Wildlife Alive

A Quick Post

2009-12-22T16:28:00.002-07:00

Alas, I have been very busy even without a home computer! Sorry about my lack of posting. Yep, I'm still watching animals. Very sad about this whole wolf hunt ordeal out here. A newspaper article the other day said "Yellowstone wolf numbers down." (In a sarcastic tone)Surprise, surprise - allow a wolf hunt and hunters will go kill the wolves. Anyway, I may write again soon.

Happy Holidays to all!

Wolves and Devils

2009-01-25T14:33:00.004-07:00

Our newly elected President Obama has decided to keep gray wolves on the Endangered Species List!!! Bush had tried in his last days to get them off of the list but that was very short-lived. Good news indeed! We'll see what happens as the controversy contues to unfold out here.

Celebrate all wildlife today because one never knows what the future holds for any species.

Speaking of that, the Tasmanian Devil is in jeopardy right now. Apparently, the devils are prone to some type of contagious facial cancer that is killing them off.

Wolf Pack Killed

2008-12-17T10:31:00.002-07:00

A couple weeks ago, an entire wolf pack was put to death up in nothwestern Montana. 13 wolves were killed over 2 or 3 days. They had been eating cattle. This is indeed sad news.

I wonder what the wolves were going through at this time. They were first living normal lives-hunting, eating, playing, raising a family...then all of a sudden one day a gun shot rang out through the cold crisp autumn air. The smell of death of one of their own filled the valley. Fear settled in among the remaining wolves. They wondered what was happening. They tried to mourn the loss of their beloved family member as more shots rang out...then a another shot and another until the last wolf was dead days later. Each remaining wolf lived on the edge, in fear and mourning, until it too was shot to death.

What another sad ending to some wonderful animals. Another day that my heart cried out in pain.

Bears, Wolves, and Reading

2008-11-23T13:16:00.003-07:00

I feel bad that I cannot update regularly any more. Anyway, in my search for a good book to read I have uncovered a gem. The book is called Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness by Doug Peacock, 1990. Perhaps you have heard the name before; most likely through his connection to Yellowstone and grizzlies. I highly recommend this non-fiction book.

Well, I have only heard of 2 bears killed (possibly 3) since elk hunting season opened up. I believe they were all in the same area north of Yellowstone Park near Gardiner that is notorious for this type of tragedy. I did not hear details about the first dead bear. The other bear(or maybe bears) killed were a mom and cub. The mom was surprised by the hunter and tried to defend the cub. The bullet "went through the cub" and into the mom. The mom ran off and they couldn't find her. It was not stated that the cub was dead but I think we can assume that.

Wolf news: People are anxious to hunt these great predators. They were talking about it at work one day. I was intently working as I overheard hunting talk. I thought I heard the wolf mentioned. I quickly turned around to the hunters and said, "What are you going hunting for now?" "A wolf," was the reply,"They are off the list now." I said in a low forceful tone, with eyes glaring, finger pointing and saddened heart, "You leave the wolves alone!" I went calmly back to my work thinking how ignorant people are about our great American wildlife and dreaming of a nation pre-Lewis & Clark. The slaughters will never end.

Canyon Wolf Pack

2008-09-08T16:10:00.002-06:00

I had the thrill of a lifetime once again in Yellowstone. I was able to view the newly formed Canyon wolf pack lying around on a chilly yet sunny day last week. A ranger said this pack had just formed over the winter. They seem to be taking over the old Hayden Pack stomping grounds. The Hayden pack, with its famous white wolf, moved out of the Park (God help them). The Canyon pack has 3 grays, a white, and a large black. Sorry no pics though. I think my digital camera would have only showed them as fuzzy spots. However, the could be seen fairly well with the naked eye and amazingly well with my scope! The grays were curled up sleeping at their own spots. The white was lying down and looking around. The big blabkie was curling up and napping, then he would get up and reposition himself for more slumber the way any dog or cat does. Great experience!

Also, say a prayer for a young grizzly cub I saw foraging for winter. It appears that this winter will be the cub's first winter on its own. I can't say if the mom was dead or what but this bear looked pretty small to be alone this year.

Wolverine Woes

2008-08-19T19:26:00.007-06:00

Montana is still allowing wolverines to be trapped. I believe it is the only state to allow this. The number allowed is 5 this year, down from 10, so that's good news but this is a very elusive animal whose habitat has been dwindling rapidly. There are not that many of these critters left. Wolverines were even denied protection under the Endangered Species Act earlier this year. What good is killing more of them going to do? I guess this small quota was set just to appease Montana sport hunters. They still get the thrill of trapping and killing an innocent, seriously threatened animal for fun and pelt. As a certain girl I know would say, "How rude!"

President Bush is still at it trying to weaken our Endangered Species Act before he is out of office. Please see Defenders of Wildlife to send in your personalized letter against his intended plans. Not really sure it will help though. It seems he does whatever he wants anyway no matter what the people say.

(Photo above: Wolverine. NPS archives.)

Upcoming Changes & Wildlife News

2008-07-28T14:21:00.004-06:00

Soon I will be cutting back on bills. My lovely high speed internet is going bye-bye so I will be posting from elsewhere. Pictures will be gone unless I can put them on an internet address. I do have Picassa web stuff but so far have been unsuccessful in my dealings with it :(

Bear news:

A grizzly attacked a couple while they where asleep in their tent around Cooke City, MT. The guy is fine and actually fared better than what usually happens to most people under these circumstances. His hand was tore up. Nothing happened to his wife. I was up there shortly after that (driving only) and all the campgrounds were closed until the bear could be found. A bear was found a short while ago in the area and was shipped off to some "research center". They did not know if it was the bear that attacked but they shipped it off anyway. Normally, I think they would have just killed the bear even with no way of proving it attacked or not, so I find it a bit odd that it went to this center in Washington. I'm leary of research centers. The bear could be wishing it was dead right now rather than undergoing sick tests or whatever they do there. Could be an innocent bear anyway.

Also, after living all these years out here, I was recently informed that that particular area is where "problem" bears are shipped to after being caught up to no good in the Park. Most people that live here do not know this! Seems like the public should be more widely informed about this practice so we can make our own judgement as to whether to chance it or not. I can also understand why we are not well-informed about this practice. I am grateful the bears are getting a second chance there but I think I will not chance it by camping or hiking there, unless I'm with a very large group.

Wolf news:

Yeah! They are back on the Endangered Species List before the first official hunt could take place. At least for a while. Naturally, oppositon is appealling the decision. So keep on fighting for these animals, especially in the next few months.

Guns in our national parks:

Bush is at it again. He wants to allow guns into our national parks. While I am all for a person's right to bear arms, I am not for this proposal at all. I think this is a bad idea any way you look at it for our national treasures-ranger and tourist safety, animal safety, preservation of the natural surroundings,etc. The comment period is ending soon, August 8 I think, so please Google it and send in your comments.

Penguins For A Friend

2008-07-01T18:05:00.006-06:00

Astrogalaxy, this post is for you. These are the not so great pictures I took of the penguins at the Oregon Zoo. Notice how I tried to get a close up shot of one swimming by me. As a child, penguins were my favorite animal.

The Oregon Zoo was very nice. Lots of exotic species and a lush, green setting. Compare that to Zoo Montana, near my home. The zoo here is nice but small and only has a few species, most of which we can see anyway on a drive out to the mountains. We very recently got our first bear in there. His name is Bruno.

A New Blog

2008-06-26T21:39:00.003-06:00

I am announcing a new blog I have started. It's actually a very personal one that I started in hopes of dealing with a particular "issue" I have acquired. Hopefully, others can be helped also. "What in the world could this crazy gal be up to now," you ask. I have rheumatoid arthritis. My familiar, comfy world has been altered since the end of last year (and a bit longer, but just didn't know what it was until then). I have been living in unfamiliar territory since then and need a place of peace, reflection, and griping.

RA Living

I used Wordpress for this one just to check out its features like a neat, customizable 4 column layout, but sadly my "heavenabove" was already taken:( so I am greenone there. Yep, green is my favorite color because it reminds me of the outdoors. Of course, the other blog will have nature pics

If you know somebody with RA please share my site so we can build a supportive community.

Cannon Beach, Oregon

2008-06-20T22:27:00.008-06:00

In my recent travels, I was able to see a part of the country I haven't been to before. One of my favorite places was Cannon Beach. The town is very nice but the best part is the beach. I hear many artists call this place home because of the famous Haystack Rock (pictured above), a favorite subject and I believe the largest offshore monolith in the world. Puffins nest on the rock. At low tide, people are able to walk out to the rock but I was there at the wrong time for that.

The Atlantic Ocean is so warm compared to the Pacific in the Northwestern U. S. I did wade in the chilly waves but I did not dare to submerge myself in its cold waters. BRRRR! Completely different look on the beaches, also. The Pacific coast is full of cliffs and trees, including evergreens, while the Atlantic does not. Sea life is a bit different, as well. I've never seen a sand dollar on the Atlantic coast but they are all over the Pacific shoreline. No horseshoe crabs and big jellyfish washed up on shore either but there are sea lions (which I did not see) and plenty of broken crab parts scattered around. Very cool to see something new!

FYI: Sea lions are considered a problem in the Pacific Northwest. They eat salmon but the fishermen's livelihood depends on salmon. So, sea lions are being killed so they can't eat the salmon. Not long ago-I forget if it was Washington or Oregon- was going transplant some sea lions to a differnt location to help both sides out. Well, the sea lions were placed in transport cages and were waitin to be moved. They never made it to their new home because somebody shot all of them while in the cages. Very sad news.

Endangered Species Day Treat

2008-05-26T09:38:00.019-06:00

I traveled to Yellowstone last week on Endangered Species Day (Sunday, May 18 on my calendar but originally designated by Congress for May 16.) What a great treat!

One would never know half of the bison herd have been killed over the winter, mostly at the hand of humans. There were lots of bison to see! I did tell a few of them to "Stay in the Park or you'll be slaughtered!" Quite a few babies have been born but not as many as I had hoped to see. A herd was lounging around in the yards of Mammoth. A big boy was rolling around a small terrace. Another big boy grazed it way to a pedestrian bridge and was eyeballing tourists as they crossed it-way to close for comfort for me!

This day took the prize for the most bears I've seen in one day. 5 grizzlies and 1 brown black bear (top photo). The black bear was a kid bear roaming alone. 2 of the grizlies were big males. One was sitting up in a snow patch like a dog. Then it fell back and rolled around. The other one, in a different location, was slowly walking and pawing at the ground (bottom photo). The other 3 grizzlies were a mom with 2 cubs pawing at the ground and playing in some downed trees on a small hill. There were reports of 3 more bears by the Lake but I did not get that far. Finally, the bears are out of hibernation!

The Oxbow wolf pack was out and people had scopes set up at the usual pullout watching them. Unfortunately, I could not stop to look due to a kid's bathroom emergency. I'll see them next time.

The 2 bighorn sheep I saw were very raggedy from struggling through the harsh winter. They were actually outside of Gardiner right on the roadside and not in the Park.

Usually I don't see many deer but this time there was quite a few. The usual antelope hered was hanging around near Gardiner and lots of elk were out and about, mostly dispersed among bison. Ravens and eagles were abundant. Prairie dogs have babies trailing near. They all have 2 babies. (Photo: The other baby went underground before I got the shot. They are fast when they think they're in danger.)

The funniest thing I saw was a Canadian goose bobbing up and down wildly as it rode the rapids of a swelled up river (which is now flooding downstream). I imagine this goose's legs were quite tired from paddling after it finally reached the bank on the other side, and a long way from it's intended destination. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

Hope For Wolves But Not For Bison

2008-05-13T16:21:00.006-06:00

First, I will say that I am traveling this weekend to my beloved Yellowstone. Just a day trip to see what is going on with the animals.

Photo: Mammoth Terraces-way off date stamp.

Now, a quick update on the buffalo and the wolves. They were supposed to stop killing bison a few weeks ago but they have braisenly went against their own word. Bison have been slaughtered. And worse yet, 400+ bison, including many, many newborn calves are being held captive now. They claim they are holding all these bison until Yellowstone greens up and the bison will then not leave the park in search of food. Seems quite assinine to me. What's the great difference in vegetation between the corrals and the surrounding land-nothing. Maybe they are feeding the corralled bison. Obviously, they took the time to herd up the bison and push them into the corrals so why not herd them up and push them into the valleys farther into the middle of the park? I believe it's just another excuse to trap and kill these bison. The herd is already half of what it was last season.

As for the wolves, there is some good news. Environmentalist groups have a lawsuit pending over the recent delisting. The government asked for an extension on the case but a judge in Billings, MT told them no, there will be no delay in hearing this case. He will not chance more wolves being lost. I was taken back when I heard the story. I could not believe a judge around here would be sympathetic to wolves. This sounds promising.

Wolf Massacre Update

2008-05-01T16:30:00.009-06:00

The death toll for gray wolves continues to rise as they are ruthlessy killed by hateful people. It is very disturbing although I had no doubt at all that this would happen as soon as federal protection was taken away from them only a few weeks ago.

Here is sad news from Defenders of Wildlife:
Wolf 253M, known as "Limpy" was the beloved member of Yellowstone's Druid Peak pack -- and one of the first wolves shot dead when federal protections were lifted on Northern Rockies wolves.

Photo: Limpy. Copyrighted by Tim Springer.

The Druids are a famous Yellowstone wolf pack. Many documentaries show this pack. I've never ran into them myself-yet. Their home is in Yellowstone's Northern range. Poor unsuspecting Limpy and other pack members wandered into elk feeding grounds in Wyoming across that infamous invisible line that tells wolves and bison not to cross or they will be killed. Limpy and 2 other wolves were shot to death. What a shame. And on the very first day that protections were lifted. FYI, yes, Limpy had a limp. My understanding is that his back legs were crippled up from a fight.

Worse yet, a front page story in the Billings Gazette had the tale of one wolf hunter. He (the man) "stalked his prey (the wolf) for 35 miles on snowmobile" before he was able to kill the wolf. The guy went on to say that although that particular wolf did nothing to him, he killed it out of hate for what wolves have done to livestock-the token wolf (what a cool manly dude, huh?). He claims that pro-wolf folks just do not understand what wolves are capable of. Sorry buddy, but yes we do. We just have more tolerance and and are more capable of seeing the larger scope of things. We see ways for coexistance. Of course there will have to be some loss on both sides. We are not blinded by money. God created all life-He was pleased with all animals. He put them here for a reason and that reason is not to become extinct at the hands of ignorant, hateful, greedy people with guns.

