timber sales within the owl’s habitat.

In neither case was there a wholesale exemption from the act for a species.”

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Idaho Blasts The Federal Gov Saying They Won't Protect Wolves Anymore

This article was pulled directly from the Idaho Reporter.com.

Idaho wildlife officials will leave it to the federal government to manage wolves in the state. Gov. Butch Otter sent U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar a letter Monday saying that the state won’t manage wolves as a designated agent of the federal government.

“While some herald the introduction of wolves and the current population as a biological triumph, history will show that this program as a tragic example of oppressive, ham-handed ‘conservation’ at its worst,” Otter said in his letter to Salazar. “Starting today, at least the state will no longer be complicit.”

State and federal officials, including Otter and Salazar, have communicated regularly since an August federal court decision put wolves in Idaho and Montana back on the endangered species list. That ruling ended Idaho’s public wolf hunt. Otter said that without the wolf hunt, there is no reason for Idaho to be involved in managing wolves.

With the governor’s decision, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) will no longer monitor wolf populations, investigate illegal wolf killings, or run a program helping livestock producers whose animals are killed by wolves. It’s unclear if or how federal agencies will step in to manage wolves. Officials with the governor’s office and IDFG said they haven’t heard a response, and the Interior Department has not responded to phone calls from IdahoReporter.com.

“We don’t know how this is going to shake out,” said IDFG spokesman Ed Mitchell. “It starts right now.”

Otter said he didn’t want money from hunting and fishing licenses to pay for monitoring wolves while a public hunt is barred. He also said the Idaho is still working with the feds on a path to ultimately delisting wolves.

Mitchell said the agency spent $1.7 million on wolves during its last fiscal year. Approximately $500,000 came from license fees, with the rest coming from federal funding sources. Two IDFG biologists who focused on wolves will now turn their attention to ungulates, including elk, moose, and deer, that can be prey to wolves.

The governor’s decision was called reckless by Keith Allred, the Democratic challenger in the November election. Allred, who also panned the August court decision protecting wolves, said Idaho should manages its wolf population.

“Idaho needs to control its own destiny, and in an Allred administration we’d take control of this issue, not avoid it,” Allred said in a news release.

Defenders of Wildlife, one of the environmental groups that brought the lawsuit ending Idaho’s wolf hunt, also criticized Otter. “Refusing to allow state agencies to participate in wolf management or to investigate, or enforce against, illegal killings of wolves is political showmanship, not the statesmanship that one expects from a governor,” Defenders President Rodger Schlickeisen said in a news release.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Help Us Stop the Spread of Wolves Before Our Big Game Herds and Hunting Heritage is Gone

To all Sportsmen,

As you know there’s been a lot of talk and controversy surrounding the wolf issue lately. Wolves are a very serious threat to the future of our big game herds and hunting here in the west and soon to be many states in America. We must fight this problem tooth and nail and we must make our senators and congressmen fight this serious problem as well.

Recently there’s been a few anti-wolf bills that have been submitted by a few senators that will stop wolves from spreading through the western states and wiping out our big game herds.

We’re urging everyone to contact your state’s senators and congressman by PHONE or EMAIL and tell them to get behind these bills that I’m going to discuss below.

House bill (6028) was submitted by Texas Senator. Chet Edwards and would make it impossible for the federal government to protect wolves by taking them off of the Endangered Species List and keeping them off.

Another bill (3919) that was submitted by Utah Senator. Orrin Hatch would also take wolves off of the endangered species list and keep them off.

I had the pleasure of listening to Utah Senator. Orrin Hatch and Utah Congressman. Jim Matheson on Monday, Oct 11th regarding this issue and these men are going to do whatever it takes to protect our big game herds and heritage in America.

Here’s some disturbing numbers and the negative impact wolves have had on our big game herds here in the west:

Big Game Population Statistics
Lolo Elk Herd, Idaho
Before Wolf Introduction: 20,000
After Wolf Introduction: 1,700

Yellowstone Elk Herd
Before Wolf Introduction: 20,000
After Wolf Introduction: 6,500

Jackson, WY Shiras Moose
Before Wolf Introduction: 1,200
After Wolf Introduction: 120

Gallitan Valley Elk Herd
Before Wolf Introduction: 1,500
After Wolf Introduction: 200


Also don’t be fooled, worldwide wolf abundance-wolves are NOT endangered.
Canada
50,000 wolves

Alaska
11,000 wolves

Europe and Asian
60,000 to 100,000 wolves (estimated)


Here’s a directory that has phone numbers and web form contact info for all of the congressmen and senators for your state. It’s easy to use just pick your state and hit search.

