In support of the California Department of Fish and Game
and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on
Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's
weekly Q&A column:
Question: I was just watching a commercial about a guy who invented a “fish bait launcher” that launches your fishing line, tackle and bait out 200-plus yards past the surf. It was invented by a dedicated surf-fisher who became handicapped but refused to give up his favorite sport. It looks a lot like the popular old air cannons that could launch large veggies. This one is just large enough to put some small bait in, and is powered by a 12-volt battery, charger and air compressor. I thought air cannons were made illegal in California, no matter what you use them for. Am I right? (Chris D., ab diver/fisherman/hunter)
Answer: If the invention meets certain conditions, it may be legal. According to Lt. John Laughlin, if the launcher does not use any rocket-propelled projectiles or projectiles containing any explosive, incendiary material or chemical substances, it is legal. If the propulsion includes an ignition or combustion, it will be in violation of the law. (California Penal Code 12301 [a][6]).
Q: I am a sport fisherman with a boat and will be taking people on a camping trip to Catalina soon. Some of the people want to go lobster hoop netting. I know everyone who’s fishing for lobsters regardless of age needs a lobster card. What is the rule though for people who are just watching and not fishing or assisting in any way? If someone is determined to be in violation of fishing or assisting while without a lobster card, who is fined, the boat owner or the individual without a card? Thank you for your time and efforts to keep marine life safe. (Jeff)
Musician Huey Lewis is in the news. He and several of his Montana neighbors have installed duck feeding stations along a waterway near their properties to effectively stop waterfowl hunting in the area, the Associated Press reports.
At issue is the Mitchell Slough, which the Montana Supreme Court ruled a public waterway, subjecting it to the state's stream access laws. Those who live along the 15-mile tributary to the Bitterroot River contend that it is a man-made feature and not subject to the public access regulations.
Lewis said that he and other area residents -- who include investor Charles Schwab -- began placing feeders along the slough about two months ago, contending that the waterway is too close to homes for safe hunting.
"I'm feeding ducks all over the place -- many of my neighbors are," Lewis said. "The reason is, the Supreme Court decision has changed everything here, and now we have public access. And most of us believe the Mitchell is unsuitable for duck hunting."
It is not legal to hunt waterfowl in an area that has bait stations for birds.
Many hunters are notable conservationists, and one recently found an unexpected way to conserve bullets.
Prairie du Sac, Wis., resident TJ Hauge was hunting on opening day of the state's nine-day gun deer season. Settled into his tree stand when a buck came into his sights, TJ took careful aim and squeezed off a shot. Bull's-eye -- the buck dropped in its tracks -- and so did the unseen one standing directly behind it.
"Between the adrenaline and the rather strange outcome, my mind had a little trouble grasping what had just transpired," TJ told Outposts. "I spent the next 25 minutes with a big, uncontrollable smile and occasionally laughing to myself in disbelief of what had happened."
TJ immediately text-messaged the other members of his hunting party, "two bucks, one bullet."
A Wyoming man has been ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and has been barred from hunting and from accompanying anyone else hunting for 10 years for shooting two mule deer from his pickup truck.
In a plea agreement, Casper, Wyo. resident Timothy Alme also received two years suspended jail time and had to forfeit the rifle used to shoot the animals.
Wyoming Game and Fish wardens were originally tipped off by a state Highway Patrol officer, who was investigating a traffic accident involving a guard rail and a pickup truck, which was abandoned along the highway. During the investigation, the officer noticed a lot of blood and deer hair in the bed of the vehicle, registered to Alme.
A consented search of Alme's residence by game warden Shawn Blajszczak turned up four deer carcasses, only two that were confirmed to be legally harvested.
I plucked the December/January issue of Outdoor Life from the mailbox Sunday afternoon, shortly after learning that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered what was believed to be a mild concussion in a losing effort against the Kansas City Chiefs.
By strange coincidence I turned to the back page first and there was Big Ben, whose team is the defending Super Bowl champion, talking about how much he loves the much safer pastimes of hunting and fishing--and boasting about how he once bagged three ducks with a single blast.
Here's the brief Q&A:
Outdoor Life: How did you start out?
Ben Roethlisberger: I grew up in Ohio and have been fishing and hunting as long as I can remember with my dad and grandpa. Whether it was bobber-fishing for bluegills or spin-fishing for bass, I'd do it. I'd get out often.
OL: What's your favorite place to fish?
BR: Anyplace there's water! Seriously, though, I've taken my dad to Wyoming to fly-fish and it's been a great experience.
OL: How about hunting?
BR: I've always been more of a bird hunter than a deer hunter. I love to hunt ducks, geese, quail, grouse and turkeys.
OL: What's your most memorable hunting experience?
BR: As a kid, hunting with my dad on the Ohio River, I once got three ducks with one shot.
OL: How does playing football compare to hunting or fishing?
BR: I think my dad said it best when he said, "Being outdoors is still better than anything else you can do." It's hard, but we always manage to get a day off and I'll get outdoors.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger warms up before a game against the Detroit Lions this season. Credit: Leon Halip/US PRESSWIRE
Whaling ships from Japan left today for Antarctic waters on an annual five-month voyage in pursuit of about 1,000 minke whales and a small number of endangered fin whales.
The seasonal hunts, during the Antarctic summer, are highly controversial. They're carried out in the name of research but the meat is sold in Japanese markets and restaurants and whatever research is conducted has been deemed questionable and unnecessary by many scientists outside Japan.
Australia and New Zealand, closest to the whaling region, have spoken out against the hunts, but to no avail.
Enter the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its devoted captain, Paul Watson, who himself is controversial and labeled a terrorist by the Japanese. Sea Shepherd is making final preparations for "Operation Waltzing Matilda," its name for this year's harassment campaign against the whalers.
It will again involve a crew from Animal Planet for its popular "Whale Wars" series. The series has thrust Sea Shepherd into the spotlight and made a hero of Watson and his vegan crew, in the eyes of some. Watson has won many volunteer recruits because of the series.
It reports that a government review committee has proposed substantial cuts in subsidies to various programs, including the whaling research program. Without government subsidies, Greenpeace maintains, "the whaling program would be doomed."
Time will tell. Meanwhile, exploding harpoons will tear into the flesh of unsuspecting cetaceans, water cannons will blast from ship to ship, bottles full of rancid butter will be heaved aboard the whaling vessels, and collisions might occur.
Watson will again be hailed and chastised; people seem to either cherish or despise him. He routinely brushes aside the criticism, saying that he's only interested in costing the whaling fleet money and saving as many whales as possible each year.
My guess is that he has come to enjoy the "Whale Wars" spotlight, also.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Sea Shepherd crew members are hosed by crewmen aboard a Japanese harpoon vessel during last year's effort to harass the whalers. Credit: Stephen Roest / Sea Shepherd
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Montana's inaugural wolf-hunting season came to an end this week and has been deemed a success by state wildlife officials.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks called for the season to close half an hour after sunset on Monday after receiving word that the statewide quota of 75 was nearly reached.
"We hit 72 of the 75 wolf quota with two weeks left before the season was originally planned to close on Nov. 29," FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim told the Billings Gazette.
A total of 15,600 wolf hunting licenses were sold, generating $325,859 for the state license fund.
