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“What happens in the oil patch stays in the oil patch . . .” I thought the problem was all those dern wolves, but apparently not. 😉 Article in the Billings Gazette. “State influx leads to more poaching. Long distances, lack of witnesses make job hard for wardens.” By the Associated Press
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They were just inside the Park’s northern boundary. Story in the Bozeman Chronicle.
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Two radio collared lynx have been shot in the last two weeks on southwestern Colorado. A $5000 reward is being offered for information Wild Again has the full story.
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Yellowstone National Park recently released its Final Bison Management Plan. It arbitrarily limits bison numbers through tribal hunting outside of the park and the transfer of public Yellowstone bison to Indian reservations. The NPS Preferred Alternative 2 is better than the existing bison management but will continue the degradation of wild bison. Alt. 3 is…
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The Deschutes River upriver from Bend before irrigators have removed water. Photo George Wuerthner The Bend Bulletin published a piece “Fish by the hundreds rescued in isolated Deschutes River channel.” The basic message is that volunteers “saved” several thousand fish from death as the water levels in the Deschutes River dropped. I am glad some…
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UPDATE: Since I wrote this piece, the number of bison killed near Gardiner and elsewhere from all sources has exceeded 1150 animals. You can read the report here. Yellowstone bison are used to being photographed not shot. Photo Bonnie Lynn As I write this essay, sources I trust estimate that at least 700 of…
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Scarface Mountain, Badger-Two Medicine Rocky Mountain Front, Montana, Photo George Wuerthner A recent article in the Missoulian described efforts by conservationists and some tribal members to stop oil drilling in the Badger-Two Medicine roadless area by the oil company Solenex. This Louisiana company holds leases for oil drilling in the Badger-Two Medicine Roadless area on…
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Tribal hunting is the most significant source of mortality for Washington wolves. Photo George Wuerthner It may surprise most conservationists and wolf advocates, but the single largest source of wolf mortality in Washington State is trapping and hunting on tribal reservations. One wolf advocate I contacted who puts out a weekly wolf newsletter had no…
Author
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.