Oh yeah, I am fed up with this town's crappy biased reporting and subliminal hatred & fear tactics! If I had money, I would start my own paper.

Other wolf news, The Southwest's Mexican wolf population continues to drop. Now there are only 52 of them left and basically nothing is being dome to restore that population to a stable number-even though prior government plans were to get that number up to 100 3 years ago.

There are more wolf deaths I could mention but I'm upset now thinking about all this waste of life. All we can do is keep fighting for the wolves even if it is in vain.

Bad Day?

2008-04-27T21:36:00.006-06:00

Ever have as bad a day as this poor little creature in the picture? I hope not. I've had bad days all right but nothing as bad as this. I ran across this unfortunate animal partially trapped in pond ice last winter. Must have froze up real fast for him/her to not be able to get to safety in time. Maybe it was wounded or weak or sick and couldn't make it. Maybe it was already dead and somebody threw it onto a then slush-covered pond where it later froze around it. But who would bother with a dead rodent? And there were little tracks around it on the ice. I don't know, it may seem like a sick photo to some folks but I just had to remember the little creature. How many other people do you think sit and wonder and feel sad for a rodent that froze up in the ice? Probably not many. This little animal's life was worth something to me.

Last week I almost ran over a red squirrel. I was looking ahead when I saw something reddish running fast along a chain link fence. As I got closer I could tell it was a squirrel with something in its mouth getting ready to high tail it across the road in front of me. Just as I got there, it leapt(?) across. I didn't feel a thump but I didn't see the squirrel on the other side either. Of course I turned the car around and go see if it was laying dead on the road. To my relief there were no signs of it.

Odd things to post about but I really don't feel like getting into the usual wildlife woes of the West right now. Spring fever is giving me the itch to go to Yellowstone for the day and see the "big" (animals-wolves, buffalo, bears) but I am having a fine time enjoying the small animals and birds around here.

Bighorn Sheep Herd Annihilated

2008-04-17T08:43:00.007-06:00

Photo: A small bighorn grazing on Tower Road in Yellowstone last July. I rounded a corner and there it was! Note that I did not get out of the car to harass or pet the sheep or even to get a better photo.

Last week a herd of Montana bighorn sheep was found to have contracted pnuemonia, most likely from domestic sheep or goats. The bighorn herd contained about 220 indiviuals but now only 19 are left.

Read Helena's Independent Republic story here.

This is sad news, epecially in an area ruled by livestock interests. Bighorn numbers have been decreasing overall without this disease. Bighorns have repeateldly been relocated to areas "better for them." I personally worked on a bighorn relocation project deciding which areas would be best to do controlled burns. This project was for future use and hasn't been carried out yet. Why burn an area? Well, mountain lions hang out on treed areas to hide from their prey. An area of very little or no tree cover would be void of mountain lions therefore safer for bighorns. Needless to say, I did have personal issues with this project but it was a fantastic way to learn about wildlife management.

We should have just left all the animals where they were to begin with, as the Natives did. Things are all messed up for animals like the bighorns. Plus it takes much money to relocate animals to areas that aren't suitable for them anyway-rounding them up and sometimes tranquilizing them, fuel costs to haul the animals, money to forcibly make suitable habitat, money to relocated the animals being displaced-like the mountain lions (which are probably just shot anyway), money to pay the folks and agencies doing the relocating.... All seems ridiculous and wasteful to me. Oh, I understand it is in the name of "saving a species" but is it truly helping or just making more problems?

A Happy Twist in Bison Defense But Not So Good For Wyoming Wolves

2008-04-11T08:32:00.010-06:00

I was dozing off yesterday after work when I was awakened to a surprising announcement on the news. A moratorium on the Yellowstone bison slaughter is being demanded, not only by the Buffalo Field Campaign but by large national organizations such as the Humane Society. This is great news folks! That means people all across the nation are fed up with this brutal, unnecessary bison management practice. People are paying attention. I'm still not optimistic that things will change but I am overwhelmed with joy that so many people care about the plight of the buffalo-there is hope in numbers. (Over 1600 bison have been killed so far this season.)

On a disturbing note now, I report on the plight of our very recently delisted gray wolves. Only one has been killed in Montana. I think it was after livestock. I haven't heard anything about Idaho yet. However, in Wyoming at least 10 wolves have been killed. Keep in mind that over most of the state wolves are able to be shot on sight with no permit or liscence required. Only around Yellowstone wolves are classified as trophy game and there will be a designated hunting season established. But why wait for wolf hunting season when you can hang out at the "shoot-on-sight" boundary line and kill the wolves as they cross this invisible line? Hunters have been hanging out doing just that. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to happen. Wolf defenders tried hard to prevent this from happening but to no avail. These hunters are making big news in local papers. They make it seem like such a fun time to go out killing these wolves for fun. Even wolves that are not even attacking livestock. Wyoming will not be satisfied until all wolves are exterminated.

Photos: both are from NPS archives

Bleak Outlook For Buffalo

2008-03-31T11:03:00.007-07:00

Photo: Buffalo in Mud Volcano area.
I have little optimism for our current buffalo situation. Things are just getting worse for those animals. I've blabbed enough about them the last few posts. Now, they say that it's OK if the herd gets down to about 2500 individuals. They say herd has previously recovered from that low number before. My question is why would we allow the numbers to dwindle that low to begin with? What kind of sick, money and fear-backed campaign are they running? The facts behind this buffalo slaughter have never made even a hint of a good arguement. So far, 25% of the herd has been slaughtered this season and the number increases weekly. Simple truth is livestock money and federal interests are operating cooperatively to ensure almost the bare minimum of many "threatening" species out here. Please keep writing local and national officials in protest of this twisted management plan. The voice of a nation may stop the madness.

2 young ladies were arrested following a protest at the Mammoth Visitor Center. The center was closed to the public while the girls were duct taped togetehr by the arms arounf a banister in protest of the buffalo slaughter. Right on, girls! I appreciate your efforts. The first thing I though after I heard the center closed for that time was "Yeah, we wouldn't want visitors to know what the National Park Service is really doing to the same bison they are supposed to protect and preserve!"

And now I'm on to new subjects. First,I'm on a mission to perfect simple crystal growing. Maybe I will post updates on my trials. The kid insists on using crystals in next year's science fair experiment. Second, I have welcomed a new cat into my home. The kitten was supposed to go to a family member, who does love her, but the other large cat viciously ripped into the new kitten. Of course I could not leave the kitten there with a clear conscience. The kitten (and 7 other cats!) were recently rescued by my friend from the city shelter's death row. Cute little cat-long furred calico that is very cuddly.

Fighting For The Buffalo

2008-03-07T08:50:00.009-07:00

There will be a teach-in on the subject of buffalo this month in Bozeman, MT. Wednesday, March 26, 7 PM, at Montana State University’s Procrastinator Theater. I urge all to attend this meeting if possible.

Please click HERE for more detailed info on the event.

For those who cannot attend, I urge them to promote this desperately needed event through word of mouth, distributing homemade flyers, placing adds in the paper or on the radio...whatever is feasible for you.

Photos: Both are from the NPS archives. Bottom: Captured bison from YNP await death.

Gray Wolves Delisted

2008-02-29T20:22:00.010-07:00

Gray wolves have been taken off the threatened & endangered species list. I called this one a long time ago. I knew it would happen no matter how much we fought to stop it. Cattle money speaks loudly out here. I will not rant on this-everyone already knows my passion for wolves. I think it is premature. Attitudes towards wolves may have shifted nationwide to conservation but here in the heartland of the drama, wolves are not wanted. Hate for these great canines is rampant. Ignorance and greed dictate nature out here.

In 1922, these wolf pups were captured to be killed (by any means necessary-and I have read the detailed reports from back in those days). NPS archives photo.

In 1995, after gray wolves had been exterminated to extinction, gray wolves from Canada were brought in to restore a lost population and a broken ecosystem. NPS archives photo.

Today, wolves have rebounded in numbers and the Yellowstone ecosystem is thriving. (Too bad people's attitudes towards them haven't rebounded.) NPS archives photo: Rose Creek pack.

What is next for wolves? Who knows. My outlook is not optimistic at all. I imagine many will be exterminated as soon as possible. Sadly, up to 1,200 of them can die and still the "minimum allowable limit" will be met. Folks out here apparently will not be happy until the only remaining wildlife is caged.

Another shot through my heart:(

Bison Slaughter Escalates

2008-02-22T19:57:00.008-07:00

In the last 2 weeks, 290 more Yellowstone buffalo have been sentenced to death for nothing. Every few days, more and more are rounded up.

The words of the Buffalo Field Campaign shot me through the heart:

Along the north boundary, near Gardiner, Yellowstone National Park has captured and sent to slaughter 290 of America's last wild buffalo. It is so hard to imagine the stress and horror these buffalo go through as they are captured and separated from their families by age and sex. Frightened, they run around in a panic, goring each other as they try to find a way out of this thoughtless prison. The sacred buffalo, being loaded onto livestock trailers and hauled to the dark nightmare of the slaughter house, to be processed and cut to pieces. How dare Yellowstone National Park condemn the buffalo under their care to such a fate.

Excuse me while I rant. What the hell kind of "management" is this that has been allowed to continue for years unchecked?! The buffalo are not even tested for brucellosis. If they were, I'm positive the majority of them would not have the disease. Why are the elk with it not sent to slaughter or even considered to be a threat? The "managers" and ranching interests backing this sick practice are completely braisen, even to the point of being morally bankrupt. I'm sure Natives weep for the loss of the bison. So do I. I believe God is saddened also-we are not taking proper care of His creations.

The vision I see of the future for America's western wildlife is not good, in fact our precious animals are in a dire situation-wolves, bison, bears, cougars,... Every year I watch as the sad tale unfolds. The states with the largest areas of prime wildlife habitat and fewer people kill more wildlife than anywhere else in the nation. There is no tolerance, no pride for what wildlife we have out here, no real conservation practice (most times the word "management" is used out here, maybe because they know it is not "conservation"). I have acquired friends from many states across the U. S. and none of them can believe what we are doing to our wildlife out here in the great West. One gal from New York of all places put it this way the other day, "They kill animals out here, that's what they do." She's right. It's a gun toting, animal shooting funhouse where selfishness dictates. I'm tired of knowing bison are dying daily for the whims of a few with more money, therefore more political clout. Corrupt-no way, right?! I would like to read a pleasant story in any paper out here once in awhile about a living animal of any kind. Guess I'll have to start my own paper for that.

I feel helpless in situations like these. All I can think of is to tell others to boycott American bison (meat, hides, etc.) in the marketplace until current bison management practices stop. When money talks, "management" listens.

Photo: 3 of Yellowstone's last remaining bison (very well could be dead now).

Oh, To Be Free Flying

2008-02-18T08:35:00.014-07:00

Currently, I have heard much sad news about animals. We have cattle being tortured to make them stand up so they can be "fit for slaughter" for human consumption. It is downright animal cruelty. I'm sure you've seen the disturbing footage on the news over the past couple of weeks. We have polar bears drowning in ever-expanding Arctic waters. Gorillas and elephants are being massacred. Moose in the Rockies are roaming into expanding urban areas in search of food and then being trapped and hauled off to God know's where. We have people anxiously awaiting the upcoming grey wolf massacre. And hundreds of bison are being shipped off to their death, even newborn calves, in the name of retaining "brucellosis-free status" for cattle herds-only problem is the bison being shipped to slaughter are not even tested for the disease.

In light of all of this, I have been thinking about what it would be like to be a wild bird flying free. As a bird, I may have a better chance to escape death by human since humans are mostly concerned with larger, predator type animals. And what a better bird to be than a raven out in the mountains. Humans are more apt to capture or kill fancier birds with nice plumage or more meat. Ravens have always fascinated me. They are quite intelligent birds. They can use tools, reason, and have moods and personalities. They have inquisitive minds and a special relationship with wolves. Just imagine what they see out there!

On a fall trip to Yellowstone last season, we stopped at a picnic area to get lunch. Ravens are always hanging around that picnic spot every time I've been there. Probably the same birds. This time we were sitting at the table when 2 ravens slowly moved in closer and closer to us, hopping along the ground, over boulders, and through trees. One was far more reserved than the other and would come no closer after a certain distance. The other one was quite a character. This bird was testing us to see if we would give it handouts or drop crumbs. It would circle the table by walking on the ground and then slowly move in to the benches until we would move a little. Then it would scoot back a bit and do it over again for the good hour we were there. In the meantime, of course, I am talking to this raven and I can plainly see that it's listening to me by the way it's looking me in the eye and tilting its head and "talking" back when I am through with my statements. I don't claim to know what it said but I do know we were communicating. This is the friendliest raven I have ever come across. It became so brave as to sit on the bench at the table. Keep in mind that the picnic area was full with other tourists eating lunch, but none got to be part of this special experience.

After eating lunch and making sure to leave no crumbs of human slop around for the ravens (and even cleaned up others' slop off the ground), we took off walking to the restroom. We came out and guess who was hopping over the ground to us? The 2 ravens, with the shy one farther back. After the car was loaded up, we drove over to dump the trash and the ravens were still following after us until they caught up to us. I told my "friend" we had to get going but we'll be back after winter is over for another visit.

A terrific book to read on ravens is: Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heindrich. He has spent a lifetime studing these fabulous birds. In fact he has also contributed to PBS's Nature program "Ravens" . I have not seen this yet but I'm sure it's good. And as always, don't pass up a chance to watch or interact with these birds.

Photos: The raven on rock is my "friend" at the picnic area. The other one I don't know-it was catching bugs in a thermal area.

Buffalo Roundup In Progress, Again

2008-02-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

The current buffalo hunting season that is now underway has left 102 buffalo dead so far. Another 50 unfortunate buffalo have been herded into the Stephen's Creek pen awaiting shipment to the slaughter house or some particular research facility, I forget where. The unlucky bison herd (sarcastic voice now) blatantly ignored the rules given to them for staying within Yellowstone Park boundaries. The herd crossed over the Park boundary one time too many this year. The herd spitefully wandered out of bounds to graze and survive the winter even though the obvious boundary is clearly posted with warnings in buffalo language. The herd must promplty be dealt with. In addition, the spring 2008 summer season is soon approaching for the Park and buffalo meat is needed to stock the cafeterias.