"It was a successful season. We learned a bunch, and we'll learn more as we evaluate it," Aasheim said. "We know where wolves where taken by county. We know sex. We know age. We'll know the days hunted. It's a pretty sound information base."
One thing that will be studied further is the sustainability of the hunt.
I'm a longtime angler who occasionally kills a fish for dinner, but I would not be able to stomach eating a fish in the manner portrayed by Chinese diners in the accompanying video, which has been a popular draw on YouTube.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as expected, has spoken out against the practice of eating fish from a plate while the fish is still alive and breathing -- which is increasingly common in some parts of the world.
A PETA spokesman called it "disgusting" and added: "Every decent person should be shocked when anyone mocks or abuses a helpless dying animal."
It's just a carp, some might say. But frying the fish on its side while keeping it alive and breathing when it's placed on the plate seems cruel, and the giddiness of the diners makes it that much more unappetizing. Your thoughts?
-- Pete Thomas
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Were you able to watch the National Geographic special, "White Shark Expedition," on Monday night -- and if so, what do you think of the methods utilized by researcher Michael Domeier at remote Guadalupe Island off Baja California?
If you live in the Bay Area, you might also have viewed an ABC News program that was spawned by an incident involving Domeier's team using the same methods at the Farallon Islands off San Francisco. The program featured experts who were critical of the methods, which involve using a team of anglers and a large baited hook attached to a line with buoys.
(There's also a film crew, hence the National Geographic special and related episodes to air next summer.)
The hooked shark struggles until it's completely worn out. It's then lifted onto a platform, where a sophisticated tracking tag is bolted into its dorsal fin. A large hose is used to flush water through the shark's gills, so it can breathe throughout a process that can take 20 minutes.
The sharks usually are hooked in the corner of the mouth -- because of the 24-inch circle hook's design --but in at least one case at the Farallon Islands a shark had to be set free with part of the hook lodged deep in its throat.
The specialized tags have a life span of up to six years, providing real-time data and pinpointing precise locations of migrating sharks. They're important, Domeier says, for researchers seeking a clearer picture of these mysterious predators' life history.
The reward being offered for information on who illegally shot and killed an 800-pound grizzly bear in Montana has grown to more than $11,000. (The bear killed is not the one in the above photo.)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun distributing posters touting the large reward, recently sweetened to $11,800 after other organizations and private individuals, including Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, local ranchers and Defenders of Wildlife, committed funds for information leading to the conviction of the poacher or poachers.
"Interest in prosecuting the individual or individuals responsible for this illegal shooting has grown and so has the reward," said FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim.
The reward is for tips on who killed the 800-pound bear only. The Fish and Wildlife Service is also investigating two other illegal grizzly shootings in the same area.
The bear was one that FWP officials were familiar with, having accidentally captured it in 2007 while doing a population study. It is believed to have been one of the largest male grizzlies in the region -- the average weight for such animals is approximately 600 pounds.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact TIP-MONT, the statewide FWP anti-poaching hotline, at (800) 847-6668.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo: A large adult grizzly bear faces the camera. Credit: Joel Sartore / National Geographic / Getty Images
To give you an idea of how popular the special, late-season cow elk hunts are in New Mexico, it took only 10 seconds Tuesday for the 350 available licenses to be sold over the Internet.
The New Mexico Game and Fish Department issued a news release stating that tens of thousands of hunters stormed its website seeking a license to bag an antler-less elk in any of five game management units.
The licenses were sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and the website logged 250,000 hits from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The sale began at 10 and was scheduled to end at 10:30.
Wolf hunting continues in both Idaho and Montana, with each state announcing the closure of a second zone on Monday after reaching quotas.
Idaho Fish and Game has announced the closure of the McCall-Weiser zone in west-central Idaho, where the limit of 15 wolves has been reached. This is the second area closed in the state, with the Upper Snake zone meeting its quota of five earlier this month.
Thus far, 98 of the statewide quota of 220 wolves have been reported killed in Idaho.
In northwest Montana, the North Fork sub-unit, a small area located in what is called Wolf Management Unit 1, reached its limit of two wolves and will close to further hunting today at sunset. The rest of Unit 1 remains open, with 14 wolves left in the total zone quota of 41.
This is the second zone to end its wolf hunting season in Montana. WMU 3, which includes the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, quickly met its quota of 12 within a month of the hunt's opening Sept. 15.
I missed the now-famous "South Park" episode that premiered last week and offered a satirical portrayal of Japanese whaling and dolphin-killing tactics. But I did view a few short clips.
(Your thoughts? Was it insensitive or accurate? Did you laugh your head off?)
If you viewed the episode, you know that it opened with Stan and his family celebrating his birthday trying to swim with dolphins at the Denver Aquarium. But the party is interrupted when the Japanese dive in and attack the dolphins and turn the pool into a dolphin blood bath. Stan then takes up the cause and tries to bring the senseless slaughter to an end.
Of course, no such episode could be complete without controversial Captain Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which annually takes on Japanese whalers in the Antarctic (see above video and image below).
And I did not miss Watson's response to how he -- with his belly hanging exposed beneath his untucked shirt -- and his merry crew of vegan whale lovers were portrayed.
"My understanding is that the Japanese prime minister was not amused, and the whalers and dolphin killers are enraged at the way they were portrayed," Watson said. "That’s music to my ears. If the humorless whale killers and the bank-rollers of the dolphin killers did not like the show, then that’s all I need to applaud it."
Renowned Australian surfer Dave Rastovich and three others are nearing completion of a monthlong kayaking expedition with humpback whales and their calves in an attempt to bring attention to the dangers marine mammals face as they migrate past Australia en route to the Southern Ocean for the Antarctic summer.
Commercial fishing methods, industrial runoff, noise pollution, ship strikes and human interaction are some of the dangers. Other whales, notably minke whales, also are migrating and they'll soon be targeted by Japanese whalers, who in turn will be harassed by Capt. Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Rastovich, co-founder of the group Surfers for Cetaceans, spearheaded a 435-mile journey that includes San Diego's Chris Del Moro. Musician Will Conner and photographer Hilton Dawe are also part of the odyssey.
The crew, sailing aboard red trimaran kayaks, began Oct. 1 at Byron Bay and arrived today in Sydney Harbor. It will officially conclude its mission Thursday at nearby Bondi Beach. The campaign is called Transparentsea.
Said Rastovich: “The primary intention of our journey has been to highlight the plight of whales that are destined for the Southern Ocean and the inevitable visits by Japanese whaling fleets. As surfers, we have a direct connection with these amazing creatures and during the past 30 days, we’ve had the fortune of interacting with them, almost on a daily basis.
“Now we are calling on people to show their support and to join us in putting pressure on the Australian government, lead by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and our Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, to uphold their pre-election promise to challenge Japanese whaling in international court and to protect the Southern Ocean sanctuary.”
The surfer and his group plan to celebrate with Sea Shepherd crew members, who are in Australia preparing for their sixth campaign against the Japanese whalers. Japan's whaling effort is carried out under a research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on whaling.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Transparentsea environmental campaigners protest the actions of Japanese whalers from aboard kayaks in Sydney Harbor. Credit: Fetch/Transparentsea
Poachers of wildlife seem to be making headlines every day somewhere in the country, tarnishing the image of legitimate hunters.
