64 Wolves Killed In Opening Days of Hunt: Protect Red Wolves

Duluth, Minn. — Minnesota wolf hunters have killed 64 wolves as of 8 p.m. Monday in the first weekend of the state’s first regulated wolf hunt.

The DNR set a quota of 200 wolves for this first season, which runs concurrently with the deer rifle-hunting season. The opening weekend harvest is in line with the agency’s expectations, said DNR wolf expert Dan Stark.

Bryan Heiney of Duluth killed this wolf at about noon Monday, Nov. 5, 2012 in southern Koochiching County, Minn., on the third day of the state’s first wolf hunting season. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Heiney)

“Typically about 50 percent of the harvest occurs the first weekend, and that’s when most of the hunters are out there,” Stark said. “We aren’t going to know exactly until the end of the season, but it’s likely to track that pattern.”

The number of wolves killed so far in Minnesota is higher than at the beginning of other states’ hunts, Stark said. He also said the agency will survey hunters about their methods and how long they hunted. That information will be used to make any needed changes to next year’s hunt.

At the end of Monday, the DNR closed the east-central wolf hunting zone around Lake Mille Lacs where eight of the zone’s allotted nine wolves were killed over the weekend. Hunters will be able to kill another 200 wolves during a second season beginning at the end of the November. That season will include trappers as well as hunters.

News Link:-http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/05/environment/wolf-hunt/

Fewer than 100 Wild Red Wolves Remain in the world

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently approved a temporary state rule that allows the hunting of coyotes at night using spotlights, including in the area inhabited by the only wild population of red wolves, one of the world’s most endangered animals.

Take action now! Sign our petition calling on the commission to halt all coyote hunting — day or night — within the red wolf recovery area.

Red wolves once roamed most of the Southeastern United States, but harsh predator control programs and habitat loss resulted in their near elimination — and in 1980 red wolves were declared extinct in the wild.

After a small population of captive red wolves was reintroduced into the eastern part of North Carolina, the species slowly began to repopulate and today about 100 red wolves have regained a fragile foothold in the wild.

Red wolves and coyotes are similar in size, coats and coloring, so red wolves are frequently mistaken for coyotes, even in daylight. In nighttime conditions it is nearly impossible to tell them apart.

Please take this urgent action today!

At least two red wolves have already been killed within the eastern North Carolina area designated for red wolf recovery. Defenders of Wildlife has joined two other conservation organizations to file suit in the Superior Court of Wake County, North Carolina to prevent nighttime coyote hunting throughout North Carolina, including within the red wolf recovery area.

The groups have also put the North Carolina Wildlife Commission on notice that we will seek a federal enforcement action unless it stops all coyote hunting — daytime or nighttime — in the area where these critically endangered wolves live.

That’s why we need supporters like you to speak out on behalf of these wolves and tell the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to halt all coyote hunting in the red wolf recovery area!

The red wolf only exists in the state of North Carolina, and with a population so small and fragile, an increase in red wolf shooting deaths could mean they’ll never recover

Petition link:-https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2503

Coyote Kills Dog In Winfield: Illinois Boy Watched As Animal Snatched Up Family Pet

 

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Though an 11-year-old Winfield, Ill. boy raced to grab a baseball bat in an attempt to scare off a coyote with an eye on his family’s tiny Yorkshire Terrier, the effort was no match for the determined prairie wolf.

The Daily Herald reports that, around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Coco, the 3 1/2-pound dog belong to Leslee and Timothy Bassett, was snatched up from the family’s backyard. The dog was found dead along the Illinois Prairie Path behind the house a half-hour later.

Tim Bassett told NBC Chicago the dog will be deeply missed.

“She was a real tiny little dog but she loved everybody and everybody always wanted to take her home,” Bassett said. “They all loved her. She was a great little dog.”

The Bassett family’s tragedy is just one of a series of recent instances of coyotes attacking small dogs in the Chicago area. Late last month, two small dogs survived a coyote attack in a backyard in nearby Wheaton, Ill. A week prior to that, another Yorkshire Terrier puppy died in a separate coyote encounter which also occurred in Wheaton.

Sightings of coyotes and other, larger predators such as bears, cougars and wolves have grown increasingly common in the Chicago area — a trend wildlife experts told the Chicago Tribune that won’t be changing any time soon. Coyotes, in particular, are reportedly “thriving” in the area.

“They’ve adapted so well to suburbia that they’re not afraid of anything,” wildlife control expert Robert Erickson told the Tribune of the area’s coyotes. “Once they become habituated, that’s when you have problems.”