It just weighs my heart down every time I read about buffalo. I haven't heard a positive thing about these wonderful animals in years around these parts. Well, I love them. They are nice animals except when pestered by goofy, camera-wielding tourists that attempt to invade their personal space. Yes, they may even charge for no apparent reason but they are still fine animals. Some fools even try to pet them like an ordinary house pet. Who wouldn't have their hide ruffled at that?

Please help these and other imperiled bison:

Buffalo Field Campaign

Photo: NPS Archives. A previous roundup. Jim Peaco 2003.

ACK!!!!!!!!

2008-01-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

I tried switching to a new template from an outside source. Didn't like it so I downloaded my old one back on. As you can see my entire left column has been destroyed in the process!!! All my links and pictures gone!!! What is worse is that what is showing up on the site is not what is on the layout page!!! Sorry for the crappy look right now, but in time I will have it restored. A huge apology to those whose links have vanished (at least for now I'm hoping).

If you plan on creating a new template, I suggest playing around with it on a new blog. Then if you don't like it you can get rid of it without this type of disaster occuring.

In spite of this trajedy, please scroll down and read my previous post. Some grizzlies need help urgently.

Cabinet-Yaak Grizzlies Need Your Help

2008-01-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Once again grizzly bears need your urgent help so please don't delay! This time it is the bears of the Cabinet-Yaak area. Seems like since the Yellowstone grizzlies were delisted last spring, people are just itching to get all bears off the list (Endangered Species List).

Photo: NPS archives

Natural Resources Defense Council states:

"Grizzly bears in the Cabinet Yaak ecosystem, which are hovering at dangerously low numbers, are of particular concern. Without endangered species protection, the last remaining 30-40 bears could go extinct. At a December meeting, state wildlife officials passed a draftresolution requesting that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicecomplete a study of the northern Montana grizzly populations bythe end of 2008. It appears that state officials are demanding an expedited studywith the hope that small, isolated bear populations will be put together and evaluated as a single group. If that is indeed the case, overall population numbers might appear robust enough to warrant the removal of federal protection. But according to wildlife biologists, stripping these bears of protection now would drive them back to the brink of extinction."

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is the place to send comments and/or calls to. Or use this handy link to sign the letter designed by NRDC:

Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Delisting Petition

Where is the Cabinet-Yaak area?

Map: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Geese Butchered & Left In Parking Lot

2008-01-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago several white geese were found strewn about a local business parking lot. Goose hunting season had ended before this. These poor beautiful geese had the breast meat cut off of them. The rest of their bodies were shamefully discarded around the lot. Wildlife officials had been called in to investigate the incident and the business owner had "no comment." He was also instructing people to pick up the bodies and stuff them into trash bags and toss them into the dumpster-this was after knowing that the scene was supposed to be left intact until the wildlife officials could investigate the crime scene. Sounds fishy on his part. So far, I haven't heard any new information on this.

The crime against these geese was as sickening to me as this past year's antelope poaching crime. Also, last summer in Pennsylvania was perhaps an even grosser, twisted scene when a mom dog and all her puppies were found lying by a creek-all had been skinned. I'm grateful that I do not have sick thoughts against animals such as the ones some obviously troubled individuals turn into reality. My heart goes out to all the animal victims of these horrendous crimes.

Photo: freenaturephotos.com

NOW FOR SOMETHING ENJOYABLE

Livingsword has passed on another humbling award to me. What can I say? God and nature go hand in hand. God created it all and without Him I would have no animals or great places to enjoy.

I would like to pass this on to Victorya. Truly an inspiring person! Her beauty shines through in her words. She is also a person gifted with strong animal bonding, especially to her beloved Penny.

Tragic Accident Kills 19 Alaskan Eagles

2008-01-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

19 eagles are dead after gorging themselves in a truck full of fish waste. The eagles became to sioled to fly off after picking through the slimy mess. Surviving eagles were cleaned up with soap and water. Apparently, somebody forgot to cover up the top of the truck, which is normal procedure.

Click here to learn more about this incident.

My heart goes out to these eagles. Here they were flying around in search of food when they happened to stumble upon the motherload of fish guts. They excitedly flew in to feast with other eagles. Then terror struck as some of them struggled to fly away with a content belly but could not. Other eagles watched their kin slowly die in that truck of horrors. What a sad, sad accident.

The eagles in the photo are the pair at the local zoo, taken last summer.

2008: Year Of The Wolf?

2007-12-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Some good and bad happening in the wolf realm. The good part is so excitingly fun that I will mention the bad news first.

Still seems to me, and many others, that Wyoming is hell bent on making sure the wolf population gets back down to the minimum allowable limit. The state's "new" wolf plans still wreak of hatred. Sad to say that the Feds have now endorsed the state's plan.

Billings Gazette: Draft regulations proposed by the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish would allow ranchers to kill gray wolves that prey on livestock, while wildlife managers could kill wolves that try to take elk on state feed grounds.

The proposed regulations would apply only to the northwest corner of the state, where wolves would be considered trophy game animals under the state's management plan. In the rest of the state, wolves would be classified as predators that could be shot on sight.

(Note: I only copied the dumbest part of the plan. For clarity, the "northwestern corner" refers basically to the area right around Yellowstone's boundaries.) I had no doubt in my mind that wolves would be delisted but this state's crappy management plan should not be endorsed. The most assine part is that wolves can be killed for eating elk on state land! Let's see... they can't eat sheep, cattle or elk, and the only buffalo are trapped within Yellowstone Park. What the heck are they supposed to survive on? Maybe they can learn to graze like cattle or stop by the grocery store for a steak. Clearly, the state of Wyoming will not be happy until another wolf massacre happens. The required "public input" soon to come to really doesn't affect matters much once Feds have their minds made up. Shame on us once again.

Another sad story to report: A coyote in the Old Faithful area was put to death right before Christmas. It had nipped 2 people within about 20 minutes and it was taken to an area "where it could be safely shot with a handgun." The people are fine. The coyote tested negative for rabies. It probably was fed up with humans and finally fought back. Who knows what the animal was thinking. Anyway, my thoughts are with the coyote.

Don't sound like a good start to a new year for wild canids.

Now Time For A Little Wolf Fun:

Ever get a little bored of being a human? Why not become a Yellowstone wolf for a while! The Minnesota Zoo came up with a game in 2007 titled Wolf Quest where players can do just that. It is available for FREE download. It was intended for young guys 10-15 years old or so but any wolf lover will enjoy it-trust me. You can play by yourself or you can go online and be part of a pack. As you can imagine, this game is highly recommended by Wildlife Alive!

Wolf Quest: Amythest Mountain

Oh yeah, I also recommend taking a "sick" day off of work just to play it and then watch PBS wolf documentaries while snuggled up wearing wolfie pajamas and covered up in a cozy wolf-scened throw (unless you live in a hot part of the world). Then after you're inspired, write or call Wyoming and U.S. Wildlife officials to oppose Wyoming's horrendous wolf plans.

Christmas In Yellowstone

2007-12-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Photo: An elk grazing right outside Mammoth's Visitor Center last winter.

What's my favorite place like at Christmas time? I can't tell you first hand yet (since I stay with family at this time) but I have some information that will help paint a beautiful picture.

From Casper, Wyoming's Star Tribune:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK -- Candlelight services at the park's Mammoth Hot Springs Chapel are scheduled twice on Christmas Eve, but worshippers who've been there before know the passing elk and bison sometimes delay the services a bit. The 100-year-old chapel in the country's first national park stands to receive about 600 people Monday evening. "We're in the crown jewels of God's creation," said the Rev. Bill Young, resident minister for the past 25 years. "So we have a very, very special place to celebrate." Typically, many of the worshippers on Christmas Eve are among Mammoth's 300 or so year-round residents. Others travel from the communities of Gardiner and Livingston in Montana, or from Cody, a Wyoming gateway to Yellowstone. Tourists attend the services, as well. All lights in the chapel are turned out and each person receives a candle. All the candles are lit from a single flame, intended to symbolize that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. In its early years, the chapel built in 1913 drew some of the U.S. military personnel that oversaw Yellowstone soon after it was designated a park.

The following is a short excerpt from Nature's Christmas in Yellowstone by Tom Murphy. I have seen it a hundred times or so and never tire of it. It is often of PBS so I recommend it. Don't expect flashy holiday decor and music. Just sit back and enjoy the serenity of a place few people travel to in winter. Tom Murphy has quite a job!

Christmas For The Critters

2007-12-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

With all the recent reporting on sad animals stories (the South Korean oil spill, the sickening gorilla slaughter, and killing of elephants for human coffe consumption) it is now time for something good.

Photo: www.bigskymontananet.com

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana is now in the midst of "Christmas for the Critters." The public is invited to donate treats for the wolves and bears. It was reported that all the animals "have been very good this year" and are deserving of special Christmas treats. This is an annual event at the center.

From the newspaper: The Christmas list for the bears include jars of peanut butter, jam, honey, corn oil, and unsalted nuts. The wolves would enjoy hamburger, spices, extracts, and perfumes in their stockings. To ensure the safety of the animals pleases bring only unopened items. 'They've been good for goodness sake!'

(The wolves don't eat the spices and perfumes, they are aroused like a cat on catnip by various scents.) So if anyone is in the area, please take a Christmas treat to these animals. I guess shipping treats would be fine, too. I planned on going but my car is out of commission:( I believe the treats are accepted up until Christmas Day. The Center is even open that day.

Here's a bit about the center:
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

Photo: JeffThomson.org

Winter Wonderland

2007-11-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh! Winter is here. Put on some warm clothing and head out to explore!

The photo is Yellowstone's Mammoth Terraces. Last year I believe.

Idaho Fish Pollution Control

2007-11-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

The state of Idaho, the nation's largest producer of rainbow trout, has come up with a plan to reduce waterway pollution from farmed fishes. Much of the water pollution is caused by increased phosphorus levels coming from fish "emissions" at the farms. The plan is similar to the nation's current air pollution permitting process. Fish producers will be given permits based on operation size. Just like air permits, these water permits will be transferrable. Basically, there is one overall standard for phosporus levels but specific fish growers may still be able to pollute above the standard because of the tranfers. I'm just glad there is finally a maximum allowable level. It is a start.

EPA Targets Fish Farms With Permits

Photo: Rainbow trout from NPS archives

Thanksgiving Day Is Here

2007-11-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Be thankful for all the world's animals.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. Millions of turkeys will be the main dish for feasts across the nation. I don't advocate eating turkeys one bit but I do encourage learning about them, especially Heritage turkeys (those that are native to the U. S.). I watched a story about the following turkey ranch and found it very interesting. There's lots of information about these beautiful birds and what makes them Hertiage breeds. There's even a turkey film and webcam.

Good Shepherd Turkey Ranch

Give the turkeys a break this year, eat something else-preferably no meat.

(photo: http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark/narragansett.html)

San Franscisco Bay Wildlife In Danger

2007-11-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yet another tanker spill has leaked toxic substances into our oceans:

Spill closes bay beaches as oil spreads, kills wildlife

(Photo: CBS News)

Response to this incident at the time of occurance was reported to be "slower than usual." Can't say I am surprised. Anyway, more sea creatures are being harmed and killed, as are birds and other animals on the beaches of this area.

It would be nice to have enough money to be able to travel to places like this in times when volunteers are needed to help clean up the wildlife. Much thanks to those that can help.

On The Bear Front

Another hunter was mauled by a grizzly last week. "They" are saying that bears are more aggressive this year than years past. My thoughts are still on worrying about the plight of these bears after their recent delisting. The bears are not acting any more agressively than they have before; they are just being encountered more frequently as habitat dwindles. Of course a bear will react to danger.

Now Ponder This:

Last week I was lucky enough to listen to a vegetarian, actually a vegan, speaker defend the practice through the Bible! The argument is very compelling and puts a twist in our current ways of thinking. Now, don't ask me to repeat the arguements because I am not good at that type of thing and not as well versed as I would like to be in Bible verses. However, I will find out if there are published works from this professional. If so, I will pass that information along.

Don't Be A Grinch!

2007-11-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is something near and dear to me that is not about wildlife. I contibute a box to this project every year. Operation Christmas Child (through Samaritan's Purse) delivers shoe boxes filled with Christmas surprises to boys and girls in poverty stricken nations. The shoe boxes or same size plastic containers can be wrapped, lid seperately, in holiday paper. You can also pick gifts for a child of a particular age, just write a note on the box. I'm not sure how countries other than the U. S. get them all together but here certain churches are the drop-off point. The boxes are collected this year from November 12-19. Or the boxes can be sent to:

Samaritan's Purse International Relief (click for website)
P. O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
Phone: 1-800-665-2483

So, all of you people out there that can spare a few dollars this holiday season, please stuff a box full of goodies for a great kid and get it sent out soon! God bless.

Just Slithering Around & Awards

2007-11-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

This snake (probably a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake) has made a home in a pile of leaves under my bicycle. One day, it was resting on the patio and I didn't see it and nearly crushed it as I walked by. What a relief when I didn't. You probably never saw someone so excited to discover a snake living on their patio! Well, that's all I've been up to lately-slithering around in my busy world.

Sad to say there is hunting news I was going to report on but I have been so busy I forgot what the news was.

And now, on to the awards...

I have been tagged with 2 more neat and interesting awards through Livingsword. Both awards are to be passed on to notable other bloggers.

I will pass the above award on to the following bloggers:
Victorya
Waitress4Life
Louise

This second award I may be unable to accept. Lately, I have been quite preoccupied with the daily grind and have had little chance to connect with others the way I once used to. I do miss everyone and hope all is well.

I pass this one along to:
Louise
Amel

A while ago my post "And The Heavens Cried" was tagged for excellence by Livingsword. I am humbled and surprised by the award for this post. I do think it clearly shows my feelings about wildlife. It is me; it shows rawly the stuff I think about every day and feel deep within my soul.

I would like to pass this awesome award on the the following:

Victorya (Certainly a talented writer! Check out her other posts so see her amazing way with words.)
Angela May (Angela is very creative. This post made me laugh soooo hard and brightened may day.)
Skyblu (Always great thoughts well written about my favorite place. This is not saying that I hold or do not hold the same opinions, I just enjoy this blog and it makes me think.)

Calming Canines

2007-10-23T16:58:00.000-06:00

Watching big animals such as bears, bison, and wolves is always a treat. Sometimes we forget about taking the time to enjoy smaller, less "glamorous" animals such as coyotes. Watching theses coyotes was calming experience that particular sunny autumn day. The coyote above was pouncing about in the field looking for a snack. The coyote below was contently walking down the middle of the road until too many cars piled up. Then it went up a steep, rocky hill wher it waited for the traffic to disperse.