The latest story involves eight Ohio residents who traveled to West Virginia to carry out their dirty deeds, which involved illegally baiting black bears to a specific site and shooting them from elevated camouflaged stands.
“This group of hunters, all of whom were residents of Ohio, had been participating in this type of illegal activity for a period of several years,” said Capt. Michael Waugh of the Division of Natural Resources' District 3 office in Elkins. “They had purchased their bait, which consisted of donuts and corn, from multiple out-of-state vendors. The bait was then hauled into the area by truck and distributed to the bait sites using all-terrain vehicles. This out-of-state purchase and interstate transport of the bait is believed to have been an effort on the part of the poachers to conceal the quantities of bait, the purposes for which it was being purchased, and to avert suspicion in the areas they were baiting.”
Investigators uncovered seven baited shooting sites in Nicholas County. The alleged culprits -- two have yet to be arraigned -- were arrested at a cabin used as a base camp and at shooting sites. Two large adult black bears (pictured) and large quantities of bait were seized at the base camp. Two other bears had reportedly been transported out of state, and a request for assistance in recovering these animals has been made to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under provisions of the Lacey Act.
Black bear parts -- especially gallbladders, which are coveted as medicinal or as an aphrodisiac in some parts of the world -- are often sold by poachers on the black market.
Six of the men were arraigned and fined more than $2,000 apiece and given 100-day jail sentences that were suspended contingent upon payment of fines.
The officers are to be commended, but the penalties do not seem severe enough considering the apparent scope of this poaching operation.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Officers pose with black bears that were killed illegally and discovered as part of an investigation in West Virginia. Credit: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
A story on Montana's wolf hunt that appeared in Sunday's Los Angeles Times provides colorful insight into wolf behavior and the controversy swirling around that state's first-ever hunt, especially as it pertains to wolves that utilize Yellowstone National Park.
It makes specific reference to Wolf 527, which was killed earlier this month by a hunter on Buffalo Plateau north of Yellowstone during a backcountry hunt that coincided with deer and elk hunts. Wolf 527, an amazingly cunning animal, was one of Yellowstone's famous wolves. She was of the Cottonwood Creek pack; the killing of four wolves from that pack fueled the controversy and caused Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials to rethink its strategy.
That special backcountry hunt was closed before the zone quota was reached, but hunting of wolves in general is deemed necessary by state wildlife officials as a tool of management. There are about 500 wolves in Montana and an overall quota of 75 has been established. The statewide hunt began Sunday.
Animal rights groups have so far been unsuccessful in efforts to halt the hunts in Montana and Idaho and have the predators placed back on the endangered species list.
If that were to happen, allowing wolf populations to further increase, there probably would be more interaction between wolves and ranchers and their cattle and livestock.
Kim Murphy's L.A. Times story cited the August slaughter by wolves of 122 purebred sheep on a ranch in Dillon, Mont., 180 miles northwest of Yellowstone. That seemed an example of wolves killing for pleasure rather than need.
Wolves also are believed at least partly responsible for the decline of elk in the region. So while it's sad to read about the passing of legendary Wolf 527 -- and perhaps that specific hunt was a bad idea because it occurred in the remote backcountry -- wildlife officials seem justified in allowing limited hunting of wolves.
Many will argue this point, but you won't find a Montana rancher among them.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A tranquilized wolf is fitted with a radio collar as part of an effort to track the recovery of the endangered gray wolves that were reintroduced into Yellowstone in 1995. Credit: Daniel Stahler / National Park Service
Anderson will be making an appearance at the Ontario legislature in Toronto to call for an end to the annual hunt, which takes place every spring on the eastern coast of Canada.
"I can only hope that by bringing attention to the slaughter, the international outcry will force the Canadian government to end this shameful practice," Anderson said in a statement.
The advertising campaign will feature the Canadian native as well as other celebrities wearing PETA's "Save the Seals" T-shirts.
Ads will appear in entertainment magazines and on blogs beginning this fall, to focus attention on the hunt and to keep pressure on the government year-round instead of just during the hunting season, when protests are expected.
--Kelly Burgess
Photo: Pamela Anderson poses in the new PETA T-shirt. Credit: Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images
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The wolf hunt in Idaho is proceeding with remarkable hunter success in some of the state's 12 hunting zones, and in Montana, where limited hunting is underway, the general season opens Sunday.
Hunting wolves in both states, made possible after the removal of the predators from the endangered species list last spring, is controversial, and animal rights groups are trying to stop the hunts.
The latest campaign was launched by Defenders of Wildlife, which is asking for donations to pay for an ad to be placed in New York's Times Square through Dec. 15. "Hundreds more wolves will be targeted in the coming weeks and months, threatening the very recovery of these amazing animals," the group states on its website. The group also is urging people to sign an online petition that will be sent to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, "urging him to withdraw his flawed delisting rule that prematurely removed vital protections for wolves in the northern Rockies region--before a lasting wolf recovery slips from our grasp."
Sportsmen's groups, meanwhile, are backing state wildlife agencies claiming that wolf numbers in the northern Rockies have increased to the point where the animals need to be managed, via controlled hunting, to minimize interaction with ranchers and threats to livestock.
The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, in an action alert sent to members, cited a recent study by Montana State University that links the reintroduction of wolves into Rocky Mountains to a decline in elk numbers in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
The study, published in July, found that wolves have caused elk in the region to change their foraging habits to such an extent that herds are producing fewer calves. All elk are losing weight in the winter and the presence of wolves, the study claims, causes elk to browse more on woody shrubs or low tree branches in safer forested areas rather than grazing on grass in open meadows where they're more vulnerable to wolf predation.
Through Wednesday in Idaho, which has a statewide quota of 220, 73 wolves had been killed, one of them by an alleged poacher. In Montana, which has a quota of 75, 12 wolves have been harvested during special back-country hunts.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of gray wolves courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
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At a meeting Tuesday, the five-member commission voted unanimously to close the remote area for the remainder of the season while keeping the statewide quota of 75 animals in place, reports the Associated Press.
Hunting had been suspended last week after nine wolves were killed surprisingly quickly since the season opened Sept. 15 in the backcountry zone. The area is located within what is called Wildlife Management Unit 3, which has an overall quota of 12.
State wildlife managers and commission members acknowledged a mistake in the decision to open the hunting season early near Yellowstone, and have characterized the nearly filled quota for the area as a learning experience.
Photo: A wolf watches biologists in Yellowstone National Park after being captured and fitted with a radio collar. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Whaling for subsistence is part of the native culture in Barrow, Alaska. Still, news that a 9-year-old boy this week harpooned a 33-foot whale might be unsettling to some.
The Anchorage Daily News reported the story on a blog and details are sparse. But the story implied that it's rare for a boy to be allowed to join a whale hunt, much less deal the telling blow.
Here's the account, shared by Barrow resident Bridget Edwardsen:
On Tuesday around noon, Panigeo crew struck a whale. Pauyuuraq Brower of Barrow shot the whale with the darting gun. Then Paul Patkotak, 9-year-old son of Maria & Ellis Patkotak, harpooned the bowhead whale and officially killed the whale.
Paul is a 4th grader at Ipalook Elementary School & is very into his culture. He loves to go whaling with his uncle Qulliuq Pebley, who is the Captian of Panigeo Crew, he loves to go subsistance hunting and camping. The family was overjoyed in tears when they heard that their 9-year-old Paul harpooned the 32' 7" whale.
