In our politically influenced lives, it is a brave agency that stands up for the truth. We must not let our most precious public resources be affected by political pressure from special interests.
Ancient Rome: men proved their strength by fighting large carnivores to the death with appropriately primitive weaponry. In the 21st century, recreational killing of animals for other than food is still a social affirmation of sorts among the protagonists who derive pleasure from killing. Today the killing is often aided by sophisticated technological enhancers such as GPS, webcam, mechanized transportation in the backcountry and of course, the best guns or high powered bows available today.
We are not the same people today as the people of ancient Rome, yet this one area of recreational fulfillment still persists in what should be a kinder, gentler world.
First it was the agrarian revolution, then the industrial revolution then the industrialization of agrarianism. Now we have a new, insidious, and very dangerous ‘revolution’ as we see the industrialization of the oldest formal method of survival- ‘hunting’. States’ rights to manage wildlife and their willingness to do so for a minority of their citizens, have led to the undesirable, even unethical, practice of ‘cultivating’ ungulate herds by putting pressure on carnivores. This has led to the misuse of the underlying foundation of ‘science.’ It is now used only to justify the ‘value’ of providing the political and financial opportunities that go hand-in-hand with the demands of ungulate hunters and the positive revenue they realize for the Agencies. The herds are yours and mine, yet they are being sold to the highest bidder and the predators whose job it is to contribute to the biodiversity of the natural world are being vilified and slaughtered.
The deer and elk ‘industry’ is not wildlife management. It is supply and demand to satisfy those with political clout. Our fellow predators are not the enemy of a free market niche of ungulate hunters. We need to say a resounding ‘NO’ to the slippery slope of policies that condone managing wild predatory species to provide for the demands of the human predator.
https://www.hcn.org/articles/were-letting-another-predator-go-down
Idaho continues to cling to the tradition of indiscriminate slaughter as a method to protect livestock. Pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into killing is short sighted at best, fiscally negligent at worst. Education and support for growers so that they can minimize loss over the long term is the most prudent, the most humane, and the most effective way, to manage co-existence with large carnivores.
https://takeaction.takepart.com/actions/tell-idaho-educate-kids-don-t-slaughter-wolves
There is nothing like seeing a grizzly bear. It doesn’t just ‘make your day’ it can change the way you view the natural world for your whole lifetime. Seeing bears ‘in the wild’ is a privilege few of us can pass up, yet privilege comes with responsibility. To truly ‘love’ the bears we must behave in ways that keep them-and us, safe. How sad it would be if we stole the wildness of the grizzly bear. We honor them best by never forgetting their wild and powerful natures. Please let the memory of seeing a grizzly last a lifetime for you and for the bear.
http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_bfb61f1e-08a8-11e5-bbf8-5b6f9f0a3bd6.html
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is committed to ‘thinking outside the box’ when looking at how to manage potential conflicts between grizzly bears and livestock growers. FWP has assembled a great team of ‘forward thinkers’ who acknowledge that their approach is best if it is dynamic and responsive rather than traditional and reactive. It is very sad to see growers experience losses such as this, but with the help of Montana’s experienced and innovative bear management specialists, and the financial assistance from groups such as Defenders of Wildlife for electric fencing, we hope this producer AND the bears will soon be protected!
It is hard to imagine that the surge in publicity about mountain lion sightings in new Mexico is not tied to the upcoming Commission deliberation about expanding the possibilities for killing these elusive creatures. America used to represent freedom but the manner in which our minds are being indoctrinated by corporately owned media outlets is an indication that our freedoms to think independently are being manipulated. Yes, mountain lions exist among us, yes, there is risk if we allow ourselves, our families, our pets or livestock to be unprotected and to look like ‘food’-these risks are manageable in the same way seat belts help us in our vehicles. There are no guarantees but we can do everything we can to prevent conflict. Removing mountain lions by liberalizing opportunities for slaughter is not prevention, it is a false sense of security. Unsubstantiated information and scare tactics are more reminiscent of the age of McCarthyism than of the sophisticated analysis of mountain lion behavior that biologists offer us today. No, there is NOT a cougar under the bed in the same way that there was never ‘a red under every bed’. This is brazen political whitewashing……
http://krqe.com/2015/06/01/cougar-sightings-spike-caught-on-camera/
ABOUT THE COUGAR
GIVE
Donate Now
Shop – Coming Soon
The Cougar Fund is 501(c)3 non-profit
EIN: 31-1796418
P.O. Box 122
Jackson, WY 83001
Photography & Video by Thomas D. Mangelsen and Wild Nature Media.
© The Cougar Fund. All rights reserved.