Unconfirmed cougar sightings have been reported in Schaumburg and several other North Shore communities in recent months, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

News Link:–http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/06/coyote-kills-dog-in-winfi_n_1944925.html

Video – More Coyote Attacks:–http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/06/coyote-kills-dog-in-winfi_n_1944925.html

 

Tell DNR Commissioner and Min. Gov. Mark Dayton : To Stop The Nov 3rd Wolf Hunt!

“I’m posting this on behalf of my dear friend & fellow animal warrior Carol Crunkhorn. Whilst signing the following petition, Carol came across a comment which quite rightly should be shared & heard with all who are fighting for the rights of Wolves.”

“This is such an impressive plea from someone who truly is a voice for the wolves. It would be too heartbreaking to think this woman’s comments may not even be read by those who receive the petition!  For that reason, I want to share it and I hope you will all share with your friends”….Carol

18:41, Aug 26, Mrs. Louise Kane, MA

It’s impossible to express the outrage, anger and disillusionment that I experience when it comes to wolf policy in the west and midwest. Its also difficult to believe that this is 2012 in a world where entire ecosystems are disrupted and degraded by the livestock , agriculture and sports trophy hunting industries. Despite the science that shows the contributions that apex predators make within their ecosystems our state and federal governments still routinely target and kill large carnivores for suspected or real cattle and other livestock depredations.

In MInnesota this is particularly relevant as your population of wolves has been stable over the last ten years with no appreciable harm to the livestock or hunting industries. In fact these wolves illustrate that naturally occurring populations of predators do self limit without the need for trophy hunting or public trapping and snaring, which are horrifically and outrageously cruel, barbaric, and inhumane. I am quite sure you have seen these words used in the context of trapping and snaring and while they may be overused they are perhaps the most appropriate words that come to mind.

I believe as do many Americans that we need a better, more advanced and realistic approach to human predator conflicts or potential conflicts. There is no requirement or mandate in place for ranchers and livestock producers to regulate their cattle, employ predator avoidance tactics and or to retire grazing lands and permits.

Instead wolves, coyotes, bobcats, cougars and bears are routinely shot, poisoned or trapped at the behest of special interests while the rest of America sends petitions, places calls, writes letters and otherwise protests at the shortsighted policies and pandering that are passed off as “management”.

While I reside on the East Coast I am an ardent conservationist, and the not the type with a rifle in hand that only wants to see elk, deer or other ungulates roaming in our forests, rangelands and wilderness areas. Nor do I enjoy killing animals for sport and try and pass this activity off as conservation.

I have read widely on the subject of wolf reintroduction, the loophole in the ESA (section 10J) that allows for killing wolves ( even while listed), and understand the issues. I have also read most of the comments that were submitted in response to the midwest proposals as well as Idaho’s, Montana’s and Wyoming’s comments in response to their wolf management plans. I have also read the comments online submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife service in response to delisting proposals.

I am writing to you because I have seen evidence through these comments and through polls and petitions that Americans were and are against delisting wolves and hunting them for sport, they want to see wolves protected and they are largely unaware of the cruel and shoddy treatment that wolves and other carnivores receive in the west and midwestern states.

When I speak about the state “management” plans that call for killing all but 150 wolves in three of our largest states with huge tracts of federal lands, people look at me like I must have my facts wrong. When I tell people about Minnesota and that the wolves have remained stable but are now to be subjected to trapping and snaring at the behest of trophy hunters they are incredulous. Most people do not believe that trapping and snaring are legal.

The way our wildlife in America is managed is a terrible travesty. The way wolves were delisted using a sleazy non-germane rider attached to a spending bill was disgraceful and undemocratic. I can not think of anything that is more disturbing than the way wolves are being treated in the midwest and west. The states are supposed to be protecting wildlife and wolves instead of subjecting them to the whims of trophy hunters.

Its time to stand up to the livestock, agriculture and trophy hunting industries and to set a policy of no compromise when it comes to killing wolves and large apex predators. In order for the livestock , agriculture and trophy hunting industries to treat wolves with respect they must see that our state and federal agencies listen to all their constituents, they must know that Americans want our agencies to start doing the right thing, not the most politically expedient by catering to special interests that don’t represent mainstream America’s interests but whose archaic and inhumane ideas about wildlife management are implemented regardless of their effect on our earth and its ecosystems.

I am tired of watching the federal and state governments be browbeaten by these industries and tired of watching our wildlife perish in traps, snares, and being shot from helicopters or tracked by trained killers. I respectfully ask that you stop the Minnesota wolf hunt and and seek public comment from the American public on this issue.