This is big news for Barrow, usually kids are not allowed on the boat until they are a certain age. I think Paul is the youngest kid to actually harpoon & kill a bowhead whale.
Once they arrived & beached the whale, the family was overjoyed. His mother could not believe that her son actually caught the whale.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Paul Patkotak. Credit: Barrow resident Bridget Edwardsen
The backcountry hunt began Sept. 15 in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, coinciding with elk and deer hunts there. That small zone is within what is called Wildlife Management Unit 3, one of three large units in which hunting will be allowed when the statewide general season opens Oct. 25.
But with nine animals having been killed surprisingly quickly in the backcountry zone, the agency decided to suspend the hunt until the general season begins, to ensure some hunting occurs elsewhere in WMU 3 before the quota of 12 is met.
One of the goals of the state's inaugural wolf hunt is to encourage wolves to steer clear of ranches and livestock. Hunting the predators in a remote wilderness does not serve that purpose.
"We’re learning things every day as Montana’s first ever, fair-chase wolf hunt progresses," Joe Maurier, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said in a news release posted Thursday on the agency website. "We were always a bit unsure about the level of hunter success we’d see in the remote, early-season backcountry areas. One thing we hope to achieve with closing the backcountry hunt in WMU 3, is to provide some hunting opportunity in other portions of the management unit where we’ve seen conflicts with livestock. We also need to learn as much about wolf hunting in the valleys as we’re learning about hunting in the backcountry."
In Montana’s other early backcountry hunt — also in deer- and elk-hunting districts — only two wolves have been harvested. The state has set quotas in each of the three units and next week will consider raising the quota in WMU 3 for the general season to ensure more front-country wolves are targeted. But that would mean lowering the quota in another zone. The overall state quota is 75 wolves.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's planned mission this winter against the Japanese whaling effort has hit a snag because Capt. Paul Watson and his first officer are experiencing visa issues and so far are not being allowed into Australia.
Outposts reported on this Monday. Australia is the strategic point of departure for Sea Shepherd, which annually hunts and harasses the Japanese harpoon and factory vessels as their crews seek to kill minke whales in the Antarctic region during its summer.
Watson claims politics are behind the stringent visa requirements he's being asked to comply with and on Tuesday posted a letter on the Sea Shepherd website blasting Australia's government for its stance on whaling and for trying to "sabotage" the Sea Shepherd campaign.
Here's the controversial captain's letter:
By Captain Paul Watson
Way back in October 2007, I had urged thousands of Australians to vote for Kevin Rudd and Peter Garrett’s Labor Party. Why? Because they promised to get tough on illegal Japanese whaling. They promised to take Japan to court. They promised to send a ship down to the Southern Ocean to monitor the illegal activities. They had severely criticized the former Howard government for not doing enough.
Since then Rudd and Garrett have demonstrated that they have done far less for the whales than former Environment Minister Ian Campbell had done.
The hunt is in progress in Montana's remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. It began Sept. 15 in a small parcel within what is known as Wildlife Management Unit 3. WMU 3 has a quota of 12 but nine wolves already have been killed and it's conceivable the quota will be reached before the statewide general hunt in WMU 3 begins Oct. 25.
Carolyne Sime, the wolf program coordinator, said in a Billings Gazette story that she "didn't think the wolves would be so vulnerable to firearms harvest."
One of the goals of the overall hunt is to encourage wolves to remain in the backcountry away from potential conflicts with livestock. "So what we're learning," Sime said, "is that maybe we need to rethink these backcountry hunts and see if we can fine-tune that."
The front-country wolves, those more likely to come into conflict with livestock, will be targeted during the general season.
Matt Skoglund, blogging for Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote: "How could FWP have expected anything else when they opened the backcountry wilderness areas to wolf-hunting?" Skoglund stated that wolves sought by hunters in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness are "those famous Yellowstone wolves you've seen in the park or on PBS and the Discovery Channel." The blogger wondered whether the "poorly planned hunt" will affect tourism in Yellowstone.
The answer, most likely, is that it will not affect tourism. The quota in this district is only 12 wolves. Montana's wolf population at the end of 2008 was believed to number 500. The overall state quota is 75, which is deemed conservative by the agency, which regards hunting as a necessary wildlife management tool.
But as long as Montana's inaugural wolf hunt continues -- legal challenges remain -- it will be open to this kind of attack by animal rights groups.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Gray wolves wander through the snow in Montana. Courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
A letter sent by PETA vice president Tracy Reimanto to aquarium president and CEO Jerry Schubel contained this quote: "Encouraging aquarium visitors to eat fish is like serving poodle burgers at a dog show."
Reaction: Poodle burgers sound disgusting. Seared albacore with fennel and arugula sounds wonderful. Perhaps PETA would be better served by focusing on real issues and go after, say, restaurants that serve shark-fin soup, which might thereby help to stop the brutal practice of finning -- the slicing of fins from live sharks at sea.
People are going to eat fish, and PETA cannot change that. So the Aquarium of the Pacific is to be commended, not criticized, for its "Seafood for the Future" program. It has partnered with more than a dozen restaurants so far. They've stamped their menus with logos next to seafood items that are harvested in a sustainable manner, or farmed in a way that does not harm the environment. Patrons who chose those items are rewarded with free passes to the aquarium.
Said Schubel to the Long Beach Press-Telegram: "The entire program is very consistent with our mission because we are committed to conserving wild stocks of fish. And one of the best ways to do that -- since seafood is so popular -- is to influence the choices that people make so that they will choose seafood wisely."
That mission is "to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants and ecosystems," and the photo atop this item is just one bit of evidence that the facility is fulfilling its mission.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Volunteer diver Dirk Burcham waves to Sofia
Ferguson, 2, at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
Wolves may be wily and among the more intelligent wild critters, but hunters are not experiencing much trouble finding and killing them in Montana's remote Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
The state's inaugural and highly controversial wolf hunt began Sept. 15 in four small districts in which deer and elk hunts also are in progress. The statewide hunt begins Oct. 25.
In the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, which is along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, nine wolves have already been killed. The state set a quota of 12 in this area.
Carolyn Sime, wolf program coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, told the Billings Gazette: "We didn't think wolves would be that vulnerable to firearms harvest. The uncertainty is why we went with the low quota."
The agency, which has a separate web page to keep tabs on the number of kills, did not expect the quota to be reached before the statewide season opens, but that's now likely. The statewide quota is 75 wolves.
Montana's wolf population at the end of 2008 was believed to number 500. More than 10,500 wolf hunting licenses have been issued.
Environmental groups, meanwhile, are still trying via lawsuit to have the the cagey predators placed back under endangered species act protection, which would bring an end to hunts believed by the state to be a valuable means of wildlife management.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of gray wolf courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
The hype has begun well in advance of another round of the annual war over whaling between the Japanese and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
The former group is preparing for its impending seasonal hunt of mostly minke whales, with a quota of about 1,000 specimens it says are being killed for research purposes. The latter group is preparing for "Operation Waltzing Matilda," which will try to thwart the Japanese effort in and near the Antarctic region during its summer season.