These are Yellowstone coyotes (big surprise?). I also had the priviledge of seeing 2 wolves from the Oxbow Pack. They are looking a bit fluffy and ready for the colder weather. Wolves are my favorite, but for some reason that day, the coyotes had my heart. They were just a pleasure to watch and think about.

Sure would be great to have telepathy to communicate with animals. Maybe Dr. Spock can help me.

More coyote information:
Desert USA's Coyote Page

More Grizzly-Hunter Encounters

2007-10-07T13:03:00.000-06:00

Today's newspaper had "Grizzly bear mauls hunter" in huge type slapped across the top of a page-AGAIN! 2 different incidents were reported. Both parties were sneaking around bow-hunting for elk, both came across grizzly sows with cubs, both were in the Greater Yellowstone area like the below mentioned bears were.

Plenty of other places they can hunt elk with less chance of being attacked by bears. But then again, it is easier for hunters to go right outside the Park where they know the most elk are so they don't have to spend too much time outside weathering the elements in a real hunt. Like catching fish in a barrel. Why not outlaw hunting in areas with the greatest chance of bear encounters for the safely of all? Too much common sense I guess. When is enough really enough?

As I have stated before, I fear that this negative publicity will lead to a premature hunting season on the recently de-listed Yellowstone grizzlies.

And The Heavens Cried

2007-10-05T22:15:00.000-06:00

Bad news today. A while ago, I mentioned a grizzly mom and her cubs that ended up missing after a very unpleasant encounter with a hunter near Gardiner, Montana. Finally, the bears have been located. The mother is dead. Her jaw was shot off by the hunter. The 2 orphaned cubs were still roaming around near their dead mother.

First, I thought what a terrible story for both the man and the bears. Later I thought,"Have I gone soft on my anti-hunting views or what? Wake up!"

This hunter was out sneaking around the woods in bear country. Out to kill unsuspecting black bears when he rudely disturbed the grizzly family preparing for winter. Every hunter that I have ever "talked" to about black bear hunting said they do it for fun and sport, not for meat because it is not a good tasting meat at all. He is lucky to be alive. Perhaps he will even brag it up to his hunting buddies about killing the griz mom. "In self defense" my a**. The guy was somewhere he shouldn't be in the first place for no reason other than "sporting fun". The bear tried her best to protect her family from this hunter. She did not try to stalk and intentionally kill him like he was doing to black bears.

So, the sneaking hunter with death on his mind gets mauled in defense. The hunter shoots the bear. The man goes to the hospital and gets patched up, gets to live on a diet of painkillers as he heals up. Warm and comfy in his bed. People feel sorry for him. The attention gives a negative, more fearsome image to bears everywhere. The bear wanders off. Shot and in great pain. Can't eat with a shot off jaw. She must have been starving to death. Can't help her cubs get food either. They are probably a lot hungrier than when mom was doing well. The trail of blood from the bear probably arouses other hungry animals waiting for a chance to get the weakened bear or her cubs, or both. The mom bear finally dies-starving and in pain, knowing her cubs are suffering. A few people like myself mourn the bear's loss and worry about the cubs. The stupidity of sport hunting is truly sickening. I think God cried.

Now the 2 orphaned cubs are left alone in a harsh world with no protection. Bigger grizzlies are awfully hungry this time if year. Will the cubs find a den and enough food for winter? Not to mention the mental stress on the cubs. Animals do feel grief; many documented incidents show this (not that I need to read them to know that but for the skeptics...). I do believe they are cubs-of-the-year (meaning born this year). Say a prayer for this prematurely broken grizzly family.

Good-bye mamma bear; see you on the other side one day.

(Photo: NPS archives 1966, not the newly orphaned cubs)

Great Wolf News!!!

2007-10-02T18:07:00.001-06:00

The NRDC's wolf commerial is currently on the air! It will remain on CNN for another week. Thanks to wolf supporters everywhere that sent in to fund this commercial. Also, thanks to those that didn't send money, but support wolves however they are able to. I jumped for joy when I heard this. I whooped and hollered too! Party time is here. Finally, we get our side heard nationally & internationally at this crucial time.

Will it help? I don't know. Money always talks loudest it seems. But I am celebrating the fact that the wolf issue finally gets mass coverage! Media coverage on any environmental issue is critical, in my opinion.

Gray Wolves Need Help NOW!

2007-09-26T17:51:00.000-06:00

The removal of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List is moving fast. This is a mostly seperate issue from the Alsakan wovles. The problem is that Wyoming and Idaho intend to immediately kill most of the wolves as soon as they are removed from the list. This Natural Resources Defence Council's recent wolf news letter gives the numbers of wolves each state plans to massacre. What's the point of removing these animals from the list if they are going to be back on shortly after they're taken off it?

NRDC Wolf News

Also, remember that our Vice President Cheney is from Wyoming. I think no matter how many people protest, the plan will go through anyway.

NRDC is also planning to run a national commmercial to educate people on this issue and help stop these state's horrendous plans from becoming a reality. I do not care to ask for donations, but I feel this commercial will have widespread effect and is worth it. And the timing is urgent. Click the NRDC link below and choose the wolf's picture labeled "Call Off the Guns".

NRDC Website

The best thing anyone can do now (and I mean NOW)is send letters and sign petitions-and it is free. Send them to the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Ed Bangs is the top wolf guy with them. This man has a hard job but we need to let him know what we think before it is too late and the bodies of dead wolves are piled up all over again.

National News May Add To Bear Troubles

2007-09-25T09:03:00.000-06:00

Well, our bears made it to the national morning news shows this morning. Good Morning America or the Today Show. Maybe both. Quote: "The bears are wandering into places they don't belong." I laughed loudly at that statement but underneath I was quite irritated and disgusted. What a fantastic way to compound fears into the public. And how misinformed the public is about the nature and history of bears. I feel I have no choice but to write a compelling arguement to U. S. Fish, Wildlife, & Parks bear management experts and to leeader of these "bear ridden" towns to propose some changes to current bear management practices. Obviously, what we are doing now is not working. It is time comsuming and expensive to tranquilize and transport or euthanize bears every time they roam into "human" terrritory. It is traumatic to bears and to humans who have encounters with the bears. The money may be better spent elsewhere. I have certain things in mind but I will not discuss them at this time. I need to get my head straight and get it all down on paper in a professional manner.

Up A Tree With A Small Solution

2007-09-24T13:25:00.000-06:00

Of all the bears in Kalispell lately, only 2 of them came into town attracted by grease spills (the food kind, not the auto kind). The rest of the "problem" bears were attracted to plum and apple trees in peoples' yards. After becoming awarw of this information, I though, "This problem can be addressed differently now to sharply limit these incidences." What I propose is to pass a city ordinance forbidding the planting of fruit trees within the city limits (or wherever necessary). Of course, this will not be well accepted because people want to do what they want to do, and they do enjoy a fruit tree in the yard, but it has the potential to decrease human/bear interactions especially when bears are hungriest and roaming more in search of food.

Alaska's Wolf Massacre Must End!

2007-09-21T21:20:00.000-06:00

PLEASE HELP THESE WOLVES:

DEFENDER'S ALASKAN WOLVES INFORMATION & ACTION LINK

Then scroll down below the map to read about more bear happenings.

Even More Bear Woes!

2007-09-21T20:10:00.000-06:00

Here's another post about bears. Getting sick of hearing about them? Well, I am tired of being bombarded with news of "problem" bears causing problems for people. Today I came home in time to watch the news. Kalispell, Montana has bear problems. One black bear was shot dead because it was in a yard and trying to get in the house for food. The life of one old grizzly is now at stake because it has been going around doing the same thing. DNA was used on fur samples to incriminate this old guy. No doubt about it, he will be dead when they find him. 10 more grizzlies are being relocated for being "troublesome". Take a good look at the map. Where is Kalispell located? Far from bear country? No, right in the middle of it-surrounded by 3 national forests, a Native Reservation, and Glacier National Park! Indeed, these bears are trying to adapt to human encroachment on their natural turf. They are trying to get whatever food is easily available-who wouldn't?

Somewhere, somehow, someway, somebody (of power and influence or the weaker masses banded together) must do something! Surely I am not the only one that sees the large picture of what is happening to these bears (also many other animals). What I am talking about is a complete overhaul on the way these so-called "problem" animals are looked at in the first place. The problem animals are us. We are the only animals that have the power to change the world for ourselves and all other species. We are moving more and more into the only homes animals have left then we claim it as our own but we don't want to deal with the problems we have created. Then animals die. Animals are being mismanaged to death at the whims of our society that refuses to take responsiblity for the whole mess we are soley responsible for. I am sick of it. (If ever I wanted to post curse words, this is it!)

Yes, I do toss and turn in bed at night thinking about this kind of stuff. And yes, tears do come to my eyes when I see little or no hope for these situations. I've said it before and I will say it again-shame on us! I believe God is not happy with what we are doing to this Earth.

Recent Bear Attacks

2007-09-16T11:22:00.000-06:00

Photo: Note how I am far away from these mom & cub grizzly bears!

Within the last couple of weeks, 2 or 3 hunters have been attacked by grizzly moms with cubs. After being attacked, one hunter shot at a griz mom in self-defense. The bear and cubs took off and have not been located since. The hunter is not sure if the bear was hit so it may be running around wounded, dead, or hopefully doing fine.

The worst thing I could imagine is getting mauled by a grizzly. I have a huge fear of it myself. However,when you are out in bear habitat in the fall bears will be out preparing for winter. Not a good time to disturb them. And certainly a worse time to disturb a mom with cubs. For the safety of bears and humans maybe hunting season should be scheduled at a different time. Of course, I prefer never but that is unrealistic. A wounded bear may not be able to survive the winter. A dead bear with cubs left behind is just as bad. A wounded bear with cubs makes it harder for the whole family's survival. Accidents will always happen, but sneaking around the woods when bears are very active just heightens the chances of an attack. This is as bad on the bears as it is on the person. If a bear feels threatened it will attack-no maybe about it. If a bear smells an elk carcass left by a hunter, it will be attracted to it for a good meal. That's just what bears do. Even hikers need to be more aware and respect bears natural instincts at this time.

What really worries me is that all this publicity about bears attacking will put even more bear fears into people. The Yellowstone grizzly population had been removed from the Threatened and Endangered Species List this past spring. Perhaps with all these tales of bear attacks lately, there will be great pressure to permit a hunt on these great animals earlier than planned. From my understanding, it is still supposed to be a few years before grizzly hunting becomes an issue but trigger-happy hunters will be itching to get rid of these "problem" bears now.

Good News For Southwestern Wolves

2007-09-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

(Mexican Wolf photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Image Library)

Indeed, the following is great news!

As reported by Defenders of Wildlife:

On June 26, 2007, The U.S. House of Representatives rejected an amendment to the Interior Department's spending bill that would have ended funding for southwest wolf recovery efforts. The proposal was defeated on a vote of 258-172.

In just over 24 hours, more than 31,000 wildlife supporters wrote their U.S. Representatives in support of federal efforts to save the 59 remaining southwest wolves and ensure this amazing animal's future in the Southwest, urging their Members of Congress to reject the amendment offered by New Mexico Representative Steve Pearce.

A big thanks to all who wrote in to support these animals.

Alaska's Polar Bears Disappearing

2007-09-08T14:10:00.000-06:00

As we've been hearing for some time now, polar bears are in big trouble due to global warming. Scientists report that these bears will be completely gone from Alaska by 2020 the ways things are going now. The Earth naturally falls into and out of warming and freezing cycles even if today's trend is mostly human-caused, hence we have periods of ice ages that come and go. Inevitably, the environment will change for polar bears (and everything else) naturally but since we are adding so much to this warming trend, we have the responsibility to repair what we can to keep these bears around in the wild.

National Geographic Polar Bear Information

Photo: www.komar.org/faq/churchill_polar_bear_tours/

A New Tag Game

2007-09-05T21:09:00.000-06:00

This is a blogging tip game. It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.

Try to make your tip general. After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!

Just think– if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!

1. Look, read, and learn.
http://www.neonscent.com****

2. Be EXCELLENT to each other.
http://www.bushmackel.com*****

3. Don’t let money change ya!
http://www.therandomforest.info****

4. Always reply to your comments
http://chattiekat.com***

5. Blog about what you know & love.
http://sugar-queens-dream.blogspot.com****

6. Don't use filthy language-buy a dictionary.
http://shinade.blogspot.com***

7. Whenever possible, spread some positive thoughts and love. The world needs more of them.
http://ailema4ever.blogspot.com***

8. Write down from your heart or head. Either way asks yourself why you ever get started.*
http://chocmintgirl.blogspot.com

9. Be honest, be tactful but honest.*
http://angelofdelusion.blogspot.com

10. Adding photos can help bring others into a more personal realm with you.
http://wildlifealive.blogspot.com

OK, I will not be able to tag 10 people but I will list some:
1. Creation on the Blade/ Life on the Blade
2. Astrogalaxy

A Day In The Mountains

2007-09-04T09:02:00.000-06:00

Part of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

Enjoyed a nice day hike here. The trail I was on just stayed along the valley - very little elevation change. No large wildlife was around. Although, as I was getting a meal after the trip, locals were anxiously discussing the start of hunting season. A sign was posted about a non-human fearing adult black bear in the area but the Ranger said there had been no sightings or signs of bears reported in some time. On my way back home, a large buck deer jumped out across the road but I was lucky enough to see him in time to stop.

A squirrel eating pinecones along the trail.

Finally Some Peace

2007-09-02T16:46:00.000-06:00

I am back after a long needed mental break. I still miss my Tidy and Kitty but I find great comfort knowing that they are together and were never apart for very long. Actually I am surprisingly calmed by this fact. Now in addition to the newest cat Alice, I have a guinea pig that I picked up from the city animal shelter. This guinea looks just like a raisin with legs, hence it new name Raisin. Change is sometimes hard but that doesn't mean it's not positive.

On a sad note, there are 500 deer living in Helena. Montana. They are proposing to kill 350 of them to keep the population down. I know this is a lot of deer to be running around a city but when we are in their natural habitat what do we expect? I feel bad for these deer. They are just trying to co-exist with us. I guess a few more mountain homes can be decorated with dead animal heads this fall. Guaranteed mine will not be one of them!