Click on this link to contact your state’s representatives: http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

Contact your Senators and Congressmen and urge them to join the fight and to get behind bills 6028 and 3919.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Wolf Poll Out Of Montana

New Poll Being Conducted by the Bozeman Chronicle out of Montana
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

“Do you agree with recently proposed legislation that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act?”

Sportsmen please vote “YES” to help get wolves off of the Endangered Species List.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/poll_60d42232-cf43-11df-a90d-001cc4c002e0.html


http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Chip Ward an Author Tries to Defend Wolves

Chip Ward who is an author out of Utah recently wrote an article that has been published nationwide by numerous news sources. In his article he states all of the benefits of the wolf reintroduction. However he left out all the facts stating all the damage and havoc wolves have caused in Yellowstone and more importantly outside of Yellowstone since they were reintroduced back into Yellowstone 15 years ago.

After reading Chip’s article it’s easy to see whose side he is on. Here’s what Chip has to say about hunters: “Worse yet, from the hunting point of view, elk behavior has changed dramatically. Instead of camping out on stream banks and overeating, they roam far more and in smaller numbers, browsing in brushy areas where there is more protective cover. Surviving elk are healthier, but leaner, warier, far more dispersed, and significantly harder to hunt. This further dismays those who had become accustomed to easy hunting and bigger animals.”

Does Chip not know that there’s no hunting in Yellowstone National Park?

If hunting were allowed in Yellowstone Park of course it would be easy, animals in Yellowstone are like animals in a petting zoo. In my 15 years of hunting experience though I’ve never heard of or experienced such a thing as “easy hunting” or an easy elk hunt for that matter.

Chip we urge you to write an article about the benefits of wolves not living in Yellowstone. Cause there aren’t any.

After all, wasn’t the original plan for wolves to be reintroduced only in Yellowstone National Park? Why is it then that they’ve been allowed to survive and thrive once they’ve left Yellowstone Park?

If wolves are actually a “scientific” benefit to Yellowstone National Park; great lets keep them there, only in Yellowstone. We at Hunters Against PETA will not stop until all wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park are dealt with.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Idaho and Wolves

This article was pulled directly from MagicValley.com which is a news source out of Twin Falls, Idaho:

“Idaho joined Montana and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar this week in appealing a U.S. District Court ruling relisting wolves as endangered species in the Intermountain West.

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden led the pack Thursday to ask the 9thU.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy’s Aug. 5 decision that restored federal protections to wolves in Idaho and Montana.

Going at it from a different angle, U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both R-Idaho, introduced a bill Wednesday to remove the wolves from the endangered species list altogether.

Under the Endangered Species Act, wolves are managed as a single population. If a population spans more than one state, Molloy ruled, protection cannot be removed on a state-by-state basis. In this case, Salazar had tried to delist wolves in Idaho and Montana, but not Wyoming.

“We’re seeing a troubling pattern of behavior here, with Judge Molloy consistently ruling in support of federal control over our land, our resources and our way of life in the West,” Otter said in a press release, referring to another of the judge’s decisions this week that upheld federal control over regulating firearms.

However, Garrick Dutcher of Ketchum-based Living With Wolves called Idaho’s appeal just an 11th-hour election-year stunt, and claims by Otter of livestock carnage overstated, saying attacks on livestock have fallen this year.

“This is not a state sovereignty issue,” Dutcher said. “Sadly, the waste of taxpayer funds to pursue this appeal is not about wildlife management and reality; it is about politics.”

Bob Clark, associate regional organizer of the Sierra Club wolf program, said his group — which fought delisting in court — isn’t saying state fish and game departments aren’t capable of managing wolves. And it respects the states’ right to appeal.

“The courts are used by both sides,” Clark said. “But delisting wolves along political boundaries doesn’t meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act, which demands decisions based not upon emotion or politics but on the best-available science as recently upheld by Salazar,” he continued, referring to the Interior secretary’s Wednesday move to issue rules to protect scientific integrity.

Meanwhile, the clock’s still ticking on an ultimatum by Otter to stop monitoring, providing law enforcement support or investigating wolf deaths in Idaho.