Of course, a crew from Animal Planet will accompany Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson, its famous -- or infamous, depending on your viewpoint -- captain, to gather footage for a third season of the popular "Whale Wars" series.
But will Watson's campaign actually get underway? The Brisbane Times is reporting that Watson's police and court records are being evaluated before he's allowed to enter Australia, which is the starting point for his annual campaigns.
Specifically, Watson, who holds a U.S. passport, is being reviewed because of Sea Shepherd claims that it sank whaling ships in Norway.
Watson claims politics are behind all of this and is quoted as saying, ''I am not wanted on any warrants [and] I have never received a felony conviction.''
Ironically, the Australian government is trying to persuade Japan to halt its commercial whaling effort (research notwithstanding, the meat is sold commercially). Japan, meanwhile, has been trying to persuade Australia to help prevent Sea Shepherd from disrupting its hunts and endangering the lives of its crews.
The Australian Federal Police is still reviewing seized video and ship records after last year's campaign, which was dramatic and confrontational. That investigation reportedly was prompted by complaints from Japan.
Watson had hoped to be with Sea Shepherd and its flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, this week as it begins a promotional tour of capital cities. He still plans on being along for the campaign, but it will be no waltz.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of Capt. Paul Watson courtesy of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Capt. Paul Watson and his ragtag vegan crew are about 90 days from embarking on another controversial campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet in and near the Antarctic.
But early next month, to drum up support for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's sixth such mission, Watson will guide the group's flagship vessel, Steve Irwin, on a tour of Australian ports.
The vessel will open for tours and the crew will share stories about what these campaigns entail; perhaps they'll discuss the controversial methods employed while trying to spare whales from exploding harpoons--like tossing bottle of rancid butter at the whalers.
For those who live Down Under, tour dates are as follows: Sydney–Oct. 5-12 at Circular Quay; Hobart–Oct. 16-22 at Macquarie Wharf; Fremantle–Nov. 4-Dec. 7 at C Berth.
For anyone considering joining up with Sea Shepherd, here's the job description: "No pay, long hours, hard work, dangerous conditions, extreme weather. Guaranteed: Adventure, fulfillment, and the hardest work you will ever love. The experience of a lifetime."
These campaigns have gained widespread notoriety thanks to Animal Planet and its "Whale Wars" series. The shows take viewers along for the ride as the Sea Shepherd crew hunts down the Japanese fleet and disrupts hunts that annually target about 1,000 minke whales and a small number of endangered fin whales.
The series also has served as a valuable recruitment tool for Sea Shepherd, a group that seems to be either despised or admired. Critics point out that Japan's hunts are legal and that Watson's questionable antics will get someone killed. But supporters maintain that Japan is hunting whales via a research loophole in the wording of an international moratorium on whaling, and that profit, not research, drives the whaling effort. If most of the world is against whaling, why is Japan still slaughtering the intelligent mammals?
From the sidelines, these annual confrontations are entertaining, to say the least. That's why Animal Planet jumped aboard two campaigns ago. Season 1 was boring, Season 2 was action-packed and it's anyone's guess how Season 3 will turn out, but it will not be lacking in drama.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Steve Irwin docked in Hobart, Australia. Credit: Adam Lau / Sea Shepherd
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A 175-pound adult female black bear was shot to death Tuesday afternoon by a 58-year-old visitor to Lake Mary near the Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes.
Steve Searles, wildlife manager for Mammoth Lakes, described the shooting as "unprovoked," according to a report on the Sierra Wave website.
The California Department of Fish and Gam is investigating the case. The department's Lt. Marty Markham said this morning in an interview that the man and his companion were frightened away from a spot on the lake's shore by an approaching bear. Another person helped "haze" the bear away.
The couple returned to the site and the bear returned. The woman tried to "haze" the bear away. The man retrieved a large-caliber handgun from his vehicle and shot the bear once in the head.
Markham said the investigation should be complete within a week, and could not say whether charges will be brought against the man, whom Markham would describe only as a 58-year-old from San Bernardino County.
Don Barrett, who runs Lake Mary Marina & Store, did not witness the shooting but was at the lake and heard the shot. Barrett, in an interview, said he heard that the bear was aggressive and standing on its hind legs approaching the couple when it was shot with a .44-caliber pistol.
Barrett said bears have learned to frighten anglers from their fishing spots, then steal their stringers of fish.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A bear near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., last year. Credit: Associated Press
Japan's new government this week urged Australia to help thwart the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's effort against whaling and at the same time implied that it supports the nation's longstanding tradition of hunting whales.
The conversation Tuesday at the United Nations was between Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who was appointed last week after Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama was sworn into office, and Australian foreign minister Stephen Smith.
As one might expect, Smith answered that he'd like to resolve the issue through dialogue without straining relations. That could be construed to mean Australia, which is a whale-friendly nation, will not physically prevent Sea Shepherd from using Australia as a base for pursuing Japanese whaling vessels into Antarctic hunting grounds this winter (their summer).
If in fact Japan's new government supports the annual slaughter of about 1,000 minke whales -- that was Smith's perception -- it comes as distressing news to environmental groups around the world. The hunt is carried out within a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium against whaling. The loophole allows whales to be killed for research purposes, but whale meat is sold commercially.
Though few outside of Japan believe lethal research is necessary or legitimate, Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research has posted some scientific findings on its website.
Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd is promising a stepped-up effort this season under the campaign slogan "Operation Waltzing Matilda." An Animal Planet crew will be aboard filming for a third season of the popular series, "Whale Wars."
Last year's record-setting series included dramatic footage of whale kills, vessel-ramming and tense confrontational measures and countermeasures. Surely, Sea Shepherd Capt. Paul Watson will be expected to provide more theatrics this time around.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Sea Shepherd crew members are blasted by water cannons from the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 1 as the Sea Shepherd helicopter flies alongside during last year's campaign against the Japanese effort. Credit: Stephen Roest / Sea Shepherd
A wolf shot in a remote backcountry area of Montana on Tuesday is the first to have been killed during a big-game hunt that began that same day.
Perry Zumwalt of Roberts, Mont., shot the wolf in Hunting District 316, which is part of the Beartooth Wilderness near Yellowstone National Park.
Montana wildlife officials in July announced a statewide quota of 75 wolves, with separate quotas within three distinct wolf-management zones. The hunt that began Tuesday corresponds with deer and elk hunts occurring in the same remote areas, which boast six to eight wolf packs of between 25-50 wolves.
Only one wolf is believed to have been killed so far and the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks agency has set up a website that keeps track of the number of wolves killed in each district. Wolf hunting on a broader scale will begin Oct. 25.
Montana's wolf population is growing by about 20% annually, the agency states. The quota "limits the number of wolves that can be taken by hunters and ensures that FWP can carefully monitor the population before, during and after the hunting season," FWP Director Joe Maurier said.
Montana's hunt is proceeding despite legal challenges and opposition from animal rights groups. Gray wolves in Montana were killed for bounty early in the 20th century but this is the first-ever "fair-chase," or big-game hunt for the purpose of sport and wildlife management.
-- Pete Thomas and Kelly Burgess
Photo of gray wolves courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Florida's public alligator hunt is underway, and the nighttime pursuit of trophy-sized specimens in the muggy marshlands is challenging and often unproductive.