I spent a couple days camping in Yellowstone last week to see what was happening at the Hayden Pack's den. I never saw the white wolf or the pups this time. One evening another wolf came out (gray colored). The herd of buffalo in the picture is standing directly in front of the den area. The huge male had a pretty much useless right hind leg but he was still the obvious leader of the herd. That buffalo had the loudest snorting I've ever heard-even clear across the river from him. He had a hard time getting back out of the river but on land not much trouble. The herd quickly ran up the hill behind the den. What happened to the big buffalo - did a wolf or bite its hamstring to bring it down? Did a grizzly get sick of it following too close and decide to tell it to back off (I have watched buffalo several times closely following bears)? Did it trip on a rock and hurt the leg? I'll never know but does make me think about the possiblities of nature. Heck, it could have tangled it's leg up on a camp chair put out roadside by crazy tourists.

I got to watch a wolf pup one afternoon in the Dunraven area. Just frolicking by a tiny stream and pouncing at voles and gophers. Another evening, I watched a black wolf and a gray wolf doing the same thing in the same area. Wolves doing wolf business on a late summer's day-how cool! Several coyotes were doing the same thing throughout the Park. A mom and cub black bear made there way down a hill close to the road. A grizzly made its way across the road as I was driving by. It was grazing. Another grizzly was camped out in a treed patch on Mt. Washburn. The buffalo calves are not orange any more. Saw 3 moose this time-one pair was a mom and baby. A pair of deer wandered the campsite as I set up the tent. Only saw one elk herd. No shortage of wildlife for sure.

So where are the pictures of all these great animals? My luck-the batteries in the camera ran out. Oh, I did take 2 sets of rechargeable back-ups but they did not work in my camera for some odd reason - they are exactly the same as the old batteries. Also my memory card was full since I forgot to take my last pictures off of the camera. The wolves were too far away anyway for pictures. I had the trusty spotting scope out for those guys. At least I still have a picture perfect memory (for this type of thing anyway).

Yellowstone Lake: The largest alpine lake in North America. The waves are as big as the oceans' at times.

Now I have one more day hike tomorrow in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness before settling into the daily grind.

Good-bye To Another Beloved Friend

2007-08-04T00:53:00.000-06:00

Kitty: March ?, 1990 - August 3, 2006

Picture: Kitty (black cat) and sister Tidy. Kitty always blinked for every picture I ever took of her! She is a really cute cat with yellow eyes and medium length fur that was always extra smooth.

Kitty died today. I had an appointment to have Kitty checked out since I have been concerned about her. Right as I set her on the examining table, she died. I will never know what ailed her but I am positive she is glad to be with Tidy now.

As a kitten, Kitty picked me out. My roommate got her and her real sister (not Tidy-another all black cat) from somebody she knew. I went with her to pick up the 2 kittens all those years ago. Well, Kitty never bonded with my friend, her real owner. Kitty followed me around all the time and slept on me every night. When I moved out of my friend's house she gave me Kitty and her sister.

About a year later, the young cats were outside playing. When I went out to check on them I saw Kitty's sister sitting in the window of some old lady's house. I already had 5 cats at that time (Little Cat, Tidy, Kitty, Kitty's real sisiter, and a young Siamese boy mamed Puff) so I just let the lady keep Kitty's sister since it was a good home. Kitty stayed with me.

I am in some shock and disbelief from losing 2 great animal friends in one month (and the hamster). It's very depressing and there's a big hole in my heart as well as a big empty apartment filled with their stuff. I know I will see them on the other side when my time comes but it's still heart-breaking. The newly adopted Alice will be an only cat from now on.

Feeling Small In This Huge World

2007-08-01T21:09:00.000-06:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately or responded to others or visited others sites even. I am overwhelmed with stuff to do-school, homework, having to work a lot more cuz I'm broke, bills, the usual buildup of life.

Also adding to the problem is my other cat, Kitty who is 17. First I thought she was depressed because Tidy is gone. She is getting VERY thin fairly quickly and not coming out as she usually does. She used to be perky and vocal. Today I noticed a slimy drip from her mouth and a terrible odor. It very well could be cancer in her mouth. I have experience with this since my Mom's cat died of this not too long before Tidy passed on. I will have to take her to the vet, work more to pay those bills, and go from there. I really can't bear to lose another animal family member again this summer.

So, I will leave saying that I will most likely not be doing any computer activities until I finish up this class in a few weeks. But while I am gone, don't forget the animals- send your comments in on wolves and especially send comments to the NFL to get Vick out of there for his sick, immoral animal cruelty to his fighting dogs (Humane Society is doing the most work on this). Don't forget to take the time to watch animals and appreciate them.

Picture: This chipmunk lives near the pond where I saw the otter by Yellowstone Lake. He/she was running around busily that day like I have been lately.

Welcoming A New Pet

2007-07-24T17:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I picked up a new cat to share my home with. Her name is Alice aka "Alli" and she is 11 years old. The people at the shelter said people always take the kittens but rarely does anyone want a senior cat. I was not looking to get another cat at this time but I didn't want my last Kitty to be lonely anymore. Plus, I feel I have to help out animals if I can. My intentions were to go get 2 parakeets that were in there but I came out with the cat. She was free; they just wanted a home for her and I have room. She is a tabby/calico mix, a multi-colored brown striped cat that is very friendly. Right now she is not too sure about my other cat but surprisingly, Kitty is fine with her. It's odd to have a different cat around. I hope she stays healthy for a long time.

Another animal visitor lately is a young rabbit that stops by to chew up the grass. I left it some greens one day but I think they wilted in the 100+ heat before the bunny came by. I am sick of sweating. It's been 100+ for about 2 weeks now. I can't imagine being a furred animal in the summer! Use my air conditioning? Come on now, I am an environmental graduate. It's bad enough I am wasting electricity to run a fan. Plus, if we are truly in a global warming cycle, I had better find ways to adapt to heat that I can afford.

Excitement Of The Day

2007-07-21T23:57:00.000-06:00

(This incident happened before I went on my trip.)
I was out on my patio talking to a visitor when she told me that a prairie dog just ran behind a plant stand (actually a TV cart that I moved outside). I opened up a door. A wide-eyed prairie dog stared at frantically stared at me-also wide-eyed from surprise! I shut the door and left it alone then I left the house for about a 1/2 hour. When I came back and walked up to the patio, a sparrow was lying there partially chewed up. I figured the prairie dog must be having lunch. Sure enough, the little critter was still running around my patio and went back into the plant stand. Then it ran off as I was trying to get a good picture of it.

It has been coming around every day now for a while and as you can see it leaves quite a mess.

Guess Where I've Been Lately?

2007-07-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

Besides working a lot extra, I went to Yellowstone of course. I went down to the Tetons for a few hours one day as well (that's the first photo). I love these places. They remain relatively still on the grand scale but yet are always in a state of constant transformation.

Here are the wildlife tales from this mini-trip:

Lots of pelicans. Usually I see them swimming or resting on-shore. This time most were flying around.

Saw 1 river otter swimming in a nice calm pond near Yellowstone Lake one evening.

One bald eagle was flying only about 10 feet above the car as I drove. I followed it for a bit then I passed it. I looked up when it was directly overhead - it's not often one gets to see the bottom of an eagle flying close. Then it follwed me along the road for a ways before veering off. Don't worry, no other cars were around so I was not creating a hazard. Two more bald eagles were perched together on a fallen tree in Hayden Valley one afternoon (where the bears were, which I will tell about later).

Lots of buffalo (I told them not to go out of the Park or they would be meat-sausage and Great Plains burgers at Canyon Village!), elk, deer, and antelope. The buffalo calves are not as bright orange anymore. Two of them were fighting for a bit on a hill. Then 2 adults started at it. Dust flying everywhere. Didn't last long though and they all went back to being friends.

Now for the big winners!

One of the top prizes: A grizzly mom with one cub in souhtern Hayden Valley one evening. Close to where the last bear I saw was. I had to set up the scope for this. The cub was chewing on a carcass and would pop its head up every once in a while. The mom was nearby digging and grazing. The cub got up to keep up with the mom as she wandered farther away. Frisky little cub! The mom kept grazing around and the cub would stop then run and play. Later, a buffalo saw the bears and went down a hill towards them. The cub(which was closer to the buffalo than the mom) then stood up and was smelling the air, looking for the buffalo. The cub did this a few times finally, the mom and cub were together standing up together looking and smelling. The buffalo follwed them for a long time then finally decided to swim across the river. The bears stayed there. Of course, at this point a heavy rain started and I packed up.

The other top prize: The white wolf (540F-the alpha female) of the Hayden Pack and a pup! Right at their den! The pup was a black or dark grey one. She is supposed to have 5 pups (1 dark, 4 lighter) but I only saw the one. Started off with 6 pups total but one did not make it. The den is right out where people can see it from across the river at a picnic area. When I first arrived on the scene, I thought somebody said it was a moose so when I looked over and saw a white canine head popping up over some sagebrush I was pleasantly surprised. A bit faint of breath once again at this great sight. Then she stood up and went playfully towards the trees. The dark pup followed from out of the brush as my eyes and smile grew larger with disbelief. I never would have thought I would see them that easily. She is a brave mom having her den right out where millions of people come to watch her family. I know those tourists were not around when she picked that den but I get the feeling she is a proud mom type-wanting to show off the pups and knowing people are fighting to looking at them. She had all summer to move the den but hasn't. Wolves do have feelings. The white wolf is collared; the grizzly is not. These wolves were causing a major wolf jam and it was hard to even get in to see them. I'll go again in the fall to see the wolves when less people are hogging the place up. Naturally, I have no photos of the wolves because of a certain "commotion" around me created by a smallish child (who shall remain nameless at this time) as I was trying to watch the wolves. The bears were pretty far away so I don't think I'll be able to have decent picture to post. I only have a digital camera.

In the Favorite Sight Links at right, the Ralph Maughan site has pictures of the pups in the post: The Hayden pups, their first big (5) litter
or use this link and scroll down to the post: Hayden Pack pups 2007

To see photos of the white wolf use this link: Walking Shadow Ecology
(choose photography then Yellowstone Wolves and you should get the March 2007 Hayden Pack)

Now the crazy tourist stories:

One herd of buffalo with calves was coming up a hill. The hill happened to have a pull-out on top for cars. Well, the tourists were putting out their camp chairs to sit down and watch the trotting buffalo come up the hill. I imagine the chairs did not last long. I would have watched but it was obviously not a safe time and place to watch that herd.

One day, a lone buffalo was grazing the side of the road. A lady was walking towards the buffalo looking through binoculars the entire time. The buffalo was no more than 20 feet way from her so she really didn't need the binoculars. She was probably a bit surprised when she finally put them down.

The day after the grizzly and cub sighting, people were parked in the same area waiting to see them again. A huge, top of the line motor home was hogging up most of the parking area. The high priced RVs' kitchen apparently sucks because the people had set up a BBQ grill ouside. Or they were purposely trying to attract bears.

Tagged Again

2007-07-09T10:56:00.000-06:00

I have been tagged by My Journey To Eliminate Debt. This project calls for sharing 8 personal facts about myself, then tagging 8 other bloggers to do the same. Here are the rules, which were passed to me:

-Each player must post these rules first.
-Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
-People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
-At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
-Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Now the 8 things:
1. Obviously, I love animals.
2. I can't stand country music or rap.
3. Once I threw out my Valentines because I was too shy and afraid to pass them out in school.
4. If I could be anyone, I would chooose to be Luke Skywalker from Star Wars.
5. I wish I could go on a permanent camping trip in Yellowstone.
6. As a junior high student, I sent away to NASA asking for an astronaut application (Not as a joke. I wanted to see what "the right stuff" is.). They sent it too.
7. "Plain" old rocks make me very happy. Each one tells a fantastic story.
8. Red is kind of a disturbing color for me.

OK, here's 6 of the next 8 to be tagged. I will tag some people I have not tagged previously.

Here's a start:
1. Astro Galaxy
2. Self Delusions of Angela May
3. Rigor Vitae
4. Life on the Blade
5. Bent Objects
6. Views From My Tent

Another Pet Lost

2007-07-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

I just came in the door from working tonight. My hamster C. C. Mouser is dying as I type this. I don't know what happened to him. He was fine last night. Running around doing mouse business-running his wheel and eating. Now he is dying. Since my cat just passed away I was trying to introduce C. C. Mouser to my other cat Kitty (with the hamster staying in the cage of course), so Kitty wouldn't be so lonely. Kitty has been with Tidy since she was a kitten, 17 years, so I'm sure Kitty is lonely without Tidy. So much for that plan. I just don't know how much more of this I can take.

I will try to post a picture of C. C. when I find one. And for some reason I am not able to put a title one my post. Just not a good week for me.

Also, I have just been tagged to reveal 8 things about myself. When I get into the mindset, I will put that post together and tag the next bloggers.

Just Remember There Is A Heaven

2007-07-05T21:31:00.000-06:00

Tidy: June ?, 1988 - July 5, 2007

I will miss her but now she will not suffer anymore.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your pet stories and support.

Thanks For Your Thoughts

2007-07-04T13:28:00.000-06:00

I received this post today:

Anonymous said...
Hi,
I just stumbled upon your site and respect your view on your ailing, aged kitty. However, many years ago one of our kitties (who had had kidney problems early on and then for many years - primarily because this was in the 1970s before it was well known that male cats can have blockage issues, which he did at one point when young) that I wish we had taken that step to end his misery at the end. It was at the point that he had absolutely no quality of life. His last night on earth was horrendous. I guess we were in denial and kept hoping he would rebound. The kindest thing we could have done was to intervene and take him to the vets to end his misery that night. Even after that, it was still hard to make that decision with any pet and we rarely did (at least when it should have been done). But that is one gift we can give our beloved pets: to be there at their side when we say good bye for the last time (by the choice to euthanize). We make that choice when no other humane option is really left. I truly believe that they know that our actions are out of love. But it is hard to let go and that is a curse that humans carry it seems. It is in retrospect that I now wish I had made that decision for the sake of my beloved pets more often than I did. But again I do respect your view. Just wanted to add a different perspective which is more reflective than anything.

I would like to thank you for your reflections. I have been struggling lately, trying to decide when is the right time to take Tidy to the vet one final time. It is good to hear from others. It's a hard decision to make when feelings get in the way. I went through the same thing with my first cat but that was more of a cut & dried situation-in the middle of the night she lost her ability to use her back legs after prolonged hyperthyroidism and was trying to drag herself around. There was no question then. Now it is just not as clear but I know what I need to do soon. I have never hoped or thought she would get better-that was made clear from the start.

American Symbols

2007-07-02T13:17:00.000-06:00

The bald eagle can finally come off the endangered species list. This is great news. And very fitting for the Fourth of July holiday.

