Another Rainy Day For The Wolves

Once again Alaska's and Idaho's governors are at it. They are pushing harder that ever on their sick wolf-massacre plans. I just don't understand why people have such fear and hate. Oh yeah, I forgot...money.

Please contact these governors to say that their plans are not OK. We do not need a another scene like this picture.

(picture:www.slovakwildlife.org/main.php?pn=poster)

Let The Birds Fly

I was reading about a problem in North Dakota. They want to kill MILLIONS of red-winged blackbirds because the birds may eat up some of the profits of some large agricultural production company. I forget exactly what company. Seems like we have plenty of food in this country. Heck, go to any restaurant and see just how much food is really wasted (I have worked in the business most of my life so I know first-hand). People are starving around the world and we throw good food out. Birds have been eating seed since the beginning of time and big ag corporations like this still still found a way to make huge profits. They want to poison the birds, however, this would also kill any number of other birds, animals, and insects. So what if birds eat the seeds and grain? We have enough. What greed!

(picture from www.tamstuart.com/Slide%20Show%202003/pages)

Grizzly De-listing

It is indeed a sad, sad day. Grizzlies have finally been removed from the Endangered Species list. It's good that they are "recovered" they say. Are they really? People need to take a look at the big picture when it comes to animals like this. Shame on us.(Picture was taken from YNP site.)

"We" DOES NOT Include Us All

I was intentionally choosen by the opposition today to argue about the wolf issue. I knew there was no point since this particular individual's mind is set and the person was only looking to argue in front of others of the same mindset. After I drove around mad for a while, I took a look at some of the things that these people seem to think. One of the most important things I realized was that they think when they speak for themselves they are actually speaking for every person in an entire state. "This state never wanted wolves here again." Well, I am a resident of this state and so are many others that want wolves. "Why should we have to pay for them if we didn't want them here?" Again, lots of us do want them here and don't mind paying. Also, we all pay for countless things in this country and our states that we don't like one bit. I don't care to pay for child rapists and serial killers to sit in prison for life with square meals, cable TV, dental and medical access while many others that are respectable, law-abing citizens don't even have this stuff. Why should we pay to fully reimburse for loss of livestock when other businesses don't make 100% profits all the time? While we are at it, why shouldn't we reimburse theses corporations that fall short of their expected goals-it would only be fair wouldn't it? Why should only livestock ranchers get full payback and nobody else? Worried about loss of an animal with great genetics- why not save a part of it to clone for replacing the lost animal? "It's the ranchers' private land being invaded." Well now, think back to how those ranchers got that land in the first place. Wolves and Natives were there first! Where are they now?! Also these days, many of these "people of power" block off all access to public lands. Yes, I am a little bitter today. We need to remind the opposition that they are certainly not speaking for all of us, just for their individual selves. After today's unprovoked attack on myself, I am beginning to believe that the other side is completely radical (and should be approached with caution like some wild,rabid beast).

Now here's a thought:
Why can't I be compensated for the fair market value and then some for any wolf that a rancher or hunter shoots?

A Swimming Rat

Today, I went to the local small lake for a walk and to watch the ducks. I noticed a small creature jump off of the shore and into the water. Well, getting closer to it, I discovered that it was a rat going for a swim. It swam for about 15 minutes into the deepest area of the lake and around some ducks. The ducks would gang up and try to surround the rat but it would dive underwater and then resurface somewhere else. I was impressed with its' swimming skills. It was almost as if this rat was playing like it was a duck or trying to get them to play. It was very interseting to watch. I never thought about a rat swimming in deep water and far off of the shore like that.

Media Bias Against Wild Animals

Newspapers in this area are very biased towards those with the money-in other words, hunters and ranchers. I would appreciate seeing just one article sometime that does not make animals out to be ferocious creatures waiting to kill anything they come into conatct with or some nice trophy to hang up and take a picture with. Many other taxpayers do not like that type of stuff and there are plenty of outdoor activities to write about without referencing to killing animals. They should research the animals they write negatively about before they publish and they should have to publish truth, not popular opinion. No wonder people have the attitudes they do! Something should be done about this.

Hunters vs. Natural Competition

Hunters these days seem to not know what a true hunt is. Wild animals of all kinds hardly have any natural range left to begin with;it's easier to know where animals can be found these days as compared to when this country was first "founded". Hunters get very angry when they have natural competition from predators. Those predators survive off game, but it is the rare hunter these days that needs this same game to survive. (Exceptions I give to Natives, real mountain men-if there are any left, and somebody stranded out somewhere.) I'm tired of hearing that predators will ruin game populations so there will be nothing left to hunt. Predators never had game populations in this country ruined and never will. Those of European descent came over and devasted populations of every animal that was around, with the exception of their introduced livestock. Seems to me like these "hunters" began ruining their own game populations long ago and now they need something to blame. Hunters are hogging up game animals for their own use and expect the rest of us to feel sorry for them when animals are hard to find or there is none left to kill. Ridiculous!

Wolf Meeting Thoughts

I decided that people like us will never win no matter how strong the arguement is. At this point, I can't say I know with certainty that wolves will be de-listed now. However, since we live in America, the odds greatly favor those with the most money and that is not us. I am saddened and angered about the whole situation but I am glad I spoke up in front of a lot of people that would prefer to shoot me like a wolf for saying what I did.

Of course, I just had to go to Yellowstone after the meeting. I saw a lot of LIVE animals: 1 fox (my picture is above), 1 far away wolf that you could barely see in a scope, 1 wolf-killed elk with a coyote and ravens around it, lots of elk and buffalo, a herd of antelope, a herd of deer, and 1 lone bighorn sheep. It's fun to see all the tracks in the snow; it makes you think about what these animals are doing in winter.