But Arianne Prevost of Satellite Beach was in the right place at the right time, and with the right people on Tuesday night during her first-ever gator hunt, as she used a crossbow to bag an 11-footer weighing perhaps 450 pounds.
Her company during the Central Florida adventure included Peter Deeks and Robert Rohmann, who run Native Sons Outfitters. Deeks said in an interview that they'd previously scouted the St. Johns River marshlands and, while camouflaged, had staked out an area where they figured the big reptile would swim by.
At about 9 p.m., Prevost placed two perfect shots from 10 to 15 feet and dispatched the alligator with a broadhead shot at close range.
Deeks said they assumed, based on the size of the gator's head, it would measure 14 feet. But he still labeled the prize a trophy.
Prevost, who is dating Rohmann, said she will harvest the meat and have the head mounted.
An archery hunter with two years experience, Prevost told Florida Today: "I can't seem to kill a deer, but I can kill an 11-foot alligator."
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Arianne Prevost poses with 11-foot alligator she bagged with a crossbow during Florida's public alligator hunt. Credit: Peter Deeks
I've always been curious about people and their pastimes, whether it's hiking, fishing, hunting, climbing or bird-watching.
I've never given trapping much thought, until picking up the premier issue of Turkey Country magazine and reading a story on Jill Easton Spencer, who last year was named Arkansas Trapper of the Year.
The woman is clearly passionate about the outdoors and does not care how she might be perceived by others. She has learned to read signs and to anticipate what routes various critters will use around her home in Calico Rock, Ark.
She uses mostly small traps and says of the appeal: "When you're trapping you're an apex predator and that's pretty exciting. You become part of the animal's world and you become part of nature."
Jill and her husband, Jim, sell their fur and she proudly wears fur. She explains that trapping, like hunting, improves the ecosystem. "For example, the raccoon population is exploding in this country, and trappers help keep the numbers in check. Raccoons devour more eggs and female ducks in a year than hunters kill in five years."
Of those who might not understand trappers or hunters, she implies they've lost touch with reality. "Kids have no clue that food comes from anywhere but a hamburger package at McDonald's or a plastic container from the grocery store. Trapping puts you in a reality you can't get anywhere else."
Turkey Country invites readers to check out Jill's recipe for baked 'coon. Thanks, but no thanks.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A coyote appears from low fog on a hillside near grazing livestock in San Luis Obispo County in this 2001 photo. Credit: Associated Press
Shining deer, or placing a light on them at night and shooting them, is one of the most cowardly forms of hunting, er, poaching.
It's illegal for a glaringly obvious reason: Deer freeze in spotlights or car headlights and, thus, are extremely vulnerable and can be shot at close range.
Fortunately for authorities, poachers of wildlife aren't known for their smarts. Case in point: Adam M. Frame, 25, and Dustin J. Porter, 24, of Sullivan, Wis., have landed in hot water after Frame allegedly posted a video of deer-shining exploits on Facebook.
Frame reportedly stated in the criminal complaint that he and Porter were driving to Sullivan from a tavern when they spotted deer. Frame added that Porter said he wanted to go home, get his rifle, and use it to shoot deer.
Frame later posted this message on Facebook: "I just posted a video from us hunting at 4 a.m. drunk in a subdivision with my headlight lighting it up."
Frame and Porter were charged in April with one misdemeanor count each of shining, and being party to a crime for the 2007 incident. Frame, as part of a plea agreement, pleaded guilty last month to shining while in possession of a firearm. His fine amounts to a slap on the wrist, however: $354.
Another chapter of the saga involving wolf hunting in Idaho and Montana -- the first hunts since the animals were removed from the endangered species list in those states last April -- appears to have closed with a federal judge ruling the controversial hunts can continue. The ruling was made Tuesday evening in Montana.
After the delisting, Idaho authorized a harvest quota of 220 wolves for its inaugural season. Montana authorized a per-season quota of 75 wolves.
Idaho's season opened last week despite fierce opposition. Montana's hunt is scheduled to begin next week. On Tuesday evening, a Montana federal court denied a preliminary injunction requested by Defenders of Wildlife and other plaintiffs that had sued to halt the hunts and challenge the delisting.
Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife, posted this statement Sept. 1: "The heavy-handed wolf hunt beginning today in Idaho, together with the hunt planned to begin September 15th in Montana, puts the recovery of the Northern Rockies population of wolves at risk and demonstrates precisely the kind of irresponsible state management that should have precluded taking the wolf off the endangered species list at this point in time."
Safari Club International is among groups defending the wolf delisting in Idaho and Montana, while supporting hunts as critical tools of species management. SCI President Larry Rudolph said Wednesday in a news release:
“SCI continues to lead the way for the hunting community in efforts to keep the recovered wolves of the Rocky Mountains where they belong – off the endangered species list. The states can and will effectively manage the wolf, as demonstrated by their establishing reasonable and well-regulated wolf hunts."
The fight is far from over, however, as the judge's ruling is only temporary and there are many more chapters before this story ends. Please stay tuned.
But PETA might also be labeled, by some, as a cheap-shot artist specializing in juvenile criticisms against whomever falls into its cross-hairs. And anyone who hunts or fishes, especially if that person is a celebrity, is a potential target.
The latest big name to land in this category is Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, who told Outdoor Life magazine he has enjoyed hunting since he was a kid and that he only kills what he eats. Perry further stated that "hunters are conservationists and their heads are in the right place."
PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange, in her blog, grabbed hold of these words and penned some lyrics of her own. They were less than kind:
"People who take out their aggressions and frustrations on helpless animals are usually compensating for other shortcomings in their life. We don't know how Joe measures up, but it's interesting that he seems to feel so satisfied when he's handling long phallic-looking weapons."
Presumably and understandably, Perry did not shoot back.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, left, and lead singer Steven Tyler
share the spotlight during a concert in this 2001 file photo. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
A record 3.2 million viewers tuned into the season finale of Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" series last Friday night and, to no one's surprise, the network announced there will be a third season.
The second season of "Whale Wars," which profiles the exploits of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society as it campaigns against Japanese whalers in the Antarctic, was Animal Planet's second-best performing series in network history. The shows were viewed in an average of 779,000 homes.
The series pits an unwilling subject -- Japanese whalers -- versus Capt. Paul Watson and a ragtag vegan crew that engages in disruptive techniques such as tossing bottles of rancid butter (butyric acid) aboard the whaling vessels. Last season there were collisions and numerous other dicey situations.
Japan's annual whaling effort is legal, thanks to a loophole in the wording of an international moratorium. The primary targets are minke whales, which are not endangered. Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research has labeled Watson and his crew terrorists.
This winter's campaign (summer in the Antarctic) is called "Operation Waltzing Matilda" and will be an escalated effort sure to further rile the Japanese but please the show's producers.
Said Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet: “It’s been terrific to see the success of this groundbreaking series, and its growth creatively and with audiences from the first to the second season. I'm proud to be able to announce the third."
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: The Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin collides with the stern of a Japanese harpoon whaling ship in the Antarctic during last season's campaign. Credit: Sea Shepherd
Poachers of wildlife are the worst kind of hunters if they can even be labeled hunters. They steal resources belonging to others with potentially damaging consequences, and they tarnish the image of legitimate hunters and conservationists.