Then I heard this on the news: "The Bald eagle is as American as..."

It is sad that a great American symbol was on the brink of extinction in the first place. So "American" was this species that it was killed off in mass numbers until almost was wiped off the face of the Earth. It's not sad because it is a symbol, but because eagles are living creatures that also call this world home.

The "threatened and endangered list" is a symbol to me. It is a symbol of all that is wrong with our interactions with animals (by "animals" I include fish and birds-it's my personal generalized term of non-plant, non-human species even though I know it's not proper). It is a symbol of our past stupidity and ignorance. Many endangered animals are symbols of some sort (not just in the U. S.)- grizzlies, wolves, tigers, pandas, etc. I think some of these animals wouldn't be as much of a symbol if they were not on the list. Wolves were never a symbol before-they were (and still are) hated and killed off. Now with their "recovery", they are a symbol of all that is wild.

Also on the subject of American sybmols, I had to laugh when a buffalo statue was unvieled in West Yellowstone a few weeks ago. A mighty, magnificant buffalo statue. A symbol of the Great Plains and Yellowstone. Yet in reality buffalo are slaughtered by the hundreds every year. I enjoy seeing a nice animal statue as much as the next guy but what's wrong with that picture?! Even in the days of colonial expansion,(European descended) people loved the buffalo so much that they annihilated them.

Animals coming off the list will never be truly "recovered." The recovered populations are simply at more manageable numbers to humans, at lower than natural population levels. What the ecosystem can sustain and what humans want to tolerate are completely different things. Animal populations just cannot compete with the human need to alter natural landscapes and control everything.

A Life In My Hands

2007-06-30T22:45:00.001-06:00

Tidy, my 19 year old cat with bladder cancer and kidney trouble, is still here. I have come to the decision that I will not continue to give her medications any more. I will give her some fluids only. The medicine was never intended to make her better and it is only prolonging the inevitable. She's getting very thin. I have told her to just go to sleep and let her soul go the Heaven-I will understand and miss her. She is still eating, drinking, walking, purring, and looking out of the window. But I know she is not well at all. I cannot put her down with that much life left in her even if she is already dying. That's is supposed to be God's decision not mine. I guess by my decision for the cat that is His will being imposed through me. Having the power to end another's life is not a power I care to have.

The picture is Tidy outside on a leash on a bright sunny day. As a younger cat, Tidy was petite but fiesty, not a cat any other cat wanted to mess with. She would take off for 2 and 3 days at a time. I never knew where she went and sometimes I would go out looking at dead cats on the roads to make sure Tidy wasn't one of them. Sometimes she would come back smelling like a cow pasture! She only goes outside for about 5 minutes now before she wants to go back in. Tidy will be survived by one cat sister, Kitty, who is 17 now. Her older sister died 3 years ago of hyperthyroidism at 16 years old. These cats were with me for half of my life! They've been through a lot.

Southwestern Wolves & A Little Respect

2007-06-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

Well, the wolves of the Southwest have been under fire for a while now. I was so mentally tired from fighting for the Yellowstone wolves for months that I admit I am not up to par on what is happening with these other wolves. All I know for sure is that there are only 59 wolves total down there and that is apparently too many for some folks. So another battle is brewing.

I feel for wolves maybe moreso than any other animal. I don't know why. I am not a dog person-I do like dogs but I don't care to have on as a pet and don't get all excited when I see one. I'm actually somewhat afraid of dogs a little after a 2-pit bull incident at work many years ago. But I am not afraid of a wolf. When a wolf ran within 10 feet of me and the kid the other year, I felt awe. I was physically weak and speechless, eyes huge with excitement (hence no photographs!). I felt no need to fear it. Respect yes, fear no. I did not intentionally go out seeking to come that close to one and had no idea it was even around until it came by unexpectedly. I do not teach the kid to fear animals, just repsect them and their homes and to be aware of potential dangers associated with each species. I am more afraid of a dog harming my kid than a wolf because who knows what the dog owner has instilled into that pet. With a wolf, it rather just stay away from people and with good reason. I am mysteriously drawn to wolves more than any other animal.

Everyone wants respect. All species, not only humans. Wolves get little respect and I get tired of their persecution. They are wonderful animals. In fact, all animals are wonderful in some way and I do include those that I don't particularly care for. They are just like us. They have families, friends, and feelings and are just trying to make a living. Animals need respect.

And don't even think about telling me animals don't think and feel because I know better! For a good book on animals emotions, I suggest The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff with a foreward by Jane Goodall (2007, New World Library).

I urge everyone to stand up for the 59 wolves of the Southwest.

Here's a link to learn more about the Mexican Wolves:
Southwestern Wolf Information & USFWP Recommmendations

Also, I was finally able to get the short fox video onto the top right sidebar. If you click on it, it plays above the latest post, right under the title. I was lucky enough to get it there so that's where it will stay for now. I have a short deer one to get up too. I may end up with an animal video link on that side somewhere and sometime in the future. And notice how the links in posts are finally working correctly!!!

Home On The Range

2007-06-25T14:45:00.000-06:00

Ever take the time to watch a prairie dog? Interesting little creatures. Cute. Always living on the edge, wary of predators waiting to get a good meal.

Prairie dogs have again come under attack by the U.S. Forest Service:

According to Defenders of Wildlife: The Forest Service is proposing to make it easier to poison and kill prairie dogs anywhere on three public grasslands. They’re even targeting an area in South Dakota’s Buffalo Gap National Grassland called Conata Basin -- key habitat for the recently reintroduced swift fox and our nation’s most important recovery area for the endangered black-footed ferret.

Prairie dogs are a keystone species and a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Many animals eat these little critters and many larger critters also take over their tunnels to make a home of their own. If prairie dogs are gone, so is the other wildlife. Poisoning prairie dogs is also questionable because other animals, plants, and insects can be poisoned "accidentally." I say "accidentally" because if they know this is going to happen and it is done anyway, then it was no accident at all. The other species poisoning will be an overlooked by-product not given another thought to. The worst part of this proposed poisoning is that it is in areas set aside as National Grasslands where prairie dogs are expected to be living. And yes, our tax dollars will be funding this terrible project. Please go to the Defender's site to comment on this absurd proposal (or send one in to the Forest Service yourself) before it is too late. It just seems like the animal attack never stops. Makes my heart heavy thinking about it.

The picture above, a Unita ground squirrel, and one other one from a different hole, were the permanent residents of my Slough Creek campsite. Ground squirrels and prairie dogs are related and if one did not know any better, they could very easily be mistaken for each other.

Oh, while I'm on the subject, I know many people that go out shooting prairie dogs for weekend fun. Some of these folks even have their maps marked with prairie dog towns all over the state. They share the maps with other killers. Then they come in to work or school and laugh about blasting away these little animals, guts and blood splattered everywhere as the other animals watch. I think it is just plain sick.

Here's a link to learn more about these little critters:
Save The Prairie Dogs

Thinking Blogger Award Choices

2007-06-24T23:24:00.000-06:00

So here are my 5 choices to receive the “Thinking Blogger” Award:

1. Creation on the Blade
God and our animal world all rolled into one! Great pictures and a fun new feature-an interactive puzzle to figure out every month.
2. Waitress Stories
Gives people a behind the scenes look into the everyday life of a waitress. A must-visit site for those who have never worked in the service industry and enjoy dining out. Please tip generously!
3. A Step Apart: A Few Random Musings
A great personal perspective into the happenings around Yellowstone Park and the outdoors.
4. My Journey to Eliminate Debt
One brave family’s quest to wipe out debt. The ups and downs of their newly-started journey. A lesson anyone with debt can learn from (and perhaps try to encourage this family with).
5. Rick’s Astronomy Journal
An amateur astronomy site because sometimes we need a break from the trials of everyday life to think about what else is out there! Cool pictures along with photographer’s notes.

THE RULES ARE: Congratulations, you won a Thinking Blogger Award:

Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging. The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the memo

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (there is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

A Two-Award Treat

2007-06-24T11:32:00.000-06:00

How fortunate I am! I won a Creation on the Blade's Animal Knowledge Award for June and a Thinking Blogger Award from Victorya Chase Goes To Therapy. How delightful, unexpected, and appreciated.

I will say that the wildlife and nature I hold so dear are the reasons I won these awards. Without them I would have nothing to write about or no animals to know about. These same entities have also drawn in others that enjoy the same things and I thank you guys and girls for that.

Since I am on a constricted schedule today, I will post these awards and "Tag" someone else when time allows.

A Lesson In Tolerance

2007-06-22T23:37:00.000-06:00

I thought about the animals I saw on my trip and just had to say something about the tolerance of animals in general. As I stated earlier, many (maybe all) of the predatory animals wandering into town here are killed, not relocated. Deer are a common sight lying dead along the roads, as of course are racoons, rabbits, prairie dogs and our own pet cats. After really taking the time to watch all the wildlife in Yellowstone the past 2 days, I KNOW animals have a very high tolerance for humans. Fears have been instilled into us; we think wild animals are out to attack and kill us. We are taught to fear these animals. Sure sometimes an animal may attack but most times it is because we were in their territory and were surprised, or for protection of their young, and only rarley purely predatory.

The grizzly was just going about its business, no intentions of harming a person. The fox was playful and curious, only a couple feet away from humans and not afraid at all. The deer did their grazing as us campers camped. The sheep went about grazing at the side of the road, never once moving as a person in each car took a turn for a picture. The moose kept on grazing as many people moved in to get pictures. Buffalo lay only about 10 feet away, resting on thermal ground near hot springs as tourists walked by and stopped to take pictures. These wild animals were kind enough to share their home and themselves with us-and peacefully. Very tolerant of our strange habits.

Now on the other hand, the mountain lions and bears coming into town to try to share our home with us do not get out alive. They are treated as criminals and without a trial. They are shot dead as they try to find their way in a world that has few places left for them. The poor deer are probably the most tolerant here. Far too many of them are hit by cars and left dead, thrown in the trash by the roadkill cleanup crew like trash. Humans have little tolerance left for animals. It will be a sad world indeed when the only animals left are trapped in zoos and as pets while the ones people don't favor are wiped off the face of the Earth.

The tolerance of animals is a lesson we need to learn. They are accepting and adapting to us so why can't we do the same? God gave us all this planet as home.

Animals are amazing!

Animals, Animals Everywhere!

2007-06-21T22:09:00.000-06:00

I had an unexpectedly amazing overnight trip. First, I must say that the Slough Creek Campground is absolutely gorgeous. My intentions were to camp along the creek but those sites were full. To my delight, I ended up in the best site of them all. Under 3 huge pine trees with a small, sagebrush & wildflower-covered meadow for a view and hills and mountains in the background. Many deer came through the meadow. Some stopped to graze, some ran through. A fox played along the creek and in the meadow. It came into people's camps and was quite a people-friendly creature. I took a short video of it but I don't know how to load those into the blog yet. Other animals on the trip (not in the campground): a small black bear, a lone bighorn sheep grazing roadside, a small moose, lots of pelicans, the usual buffalo but only one elk, and the prize this time-a grizzly. The buffalo had a lot of calves. This is only the third time I've ever seen a moose here(keep in mind I've been coming here since I was 7 years old and am now 38!). Bighorn sheep seem pretty rare anymore. There used to be herds of them coming down out of the high mountains in winter to graze the lower elevations now I'm lucky to see a single sheep every few years.

Now the bear story. The grizzly was in southern Hayden Valley in the Trout Creek area about 10am. It wandered up by a buffalo and kind of half-attempted to charge it but it backed off quickly and ran away. The buffalo never moved an inch. Then the bear wandered around looking at plants until it got to the top of a hill (by the road). Then it saw all of us tourists and debated on crossing the road or not. It was a cute bear and appeared unaggitated with all of us, just a bit leary. Then another buffalo came running from across the other side of the road not knowing the bear was there. The bear had already decided to cross the road at that time so there was no interaction between the two. After that, I decided I would leave the "bear jam". I had a couple pictures and did not want to bother the animal more. It was a collared bear and somebody said it was a female. Beautiful sight with its brown fur and muscle rippling in the sunlight! No wolves this time-not even a howl-and I even camped in an area of overlapping territory for 3 packs.

Also, this Slough Creek campground is where the poor cinnamon black bear from an earlier post met its untimely death. I felt quite sad as I glanced along the creek where the bear had died, still laying partially in the water. Despite this sadness, the trip was a fantastic celebration of animal life.

Sparkling Summer Nights

2007-06-17T13:46:00.000-06:00

The firefly, also known as the lightning bug, is actually neither a fly nor a bug, but a beetle, say Purdue entomologists. This particular firefly is called Say's firefly (Pyractomena angulata), one of about 175 species of fireflies in the United States. (Scientific illustration by Arwin Provonsha, Purdue Department of Entomology.)

I was thinking about fireflies for a while now. They are not out here in Montana and I think of them every summer.

Read this paragraph of an old paper of mine and you will understand a little about why I am so fond of these tiny glowing wonders:

I have many fond memories of St. Clair (Pennsylvania), but the best thing I remember is catching the lightning bugs in those humid summer evenings. Most of the townsfolk would go out to sit on their porches to cool off because there is no air conditioning, even to this day. My grandparents used to sit on their swing and my brothers and I would play on the front porch and wait for the lightning bugs to come out. Sometimes we could catch them on the street, but it was far more entertaining to lie on the grass at the church and wait. We would track them through the grass and air by the yellow glow of their tails. If we caught any lightning bugs, we would only keep them over night before releasing them. I am a lot older now, but I still catch lightning bugs when I go back to St. Clair. There is nothing better.

I tried to put the whole paper on so the full sense comes through but I can't add a document anywhere I guess without copying several pages of text right into a post.

Now I'm off on an overnight camping trip into prime wolf and grizzly habitat-Slough Creek in Yellowstone! Lucky for me, the kid has now decided not to fish down there. I know she will probably change her mind again so I have the gear packed anyway.

Must I Kill To Connect With Nature?

2007-06-17T11:27:00.000-06:00

Photo: If I remember correctly, these elk were grazing along the Firehole River a couple years ago. One was behind the left tree so it can't be seen. Notice how I am NOT standing beside a dead elk with my gun and showing off its rack!