Otter told Salazar that he’d negotiate a new agreement for the state to manage wolves until this Thursday. But if an agreement isn’t struck by then, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will cease to carry out its wolf management responsibilities.”

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Hunting and The New York Times

Working to Keep a Heritage Relevant

This article was pulled directly from the New York Times.

HAMBURG, Pa. — To millions of Americans, autumn means not just N.F.L. games and the World Series but also the start of hunting season — a few months packed with chances to stalk deer, bear, ducks and doves with rifles, shotguns, bows and even black-powder muskets.

“Hunting is one of those sports where you can’t have too much stuff,” said Dan Gechtman, 46, one of many customers streaming into Cabela’s, a hunting and fishing megastore here, on a balmy afternoon. “This store is on steroids,” he said while trying on a camouflage suit that fluttered with artificial leaves and taking in the dazzling array of products, stuffed animal dioramas and a laser-shooting arcade.

In some rural areas, hunting is still so universal that schools close on the opening day of deer season. President Obama, in a ritual White House act requested by sporting fans and manufacturers, proclaimed Saturday National Hunting and Fishing Day. But as the hunters revel in their preparations for their annual forays into the wild, hunting enthusiasts are gearing up to reverse the long-term dwindling of their ranks.

As the nation becomes more urban and teenagers seek other recreation, the popularity of hunting is declining. The latest federal survey, in 2006, found that 12.5 million people hunt each year, down from 17 million in 1975. Other studies suggest that perhaps 18 million people hunt occasionally, but in any case, hunters represent a shrinking part of the population.

The graying ranks and the impulses that have sustained stores like Cabela’s, even in the recession, are typified by Gerard Dick, 72, who has hunted since childhood and through a career as a high school science teacher. He owns plenty of weapons, he said, but on Thursday afternoon he was checking out a small rifle with a camouflage-covered stock.

“I’ll use it on turkeys and groundhogs,” he said.

The decline in hunters is a concern for state fish and game agencies, which are financed through licenses and excise taxes on sporting goods, as well as for pro-hunting conservation groups and advocates like the National Rifle Association.

“We’re concerned that in the future we aren’t going to have adequate dollars to manage our wildlife resources,” said John E. Frampton, director of South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources and president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “We also want to preserve an important part of our heritage.”

Mr. Frampton serves on a new federal advisory board intended “to help promote and preserve America’s hunting heritage for future generations,” in part by drawing in more youths and women.

While declining interest and shrinking wildlife habitat may be the main threats to the pastime, hunting and gun groups are worried by the occasional efforts to restrict it, like the ban on mourning dove hunting in Michigan that was promoted by animal rights advocates.

South Carolina is one of four states, along with Arizona, Arkansas and Tennessee, that will vote this fall on adding the right to hunt and fish to their constitutions. Ten states already have such provisions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

None of these long-term worries were on the mind of Victor Hakes, 53, as he wandered in Cabela’s on Thursday afternoon with his wife, Shawna, and their grandson after making a two-hour drive from northern Pennsylvania. Mr. Hakes, who builds custom trailers, bags deer and turkeys every year but has not yet shot a bear, “although I passed over two cubs,” he said.

On this trip he was just buying boots, but his eyes shifted toward the gun racks. “I’ve got 10 rifles and shotguns, and she won’t let me buy any more,” he said, nudging his wife with a laugh.

Their 3-year-old grandson, Aiden Jaeger, looked with wide eyes at a huge stuffed moose. “He’ll be a hunter and a fisherman,” Mr. Hakes said, expressing a hope that Aiden would buck the national trend and carry on a family tradition.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Wolf Petition

Wolf Petition -

We will call on Congress to:
1. Immediately and permanently delist wolves in America.
2. Place a stop on further wolf reintroductions.

We will call on the Western States to:
1. Immediately reduce wolf numbers to the levels that were originally agreed upon in reintroduction areas.
2. Manage wolves in states that were never supposed to have wolves reintroduced into them and address the serious threat and disappearance of our big game animals.

http://www.huntersagainstpeta.com/category/take-action

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

California Sportsmen- Tell Your Senator to Vote NO on Gun Registry Bill

“A gun registry bill in California is dangerously close to passage.

Assembly Bill 1810, sponsored by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D- LA), would require the state to keep registration information for all firearm transfers, including from transfers of commonly used hunting rifles and shotguns.