Thus, Outposts has developed a habit of publicizing major poaching cases, which emerge all too frequently. (See Monday's report about a Florida deer poacher whose target was a 12-point buck inside a game farm.)
The latest bust was in Washington County, Utah.
Mathew Steven Spendlove, a resident of Hurricane, was arrested last week and charged with four Class A misdemeanors and three Class B misdemeanors stemming from the alleged poaching of seven buck deer.
If Spendlove is found guilty, he could spend five years in jail and be ordered to pay $13,000 in fines and $2,800 in restitution. He might also lose hunting privileges in 31 states that are part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
The evidence against Spendlove is damning. Officers with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, whose investigation began after they'd received a tip on the agency hot line, found seven sets of deer antlers (pictured). They also discovered photos they say provided evidence that all seven deer had been taken illegally.
Chris Schulze, one of the officers, said the bucks were taken from a relatively small area, which "can seriously decrease the buck population in the area and even narrow the genetic pool."
A trial date is scheduled for Sept. 10 in 5th District Court in St. George, Utah.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo of confiscated deer antlers courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
The L.A. Times Dish Rag blog today breaks news that many already know about: Capt. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society runs a vegan ship. DR also provides Sea Shepherd recipes for those interested in learning how these anti-whaling operatives dine.
Another bit of Sea Shepherd news: The controversial skipper and his ragtag crew will be at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on Aug. 29 for an art auction fundraiser entitled "Sea No Evil." It will begin at 7 p.m. and feature more than 60 works of art, including original pieces from Shepard Fairey and Jeff Soto.
A $5 donation is required and proceeds will benefit Sea Shepherd, which is in off-season preparations for yet another campaign -- and perhaps another Animal Planet "Whale Wars" series -- against Japanese whale hunters in the Antarctic.
To be sure, that's what people want to know about. All this blase news about fluffy vegan pancakes and art shows does is whet the appetite for the meat-and-potatoes activity that includes dramatic confrontation and what the Japanese refer to as outright terrorism.
Watson will have more and faster boats for what he promises to be an escalated campaign. Those who followed last season's campaign may recall the collisions and other close calls. Surely, Japan and its Institute of Cetacean Research (Japan suggests to the world its minke and fin whale hunts are in the name of research) are plotting countermeasures for when both groups take to the whale grounds in about four months, during the Antarctic summer.
Many of the few hundred people who have commented on Outposts about this issue -- Watson has lots of supporters, but as many critics -- claim it's only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured during these confrontations. Will this be that kind of season? Stay tuned....
Caution to viewers: Video footage shows graphic gun blast to the head of a wild alligator.
News item: Matt Thornton of Mobile, Ala., and five hunting partners bag a 13-foot, 5-inch, 701-pound alligator to claim the Alabama state record on the first night of gator season on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. (Here's the story and video link in the Mobile Press-Register.)
Reaction: Someone, or some folks, will be wearing some shiny new gator boots soon.
Second reaction: Alligator hunting is increasingly popular in the South, as a means of sport and pest control, and you can tell by watching the video that hunters enjoy venturing into the swamp by night in search of the mother of all gators.
But being from California, where there are no swamps or gators but there is a strong and growing population of animal lovers, I can't help but wonder how these types of hunts would go over if, somehow, the Golden State became overrun with the toothy reptiles. My guess is that there would be hefty opposition to people using treble hooks to snare so large an animal, before dispatching with a close-range blast to the head.
Final statement: This is not a condemnation. I'm pro-hunting in most cases. I'd just never seen anything quite like this, is all.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission has set a quota of 220 wolves for the inaugural wolf hunting season, scheduled to begin next month.
Tags will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m. at Idaho Fish and Game offices, online and at private outdoor retailers. The cost is $11.75 for state residents and $186 for
non-residents. All hunters must also possess an Idaho hunting license, which
costs $12.75 for residents, $154.75 for non-residents.
The commission rejected a more aggressive option, which called for a quota of 430 wolves -- 49% of the state's wolf population.
Idaho joins Montana as one of the first Lower 48 states to legally participate in gray wolf hunts. Last month, the neighboring state set a quota of 75 wolves, with hunting season also scheduled to begin in September.
The plan continues to draw protests, though. Several lawsuits by environmental groups regarding the predators' removal from protection under the Endangered Species Act are pending, and could block the upcoming hunt.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. George Miller, both California Democrats, have introduced a bill in Congress that, if passed, will all but ban the aerial hunting of wolves in Alaska.
Alaska officials would have to declare a biological emergency showing
the imminent collapse of a species before the wolf hunts can take place, and could only allow such hunting to be conducted by state or federal wildlife employees, barring private contractors.
"Shooting wolves from airplanes is not sport -- it is cruel and inhumane," Feinstein said in a written statement to the Anchorage Daily News. "It undermines the hunting principle of a fair chase and often leads to a slow and painful death for the hunted animals. This practice should be banned."
The legislation would close a loophole in the 1972 Airborne Hunting Act (which bans most aerial hunting in the U.S.) that allows Alaska to issue permits for such hunting of wolves on non-federal lands.
"What this bill does is essentially makes it impossible for
Alaska to manage wolf populations in any sort of responsible way," said
Pat Valkenburg, Alaska Department of Fish and Game deputy commissioner. "We
finally have a program that works and to end it because of the
emotional feelings of uninformed people is just not a good idea."
California's bear-hunting season begins Saturday and, as usual, opponents have emerged to take potshots at the Department of Fish and Game.
Notably -- and predictably -- vocal is the wildlife protection group, Big Wildlife, which claims trophy hunting of bears "is scientifically indefensible, unethical and cruel."
The DFG has and will continue to maintain that bear hunting, like deer hunting, is a necessary management tool and that its annual hunt quota of 1,700 adult bears does not jeopardize an estimated overall state population of 25,000 to 30,000 animals.
A valid concern pertains to poaching, as there's a lucrative demand for bear gallbladders, which are used in traditional Asian medicine, and bear paws, which are considered a delicacy in soup. Poaching is a serious issue but California's bear population has remained fairly constant over the years.
Said Brian Vincent, a spokesman for Big Wildlife: "From August 8 until December, life will be unbearable for bears in California. Hunting bears isn't 'sport.' It is cold-blooded killing of one of nature's most majestic animals."
The season will run through the last Sunday in December or until the quota is reached.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Black bear. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
News item: Japan requests that Australia prevent the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship Steve Irwin from leaving port this December to harass its whalers in the Antarctic.
Reaction: Isn't a similar request made every year, to no avail? Japan may not like it, but Capt. Paul Watson and his ragtag band of whale-loving vegans will remain a proverbial thorn in Japan's side as long as it has funding and, thanks to the popularity of Animal Planet's "Whale Wars," there appears to be no shortage for next season's campaign.
And that Southern Ocean campaign, which will launch Dec. 1, figures to resemble something out of this world, thanks to a swift new boat that looks like a space vessel, can travel at 40 knots and plow through waves and deflect harpoons.
The boat is named Earthrace and its New Zealand owner/skipper, Pete Bethune, told the Sydney Morning Herald he was lending his support because he can't stand the thought of whales being slaughtered in "my backyard."
When I talked to Watson recently he said he had something special up his sleeve and was planning a seasonlong, rather than partial campaign against Japan, which annually targets about 1,000 minke whales in what it claims is a research effort.