I woke up this morning thinking about going camping when I remembered a conversation (one-sided argument maybe is a better term) I had with a person about connecting with nature months ago. This person insisted that he was closer to nature than those of us that do not "harvest" animals for sport. He said he is right out in nature and gets to see the animals doing what they do. After saying I do everything he does except kill animals he still would not see that us non-hunters are also close to nature. Apparently, the kill puts you closer to nature. This is only the basic just of the conversation. I ended up leaving this conversation feeling abused, confused, and angered. And I still do when I think about it. I do not see the difference between what hunters do and what I do except fot the killing part. I camp and hike in the wild. I even use hunting equipment bought at hunting stores (unfortunately)-a laser-sighted spotting scope, GPS, camp gear, etc. I may spend less time outside because I am not stalking animals to their death so I can leave whenever I want. I just don't understand why a hunter is closer to nature than I am. I think it is terrible that one thinks taking the life of an animal brings you closer to nature. It doesn't make sense. Must feel good to rip the life away from some unsuspecting animal I guess. Makes a hunter feel big and powerful. I think this thinking is sick and misguided. It take a bigger person to see the beauty in animals without wanting to possess their very lives. Maybe somebody could help me understand this hunter's point a little better because I just don't see it.

When I get a chance I will have to get more photos off my camera to use in this blog. I am too lazy to climb behind my desk and sort through all the wires. I'm no pro (as you can tell by the date stamps! I do not use those anymore for obvious reasons) but I would prefer to use my own stuff when I have it and if I can fit it in somehow.

And thanks to everyone for the nice comments about this blog. When I started it I was afraid I would get a bunch of angry hunters trying to put me down. Thankfully, I haven't had to deal with that yet. I would delete the stuff anyway since this is supposed to be a conflict-free zone. I do enough defending my postion in real life. I'm even an official environmenatlist now but this field tends to be one-sided as well. Everything is shifted towards finding solutions (like with energy), but very few are looking at the real root of problems and those of us that do are outcasts. I am tired of conflict. Thanks to all you supporters of nature and LIVE wildlife.

Ah, Yellowstone!

2007-06-14T16:51:00.000-06:00

I am glad that a poster (postee?) decided that Yellowstone is now a must visit place! Oh, I could blab on endlessly about that place. I am obsessed with it and very fortunate to live within driving distance. Luckily for me with my recent environmental degree, I may now have a shot at being a naturlist or something there. Heck, I would love to even volunteer as a campground host or a retail employee just to be there-but that does not pay the bills. Animals, geology, biology, chemistry,great thunderstorms, camping and hiking, peace,and God all rolled into one beautiful, no-hunting, supervolcanic mountain ecosystem! Now really, what more could a person ask for?

I must say, I do prefer to camp. However, showers can be a long drive away and cost $3/shower. I really don't care to smell like food in bear country if I don't have to. I would also recommend a stay in the cabins at Canyon Village or in a room with a view of Old Faithlful. Anywhere a person stays in the Park, they will not be disappointed. For animal watching-don't expect to see bears and wolves by staying on the main roads (although you can at the right times)-take a patient hike and enjoy. For moose, I would just go down to the Grand Tetons since that's where I always see them at. I haven't seen a moose in the Park since I was a kid.

Also, I would be glad to check out other blogs so leave your URL. It's good to connect in even a small way with people from all around the world. I do have few links on the right to some other blogs of interest that I've found so far.

Oh, this geyser is in the Old Faithful area. I forget the name.

Sorry! I blew away a post accidentally.

2007-06-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

I appear to have lost another post I thought I had published. I feel bad. It was from Anonymous and contained a link to widgets for our blogs. Just letting you know that I did read your comment and thanks. In the meantime I am searching for new stuff to add to this blog and the website. I am no computer whiz by any means, but I am finding this "html" stuff is the way to go for customizing stuff. Frustrating though since I am doing it by trial and error. Currently, I am trying to get one of my own pictures to fit precisely behind my title and subtitle-not under or over it, not larger or smaller. I cannot find a way. What a way to waste a summer away!

Stay Away, Fish!

2007-06-12T22:29:00.000-06:00

I regretfully admit that I am going to teach a kid to fish in a couple weeks. The kid is begging to go fishing all of a sudden. I do not care to kill fish for sport, nor would I advocate harrassing them by ripping them out of the water on a hook and releasing them but I have an obligation to teach the kid. I figure in Yellowstone, it is mainly catch and release (except for certain species)and barbless hooks are required so we will go there-to the heart of bear and wolf country to fish a mountain stream for Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. I hope to not even catch one but if we do, at least I know I will not be killing it. Sound hypocritical of me? Maybe but when God put's a kid's life in your hands, you have to do your best to support that kid even if you may not approve of everything they do or like (unless it is harmful or illegal activity). I may just get more use out of my bat counting waders.

The new website is going well. I put quite a bit of stuff on it but it is far from done. It's an addicting hobby but neat to learn about programming. Again, the link doesn't work in the posts so it's on the right above profile. Adding links can't be that difficult of a thing to get to work can it?

Wanted: Room To Rent

2007-06-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, a young mountain lion was found resting in a tree of someone's backyard (in town). Of course, that young lion was immediately killed by wildlife officials. Before this some time ago, the same fate was dealt to a black bear cub also found in someone's yard and also in a tree. Mountain lions are becoming more visible along the edges of town. I believe one attacked a kid in his yard a while ago. Maybe it was his dog that was attacked. Antelope and deer have become a fixed part of the city. Problem is good old urban sprawl. These animals have nowhere left to go. People have developed the animal's usual habitats and then come whining and killing when the animals try to come back home. Houses being built here in Big Sky country are HUGE and causing a lot of sprawl. I wonder what family really needs something the size of a motel to live in? And worse yet, the houses are nearly all up for sale! In the meantime, the already developed housing sits idle because all the people want the huge new houses. So a perfectly fine inner city is becoming underappreciated while animals' territory is being destroyed by people buying homes that they soon realize they cannot afford. I really don't see a positive future for animals unless this whole "let's exploit it all" way of life changes completely.

Websites & Waders

2007-06-06T21:33:00.001-06:00

I have found a way to make a free website using Google Page Creator. Now I am slowly making a Wildlife Alive website that can be reached from the link on this blog. I find the Page Creator fairly simple but frustrating at times because it doesn't allow me to do some things I would expect it to. Also, I cannot get the site to come up even when I type in the exact address of it. This is a common complaint from what I have read so far. It is a new service so I would image they are still working out the bugs. Anyway, it is free and I should not complain too much about it. It is somthing new to me and I appreciate just being able to have a "mini-website". I believe it can hold 5 pages-I have 4 started but it is a long way from being finished any time soon.

Another interestingly funny note: I needed to get a pair of waders for netting bats next week. Well, I am not made of money and was looking at all the stores in town for some hip waders. Well, in the largest city (town?)in a state known for its fishing (Montana), there are no hip waders available and the only regular waders are over $100. What did I do? Ordered some for $35 from FishUSA.com clear over in Pennsylvania! Go figure.

Night Fliers

2007-06-04T23:02:00.000-06:00

I am doing an interesting volunteer project next weekend. It is Montana's first BioBlitz-a Yellowstone River species count. They will be checking on plants, bird, fish, mammals, and the rest of the works. I am interseted in all types of species and don't really care what group I am involved with since it is all exciting to me. However, I did say I would prefer to help with the bats (I know they are mammals but they were grouped seperately from that category). I have always been a tad bit curious about bats. Once I was going to sign up to help a grad student identify bats in Yellowstone but I never could get the time off or the money to go. I have also looked at some New Mexico bat study opportunities. Don't ask me why I have a slight bat fetish. I don't know. I just think it would be a neat thing to do. Montana has 15 bat species listed and out of that 6 of them are labeled as Species of Concern.

A good bat website is available through the Favorite Site Links.

Farewell Little Duck

2007-06-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

Duckie was buried last night in his/her shell under some lovely magenta flowers. This is for the best as no duck really needs a human mom and cat sisters. I believe the little duck almost made it until about 2 days before hatch day. After this, I couldn't detect any more movement even though the duck took up most of the egg at that point. I keep the egg for a couple days just in case. Then last evening the egg was starting to get discolored and I knew for sure Duckie's soul had left the egg to go to that sparkling duck pond in the sky. The beautiful little Pekin-Swede-Mallard duckling is a lot better off there.

A Thanks To Horseshoe Crabs

2007-05-31T18:44:00.001-06:00

I was looking through an old magazine on this dreary, rainy day when I ran across an article about horseshoe crabs. I thought of the beach: nice rolling waves, wet sand and warm air, seagulls flying, crabs and jellyfish washed up to the water's edge,and just relaxing. I was born in the East so I got to go to the beach a lot more then than I do now. I haven't been to the Atlantic coast for 3 or 4 years now. Hard to get there when you live in the West. Anyway, I remember the last time I was there how I enjoyed seeing a distinctly unique geologic landscape that is much different from my current homeland in the Great Plains near the Rocky Mountains and the Yellowstone supervolcano. As a child, nature is inherently amazing. However, after just finishing 4 years of environmental and earth science schooling, I get an even more excited feeling when I see before me the forces of the Earth and Heavens. This horseshoe crab article and photos took me to a wonderful place today. Thanks crabs!

Here is a nice educational site on the crabs:
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/horseshoecrab

Once again, the "add link" does not want to cooperate so I will add it to a new list on the side.

Where Oh Where Can The Little Duck Be?

2007-05-30T20:39:00.000-06:00

It is Day 28 for the egg and no signs of the little duck hatching today. I tried to keep the temperature at the low minimum so maybe he or she won't come out for a couple more days. I have read that with increased temperatures (although not too hot) eggs hatch a little faster. I can see the duck in there. It's hogging up most of the egg now leaving little room to move about. I'm anxious to see this duck and hope all is well inside the egg.

The Plight of the Buffalo

2007-05-30T19:01:00.000-06:00

Buffalo Resting Near The Mud Volcano in YNP

In Humane Society words: The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) has set up a bison trap on state land near the West Yellowstone airport, and they intend to begin capturing approximately 300 wild buffalo -- including tiny newborn babies and their whole families -- starting Thursday. These buffalo are being charged with the "crime" of trying to live wild and free by straying outside of Yellowstone National Park. The DOL is trying to justify this slaughter by pointing to a case of brucellosis in a Montana cattle herd, far to the north and east of Yellowstone. But the bison are not to blame. Wild bison have never transmitted the livestock disease brucellosis to cattle.

This is correct about buffalo not being responsible for infecting the herds here. The one cattle herd was actually proven to be infected through another cattle herd. Whether through genetics or what I do not know since I did not pay attention. Montana's governor even stated on record that the buffalo are not to blame and we should also be looking into transmission from elk. Brucellosis is in fact in elk and cattle but buffalo are the scapegoats. I do not understand why. My feeling is that ranchers don't want buffalo grazing the same land their cattle use even if some of this land is public land. As for the elk, I just don't know why elk are not in the same position buffalo are. Elk are loose everywhere around here, free to infect cattle; buffalo are not but are slaughtered by the hundreds by the NPS yearly without even testing the buffalo for the disease. I feel hunting interests are behind this somehow. Plus, there is a growing market for buffalo meat. Buffalo burgers (and maybe steaks but I don't remember) are on the menus Old Faithful and possibly throughout the Park. I feel bad for the buffalo. It's nothing more than a modern day massacre with no real evidence to back up the reasons given. Let the buffalo roam.

Grizzly Attack or Grizzlies Felt Attacked?

2007-05-24T20:42:00.000-06:00

A photographer was mauled by a grizzly sow with cubs yesterday in Yellowstone. He is alive. He was also mauled years ago in Glacier doing the same thing. I know this is a terrible, terrible thing but I feel this Yellowstone incident could have been prevented. This guy was hiking ALONE, OFF-TRAIL to begin with IN PRIME GRIZZLY HABITAT. I am sure, as a photographer he was being quiet to get closer to the bears for a better picture. It is common sense plus posted all over the place to hike in groups, make a lot of noise, and stay on designated trails. And NEVER bother or surprise a mom with cubs! He was following along Trout Creek (the picture shows the sign and the view is south). The creek is in Hayden Valley which seems a vast, peacefully gentle place with streams winding streams, grazing buffalo and trees densely covering hills farther back westward. The closest trail is the Mary Mountain Trail 3-4 miles north of Trout Creek! I've only ever seen massive buffalo herds and coyotes out there, along with the one wolf that ran right by me one summer (right near the road of course). From the mileage given in the news report, the guy did not make it into the forested area, he was still out in the open valley when he the bear got him. I love a great bear picture as much as anyone but not enough to put myself at more risk than necessary. Stories like this put a bigger fear of bears into people. This area is clearly a place that the guy had no business being in to start with. I fear the person that knows what precautions to take and does not take them anyway-people like this are a danger to themselves, to any others that may be with them, and to the wildlife they are after for whatever reason. People do scary things.

And the Mary Mountain area is known for a high concentration of grizzlies. I believe in 2004, a summer Old Faithful employee was taking a hike on his day off across the Mary Mountain Trail when he was mauled by 2 grizzlies! He was attacked about 9pm in the evening when he should not have been on the trail and certainly not alone on it(it is designated as day use only-no overnight camping). Luckily, the bears "only" clawed him, bit his back, rolled him over and then left. What a nightmare! These have been the only 2 attacks in the Park in many years.

(Photo: Around Yellowstone Photo Gallery by Ray Pettit at pbase.com)

Duckling Update

2007-05-21T13:28:00.000-06:00

My duck is supposedly a Pekin-Swedish-Mallard mixed breed that is a "beautiful" duck-marked by a "D" on the shell. The "SW" was one that did not make it. Either of these types of duck do not fly. I believe I am in trouble when this little duck hatches since I wouldn't feel right letting it loose at the pond, unable to fly away from predators. I have contacted the zoo to see if they will take it when it gets all its feathers and oil. If not, there is one other zoo-type facility for non-releasable wild animals within driving range that may take it. I know there are some mallards and cranes there. Apparently it is illegal to keep a wild mallard without a special permit so I am glad that the original egg laid on my lawn did not make it. If no place will take it in, then I will be forced to build a pen on my apartment patio for it to call home. It will be a show duck-I will enter it in competitions at the fair. This is hoping that it does not quack so loud that neighbors complain and I have to get rid of it. I am just not the kind of person that can turn the heat off of the egg and let the embryo die. It has 9 mores days until hatch day and I can see it moving around in the egg when I candle it. My advice-if a duck ever lays an egg on your lawn and leaves, pretend you never saw the egg in the first place.