Current California law requires the state to keep a database containing information acquired from handgun transfers only. The information kept by the state includes the owner’s name and address as well as a description and serial number of the handgun. Under AB 1810, this same information would be kept for all firearms transfers.

“It’s bad enough that the state keeps personal information from handgun transfers,” said Jeremy Rine, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance associate director of state services. “There is no compelling reason for Californians’ Second Amendment rights being further infringed through this legislation.”

Earlier this year, AB 1810 passed the California Assembly and, on August 12, the bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill could now be voted on by the full Senate at any time.

Take Action! California sportsmen should immediately contact their state senators and urge them to oppose AB 1810. Tell them there is no justification for expanding the state’s registry to include all firearms transfers by law abiding gun owners.”

To find your state senator’s contact information, please visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

For more information, contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance: email info@ussportsmen.org

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-888-4868

www.ussportsmen.org
info@ussportsmen.org

Please support our brothers at the USSA in this fight by clicking on the links and taking action.

Hunters Against PETA

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Another Setback In Our Fight Against The Canadian Gray Wolf

By MATT VOLZ , Associated Press

Last update: August 5, 2010 – 5:01 PM

“HELENA, Mont. – A federal judge has ordered endangered species protections reinstated for the gray wolf in Montana and Idaho.

The federal government last year removed protections for wolves in those two states but not in Wyoming. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy says in his ruling Thursday the government’s decision was a political solution and does not comply with the federal Endangered Species Act.

Molloy says the entire Rocky Mountain wolf population must be either listed or removed as an endangered species, but the protections can’t be separated by state.”

This is definitely a set back in our fight against the Canadian Gray Wolf and the anti-hunting organizations.

Rest assured Hunters Against PETA will never stop fighting this serious threat to our big game herds and our hunting rights. We urge everyone to send us your opinions and also send your opinions to Secretary Salazar. The way we’re going to win this battle is by strength in numbers.

Here is Secretary Salazar’s contact email and website: feedback@ios.doi.gov – http://www.doi.gov/public/contact-us.cfm

Thank you for your support.

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com

Hunters Against PETA and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar

It was great meeting Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar at the “public listening sessions” today, Aug 3rd. He was decked out in blue jeans, maroon cowboy boots and a bolo neck tie. He talked about about many issues regarding Utah’s environment such as oil and land leases, ATV’s – off road vehicles and how we’re going to preserve our land (open and close roads and trails). Also in attendance were Bob Abbey (Director, Bureau of Land Management), Nancy Sutley (Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality), Ralph Becker (Salt Lake City’s Mayor), Gary Herbert (Governor of Utah).

There were also many different organizations from many different parts of Utah and America in attendance. There were several hundred people in attendance.

We were able to meet Secretary Salazar face to face and we were given a limited amount of time to speak with him so we chose to ask a question regarding a pressing issue here in the west.

Here is the question we asked Secretary Salazar:

“What is the federal government doing to stop the Canadian Gray Wolf from wiping out our elk and deer herds here in the western states? We know some wolf hunts have been established but what other steps is the government doing to protect our elk and deer herds?”

Unfortunately because he was asked 35 questions by 35 different people/organizations he was unable to answer our question. However, he promised that our question will be answered in a report that will be released in September.

After we asked our question and stepped down it was great to hear the support for us from other fellow hunters and sportsmen in the room. We could tell by listening to the applause and shouts that this is an important issue with sportsmen not only in Utah but here in the west.

During the 2 hour meeting they talked several times about protecting our lands for hunting and fishing. We were actually pleasantly surprised how pro hunting and fishing the meeting was. They also talked about preserving our heritage which obviously is very important to almost all sportsmen across America.

Salt Lake City Mayor Becker was quoted as saying “Having land for us and our children to hunt and fish.”

They also talked about how our youth are losing touch with the outdoors and how we can educate our youth about the outdoors so they’ll love going hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.

We want to thank everyone who emailed us with questions to ask Secretary Salazar, we gave your questions to him and he took them from us and again stated that “all questions will be answered in a report that will be released in September.” We will post the full report on our site as soon as it comes out.

Secretary Salazar also stated that he does read and check the emails he receives from people. If you ever have an issue please send your opinion or idea to him. We will keep his email address permanently posted on our site.

Here is Secretary Salazar’s contact email and website: feedback@ios.doi.gov – http://www.doi.gov/public/contact-us.cfm

http://www.HuntersAgainstPETA.com