I believe you will be dissuaded from this terrible and shortsighted decision. The states of Idaho and Montana have shown that killing wolves does nothing to appease special interests it only heightens the frenzy around killing these animals, makes wolf killing easier, and reinforces irresponsible stereotypes that need to be shelved instead of rekindled in a vicious, unproductive and destructive cycle of killing.

Louise Kane

Petition Link:-http://www.thepetitionsite.com/317/502/678/tell-dnr-commissioner-and-min-gov-mark-dayton-to-stop-the-nov-3rd-wolf-hunt/

Cougar that attacked B.C. woman in her home is found & Killed

 

A starving cougar that walked into the home of a woman and attacked her while she sat in her living room is now dead.

“Sorry, I changed the title because I thought it read like the women had died! One has to wonder about the human animal conflict, is it getting out of hand…are humans building too close to where these predators live? Or are they blaming it on the coyotes as a red herring…Although I love nature, I certainly wouldn’t want to live that close. I think we don’t give wild animals the respect they deserve, after all some do live in what could be called…their local restaurant!”

TRAIL — A starving cougar that walked into the home of a woman and attacked her while she sat in her living room is now dead.

“The woman was in her house with a number of puppies when the cougar walked in through an open door and attacked her on the sofa,” Trail RCMP Sgt. Rob Hawton said of the weekend incident.

With the help of her dog, the woman fought the cougar off and chased it out of the house. She received a couple of minor injuries to her upper leg from the cougar’s claws.

The cougar was gone by the time police arrived. But the animal was tracked down and destroyed Monday.

Hawton said the cougar was gone before officers arrived and a subsequent search was not successful. B.C. Conservation officers were called in and the cougar was tracked down and destroyed Monday.

“This is an extremely rare occurrence and was driven by the animal’s desperation for food,” Hawton said.

The cougar is believed to have been too weak from starvation to hunt normally.

Earlier this month, the president of the Trail Wildlife Association, Terry Hanik, raised the alarm of a rise in predators in the region.

Hanik said cougars and wolves were pushing into the area, adding their numbers to the huge number of coyotes already plaguing the back country and eroding the deer population, forcing predators to look into more settled areas where deer have been thriving for years.

News Link: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Cougar+that+attacked+woman+home+dead/7157209/story.html#ixzz24yMxptSZ

“Though this won’t help the lady that was attacked, hopefully it can give some help as to what to do if one see’s one.”

Published on 24 Jul 2012 by brooksfahy

If a cougar sighting occurs in your community–or if you are a member of the media and need expert information and sound bites for your newscast from an expert on cougars– this press kit by Predator Defense is for you. It includes sound bites, b-roll and photographs of cougars. Feel free to download and use these media elements to alert your local media and/or round out your news story. All we ask is that you credit Predator Defense for the clips that you use.

For more information on cougars, please visit:

http://predatordefense.org/cougars.htm

Contact: Brooks Fahy – Executive Director of Predator Defense

You can download this video to your computer using free software from this website: http://kwizzu.com/

 

Trapping and killing of coyotes under fire in Carson

 

Animal rights activists plan to submit a 10,000-signature petition to the Carson City Council in aspecial meeting Wednesday to demand the city stop the trapping and killing of coyotes in various parts of the city, particularly a mobile home park.

Carson Harbor Village is a 50-acre mobile home park with about 2,700 residents, nearly half children, the activists said.

“The last thing we want is for the city to do trapping and cause injury, especially to a child,” said Richard Close, attorney for Carson Harbor Village.

The signatures were gathered through a worldwide online petition, as well as door-to-door canvassing. About 54 signatures were taken from mobile home park residents, said Randi Feilich, representative from Project Coyote.

Feilich, of Calabasas, got involved with Project Coyote when she saw her own city trap and kill coyotes. She attended a Calabasas City Council meeting to speak out against the practice.

Calabasas is one of three areas, including San Francisco, Arcadia and Marin County, that Project Coyote has worked with to adopt nonlethal programs focused on educating the public on keeping small pets and food out of reach of coyotes, Feilich said.“Coyote trapping is ineffective and does not work. You kill one, and another will take its place within weeks,” Feilich said.

Feilich attended previous Carson City Council meetings in February and December to advocate similar strategies.

“Despite our pleas for them to not trap, they went ahead and spent 10,000 taxpayer dollars to trap and inhumanely kill coyotes,” Feilich said.

Calls to city officials were not immediately returned.

News Link:-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/wildlife-advocate-against-trapping-and-killing-carson-coyotes.html