With the extra boat (Sea Shepherd plans on using three vessels for the campaign) the group does not have to worry about leaving the whalers on their own while returning to Australia for a lengthy refueling process. Of course, the escalation might be dangerous because Japan is weary of what it refers to as acts of piracy against its fleet.
At a recent International Whaling Commission meeting, Japanese delegation member Jun Yamashita said, "It can only be described as a miracle that there has been no death or large-scale accident to date."
Yamashita added: "We cannot tolerate such audacity. We ask for all appropriate measures, including a ban on the ship from leaving port, so that we can prevent these acts from being repeated."
In case you're wondering, a film crew from "Whale Wars" will be with Sea Shepherd shooting for Season Three of the series.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: Earthrace, which is powered by biodiesel and can reach speeds of 40 knots and deflect harpoons, will be used in Sea Shepherd's campaign against Japanese whalers next season in the Antarctic. Credit: Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Capt. Paul Watson, whose Sea Shepherd Society has drawn praise and harsh criticism for its sometimes confrontational encounters with Japanese whalers, says of the second season of the Animal Planet series, "Whale Wars," which debuts tonight at 9 p.m.: "It ought to be 10 times more dramatic and exciting than last year."
That's because last year's shows, which were based on the 2007-08 exploits of Watson and crew, contained very little drama and excitement. This year it'll be different because Watson's 2008-09 campaign against whalers in the Antarctic included numerous confrontations -- including three collisions and a very dramatic pursuit through ice -- with Japanese crews that regard Sea Shepherd as a terrorist group.
"They were very aggressive toward us -- the most aggressive I've ever seen them -- so it's a far more dramatic season for that reason," Watson said in an interview this week.
Sea Shepherd's tactics are to disrupt the months-long hunt and any efforts by whalers to transfer harpooned whales onto the processing ship.
Japan employes a research loophole in the wording of an international whaling moratorium to justify the hunts, which annually target nearly 1,000 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales. Minke whales are not endangered and the country for generations has sold whale meat at market. Whaling, Japan has argued, is deep-rooted in the nation's culture.
Watson, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace, is either revered or despised for the controversial methods he employs. Greenpeace and other whale conservation groups consider his efforts too confrontational and potentially perilous. Watson counters that Sea Shepherd doesn't violate laws and has not injured anyone. He has lots of critics and does not care.
EBay has decided to continue to allow postings for guided trophy hunts of large predators, upsetting wildlife advocacy groups that have urged the Internet auction site to ban such listings.
In February, a coalition of groups including Big Wildlife and Raincoast
Conservation sent correspondence to eBay CEO John Donahoe requesting
that the site cease allowing the posting of hunting auctions for such big game predators as bears,
wolves and mountain lions.
Late last week, the wildlife advocates received a letter from eBay Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Tod Cohen, which stated that "after an extensive review the conclusion is that we will not be expanding the scope of hunting experiences prohibited at this time. Respecting the diversity of opinions and points of view found within the eBay community, our general rule is that if an item can be sold legally off eBay, it can be sold on eBay."
"EBay does have a detailed set of rules covering the sale of animal and wildlife-related goods and services, and has worked closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as well as several animal conservation and protection groups to craft our Animal and Wildlife Products policy," Cohen wrote. "We prohibit the sale of bear parts on eBay and additionally do not generally allow the sale of any live animals, and we worked with the U.S. Humane Society a few years ago to ban the sale of canned-hunt experiences where there is a guarantee of a successful hunt involving a fenced-in animal."
In what may be a fatal blow to Canada's commercial seal hunting industry, the European Union Parliament voted overwhelmingly today on regulations banning the trade of seal products in EU countries.
With all EU governments expected to endorse the ban, the ordinance will likely go into effect in 2010.
"The European Union has made history by ending its trade in seal products," Rebecca Aldworth, director of Humane Society International Canada said in a release. "This ban spells the beginning of the end of Canada's globally condemned seal slaughter."
Canadian officials will likely challenge and request exemption from the ban on the grounds that it could devastate some small communities that depend on the hunt for annual income.
The EU has been a key market for the Canadian sealing industry, accounting for about one-third of sealskin exports.
While this vote will not officially stop the hunt underway in eastern Canada, it is another strong indication of growing
worldwide opposition to the annual slaughter of young harp, gray and
hooded seals.
Sealers are also facing little to no market for the marine mammals' pelts, with prices drastically lower than in recent years.
In response, many sealers have decided to not participate in the hunt this year. According to a Canadian Press article, fewer than 60,000 seals have been killed thus far, though the government quota was set at 280,000.
--Kelly Burgess
Photo: Harp seal in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the
opening days of 2009 Canadian commercial seal hunt. Credit: Stewart Cook / International Fund for Animal Welfare
The annual seal hunt in eastern Canada is still taking place, and opponents and proponents continue to voice their opinions.
The latest to come out against the hunting is Paul McCartney, who has called upon the European Parliament to adopt a seal trade ban. McCartney has also added his name to the petition organized by Humane Society International and Respect for Animals pushing for the ban.
"The fate of millions of seal pups is in the hands of elected members of the European Parliament," McCartney said in a released statement. "In the next few weeks, they will have a historic opportunity to stop the cruel trade in seal products throughout the European Union."
The Parliament is scheduled to vote on a proposed trade ban during the plenary session scheduled for the first week of May.
The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to postpone a decision on proposals to expand black bear hunting regulations in the state, at least for the upcoming season.
The Department of Fish and Game proposals would have allowed bear hunting in San Luis Obispo County for the first time and also permit hunters to kill more than one bear per season.
A coalition of more than 40 organizations, including Los Padres ForestWatch, Big Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States, were on record in opposition of any regulatory changes that would increase hunting.
"Thanks to the commission's decision not to adopt this controversial proposal, black bears will continue to have the freedom to roam in San Luis Obispo County," said Jeff Kuyper, executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch.
The proposals may not be dead though. DFG officials will spend the next few months gathering information in response to concerns raised and may resubmit both bear hunting recommendations to the Commission next year.
There's a troubling trend within Yellowstone National Park: Too many grizzly bears are dying or being killed by hunters, and the animals are being forced to expand range in search of food.
You may recall that Yellowstone's 600 grizzlies were removed from the endangered species list in 2007. Last year, 71 grizzlies died. Of those, 48 were shot by hunters, including at least 20 that were killed by hunters acting in self-defense.
Biologists say the Yellowstone grizzly population remains strong, but they're concerned because beetles in the high country are killing whitebark pine trees, which drop seeds that bears use as a dietary staple. Plus, there are concerns global warming will lead to even fewer whitebark pines.
With a traditional food source harder to come by, some believe, the bears will become grumpier, and danger to humans will increase. "The prospect is that every year is going to be a bad food year because of what's happening to whitebark," Doug Honnold, an attorney for Earthjustice, told the Associated Press.
Earthjustice has sued the federal government in an attempt to have Yellowstone's grizzlies placed back on the endangered species list.
-- Pete Thomas
Photo: A grizzly at Yellowstone National Park. Credit: James Peaco / Associated Press
Outposts' primary contributor is veteran L.A. Times outdoors and action sports reporter Pete Thomas. Also contributing are Kelly Burgess and other Times staffers.