Guess Who's Moving In

2007-05-15T20:50:00.000-06:00

The Cadillac of hunting stores, Cabella's, is soon to set up shop 3 blocks from my place, currently a small piece of farmland. Boy, am I in luck or what?! I admit they sell some good stuff but I really don't care to be angered by hunting everyday as I drive by the place. I haven't heard what all is included in their dead animal art collection.

Goose, Goose, Goose, Duck

2007-05-15T20:29:00.000-06:00

One duckling had finally made its appearance at the pond. Strange thing is the duckling has a Canadian Goose family! The little duck was being pestered and attacked at random intervals by a particular bully of a gosling sibling but other than that it seemed to fit in fine. Of course, the duck is yellower and smaller than the rest of the bunch. The mother took it in I guess. Maybe the egg got mixed in with hers. Actually, the goslings were not newborns at all, they started hatching a couple weeks ago and are pretty big now. I don't recall seeing the duckling with them then. Who knows.

About Day 13 for my quackers. The beak is prominent now. The duck floats around in the egg, probably getting dizzy from me turning its egg to see what's going on in there. The picture is a Swede duckling like the one I expect to hatch (hoping that it is not a swan!). I believe the mallard egg was too old by the time the incubator arrived but I will see in 2 weeks. The other "SW" had a cracked shell and did not make it too long.

Wolf 497 Mollies' Pack Male (3 yrs. old) Dead

2007-05-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

Picture by Doug Smith of NPS. It's the Mollies' Pack so I figure one of the wolves is 497M. I believe 497 is not a black one but I cannot be certain right now. It's hard to find a picture of a specific wolf.

The following news item is a terrible thing. Understandably accidents happen but to not fess up to it is a shame. This person's heart will be heavy until the truth comes out. Maybe it was not an accident-lots of wolf haters live in these parts. Just a few days before this incident, Wolf 11F was brutally shot to death outside of the Park in Wyoming. Peoples' intolerance for animals is unacceptable to me. I may not like every animal either but they all have a God-given place in this world!

Yellowstone National Park

Wolf Struck and Killed by Vehicle in Yellowstone National Park

Date: May 9, 2007
Contact: Nash, (307) 344-2010
Contact: Vallie, (307) 344-2012

A three-year-old male wolf from the Mollie’s pack was struck and killed by a car Sunday night in Yellowstone National Park.The carcass was discovered just after 9:00 p.m. near Le Hardy Rapids north of Yellowstone Lake.

The driver who struck the wolf did not report the accident.However, a necropsy revealed a broken leg, massive internal injuries and blood in the wolf’s mouth, consistent with a vehicle strike.

If anyone has any information on this accident, please call Yellowstone’s Communication Center at (307) 344-7381.

A Hunting We Will Go

2007-05-11T09:19:00.000-06:00

I went to a sporting goods store the other day to pick up a nice sturdy tripod for my scope. Of course, the tripod selection was amongst the hunting stuff. I felt dirty-like I was in the midst of a killing field. I don't know why I had this feeling, as I have been going in these type of stores throughout my life for various items. I guess the salespeople figured me to be a hunter wanting to get a good shot lined up. I don't like to see dead animals posed in death for eternity and looking at me while instruments of death surround me. Seems to me like these animals would be better off in their natural poses-living and doing whatever they do. It takes a bigger person to see the beauty in living creatures without wanting to completely possess them by taking their lives and show them off as some "trophy" to be proud of.

It reminds me of John Audubon's distorted view of birds. He claims to have enjoyed and loved them so much that he had to kill them and take them home to pose them "naturally" for pictures?! This is sick and unnecessary. In my opinion, it is sadly ironic that he has a birding society named after him. Read some of his writings. A fine example is Delineations of American Scenery and Character, New York: G. A. Baker & Co., 1926, pp.181-187.

Photo: http://www.mrinfo.co.za/.../Crafts.htm

Spring In Yellowstone

2007-05-10T13:24:00.000-06:00

I went to Yellowstone. Not nearly as many buffalo calves as I figured I'd see. Most of them were probably back farther where you would need to hike in to see them which I did not have time to do. The groundcover is already extremely dry. Even along the streambanks it is barely green. Wildflowers are rare to non-existent. It looks almost like it does near the end of the summer, not spring. I predict some bad wildfires there this season, hopefully not as bad as the fires of 1988. Trumpeter swans were out, elk were wading, and buffalo grazing and their orange calves laying down. A coyote was near the road waitng to cross. The elk carcass that was taken by wolves and half-eaten in March is now completely devoured.

A Diamond In The Rough

2007-05-09T18:36:00.000-06:00

I've been told by 3 different people at various stages in my adult life that I am a "diamond in the rough." I was thinking about this today since I have a degree now. I wonder what is next for me, I wonder what it really means to be an "environmentalist," I wonder what it will be like to move up in economic status, and I wonder about other things of this nature. Even after 4 years of school and "professional development" I am still a diamond in the rough. I have not been polished on the outside. My mannerisms, language, looks, and personality are still the same and one would not know by talking to me that I am educated. Only my mind has been brilliantly cut. No worries though because a diamond in the rough is still a diamond.

Somehow all this ties in to animals, nature, and anti-hunting stuff. Soon it will all come together clearly.

And while I am on the subject, the saying "diamonds are a girl's best friend" does not hold true for all of us.

(photo:http://www.eternityweddingbands.com/education_cut.asp)

Class of 2007

2007-05-06T22:31:00.000-06:00

I graduated yesterday with my first Bachelor's Degree and with honors. I am a full-fledged "environmenatlist" now. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with it right now. There's so much I would like to do that I can't choose just yet. I think it still hasn't hit me yet. Maybe because I am not the run-of-the-mill environmentalist (as I've mentioned before, I have many non-traditional views on the environment). Story about how I decided to go to college? Well, I got sick of working with people that just didn't care about ANYTHING in the world around them, only partying. I was really fed up. I have a little picture of Jesus standing in the lily fields with his arms out inviting people in. I asked him what I should do about my situation. He said, "Go up." I did not understand what that meant then. I went to the zoo and ran across a table with a bunch of pamphlets on it. An Environmental Studies brochure from the college was one of them. It lured me in with it's Rocky Mountain scene and from then on I knew I would go to school. I understand "Go up" now and I cry thinking about it-it's not the degree or anything material, it's that He wants the best for me no matter what.

Oh yeah, here's something that may be hard to believe. One of my best friends through school is a hunter! No joke. We do harass each other a lot but all in good fun.

July 2004 Cinnamon Black Bear Death in YNP

2007-05-06T21:34:00.000-06:00

This address is for "Friends of Slough Creek" and these picture belong to that site.
http://www.mff.vcn.com/new_mff/friend.htm
(For some reason I cannot get the link to work properly for the past few times so please get the link from my Favorite Site Links on the right.)
I ran across this website some time ago. I found it intersesting, especially after reading all of the comment and feedback on the proposed EA. I'm not sure what's up in Slough Creek now but when I get down to Yellowstone I will check it out. This area is famous wolf and bear habitat. Actually, I find the cinnamon bear's story sad and I want people to know that cracker rounds and poor training are a deadly combination. This bear's story should not be forgotten.

Cat Doing Fine

2007-05-06T21:10:00.000-06:00

This is my cat sleeping on her warm blankets. She gets medicine twice a day and fluids when she starts getting "droopy" skin. I have been bit quite a bit trying to give her the pills and she does not like to sit still for as long as it takes to get all the fluids in (through a needle under her skin hooked up to an IV bag) -still a fiesty cat. She does have some litterbox troubles but she seems like any other ordinary old cat otherwise. She goes outside sometimes, she eats a lot, and can still jump up on stuff.

The duck eggs have been incubating for about 4 days now. I can see the embryos in 2 of them but the mallard egg has a thicker shell so I don't know if it is OK or not. The one egg that came was marked "SW"- I hope that does not mean swan! I heard of some duck called a Swede, too. We will see when they hatch.

Raising Ducks

2007-04-30T17:35:00.000-06:00

I was sent 2 more duck eggs with the incubator I ordered for the mallard egg left on my lawn. I did not want more eggs but they are coming anyway. What the heck will I do with 3 ducklings?! I only have an apartment and I am sure waterfowl are not allowed. I don't even know what kind of ducks are going to hatch out of these new eggs. This is a funny but worrisome situation.

I was informed today of a proposal for a duck farm in Pennsylvania. People do not want it there for fear of water contamination and manure getting distributed around the area. I read a few newspaper articles about this. On April 25, they said they it was approved but then on April 26 they said it had not been appoved yet, so who knows-I don't live around there. Help these folks keep the duck farm out of there. The ducks will only be sent to slaughter anyway. 36,000 ducks!!!

Supersize It Please

2007-04-26T21:22:00.000-06:00

I often wonder why veggie burgers are only sold in packs of 4. The patties are also very small, not even the size of a regular burger. They need to make economy packs and "supersize" veggie burgers. I may not eat meat, but that does not mean that I peck at food like a bird or that I am a walking skeleton that don't need much eat. Maybe they do this in large cities. I don't know. If they don't, they sure need to.

Buffalo Calves

2007-04-26T21:14:00.000-06:00

Buffalo calves should be out in Yellowstone now. In about another week or so, I am going to make a trip to check things out.

Photo: NPS archives

Bottle Recycling

2007-04-25T22:49:00.000-06:00

I told a friend of mine that I would post his project information to help spread the word. He is trying to get a bottle recycling bill put on the ballot in 2008. He needs people to spread the word and money to back it up. Professionals say he needs 6 digit figures minimum to get it off the ground- yes, he was shocked by this huge amount but he is gonna try.(I am not a myspace member so I am not familiar with how all that stuff works but my friend's site seems well put together.) Recycling is always a good idea. Apparently the large bottling companies do not agree with this, at least in this area.

http://www.myspace.com/mtbottlebill

Curiosity

2007-04-23T23:30:00.000-06:00

Since it is a hot issue, I wonder what people think about the wilderness designation proposal. I'm sure the battle will go on for a long time. I am all for it.

A Nice Spring Day

2007-04-23T09:03:00.000-06:00

It is a beautiful rainy day today. I love the rain. It is peaceful. Water brings life. Lots of controversy starting to brew over a proposed wilderness designation out here in the West. Also, it is a great day for not hunting! It's also a nice day to finish my homework-I have 800+ pages of information on bear management history that I have to cram into a 10-page paper. It seems impossible at this point.

Go to this site and watch the Sun Bear video. It is neat how the mom picks up the cub and carries it like a human at one point. When people see a "Bigfoot" they are probably seeing a bear walking upright in the woods.
www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/indexbaby.html

Death Sports

2007-04-19T16:36:00.000-06:00

I wonder why people think hunting is a fun, reasonable sport and past-time. I have heard many answers on this subject from hunters but they all seem like excuse to me. It is nothing more than a death sport. Animals feel pain, they feel scared, they have all kinds of feeling. They just cannot express them like us because God made them different. There are many, many, many examples of animals having feelings and thinking (The Farley Mowat book is a great story for this, Jane Goodall and the gorillas, too). They have families and " go to work" and school, too. They talk to each other just fine. People are afraid of animals they do not understand and animals they cannot completely control. It is sad. This killing for fun business has got to stop! Do something useful with your time-help out at an old folks home, help needy children, send letters to our troops, pick up some trash along the creek or something, anything but killing animals for "fun".

Antelope Massacre Beyond Sickening

2007-04-19T16:02:00.000-06:00

Photo: Fish, Wildlife,& Parks

This is taken from a local newspaper: (words in italics are not my words)
Montana Outdoors: Poacher takes heavy, senseless toll
15 antelope shot northwest of Forsyth
By MARK HENCKEL, Montana Outdoors
Someone went on an illegal shooting spree on Highway 12 between Forsyth and Ingomar last week. In his or her wake, they left 15 dead and dying antelope.

The incident likely took place on April 8, Easter Sunday, according to Jack Austin, warden sergeant for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at Miles City. He'd like to find the poacher.

"There's a chance it could have happened either late Saturday or early Monday, but we feel it was probably on Easter Sunday," Austin said. "The call came in that there was a bunch of dead antelope. When game warden Todd Anderson got there, a couple of them were still struggling so he had to euthanize them."

All of the dead antelope were on the east side of the highway and the trail of death was scattered along a long stretch of road.

"It covered a fair distance. It was 20 miles worth or more," he said. "It was one here. Four or five miles another. One place had three lying dead. Another had two.

There are some winter-killed antelope out there, but these were not winter-killed," he said. "All of these died by gunshot. The shooter was very accurate. They spined most of them."

The final death toll included four bucks and 11 does. All of the does were pregnant with twins and would have delivered them in May.

"A couple of the bucks were doozies. They were extremely heavy horned clear to the end. They were trophies," Austin said. "They still had a couple of inches to grow, but they had plenty of time to do that before fall. They would have been trophies to some hunter."

The bottom line is that it's a horrible waste of a wildlife resource for nothing more than pulling the trigger on an animal.

So this is fun? I know these animals have been poached, but come on! It is also sickening to know that people (sport hunters I am sure) are sad because they lost some fine trophies. Note the "waste of wildlife resource" sentence towards the end. Seems like wildlife are just a "resource" for dead animal wall decor to hunters anyway. Notice there was no mention of loss of meat for survival, just nice trophies. "Resource" for survival is one thing but "resource" for sport hunting is crap. It is a nightmare to wildlife and to my own soul's well-being. This article and picture almost make me throw up.

Wolves Again

2007-04-17T19:56:00.000-06:00

This Thursday, April 19 is the last public meeting for the wolf de-listing hearings. It will be held in Cody, Wyoming. I believe they are going to be de-listed anyway but feel free to make the trip and speak up!

The Green Power Solution?!

2007-04-17T19:25:00.000-06:00

Since I said I think I have many untraditional environmental views I thought I should give an example. "Green power" is not the answer to our energy problems or pollution. Wind power will only ruin the landscape plus windmills need metals and plastics for the parts (yeah sure, mining and plastics are environmentally friendly!) and big diesel trucks to haul all the parts around. New roads may need to be built to put the mills in prime locations. Polluting factories need to manufacture all the parts. Windmills are junking up coastal areas. I just don't get how windmills all over will help the situation. Ethanol or biodiesel either. These require crops which require more land to grow. In my opinion these green solutions to our energy problems will just add to our increasing demand for power. Instead of a few main ways to generate power we will have double that so where is the incentive to change? When one runs out, we have a backup. As Americans we need to change our attitudes about energy use. The "green power solutions" are totally absurd to me. Reducing consumption is the key, not making more energy sources available for our insatiable energy appetites!

Photo:www.harlowtonchamber.com

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