Dear SFW Members and Friends,

As many of you know, the office of Wyoming Governor Freudenthal was lambasted by phone calls ripping his leadership on management of wolves as predators in his state. His office indicated they had received 600 calls last week.

Defenders of Wildlife used their web site to direct callers to harass the Governor’s office directly. Yesterday we heard from some of our members who suggested we contact the Governor’s office and thank him for his efforts to check the current wolf population. We suggest you do that very thing and demonstrate that Defenders of Wildlife and their ilk do not represent the majority of citizens interested in wildlife.

Here is the contact information for you to use in providing some follow-up. http://governor.wy.gov/contact-dave/default.html (you can email him from this link)

By Mail:
State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010

By Phone or Fax:
307.777.7434 (phone)
307.632.3909 (fax)

Please take the time to take action on this issue. I spoke with the Governor’s office today and calls are about 50/50 as of today. A lot of people need to be sending in comments and/or calling the Governor’s office. It would be nice if other states would follow suit as many if not all the calls in opposition are coming from outside the state. It would be great if other sportsmen would take the time to let Wyoming’s Governor know that there is also support for his actions from those of you which no longer live in Wyoming but relish your hunting experience just the same.

Special Thanks to Nate Helm, Executive Director ID SFW, and Fritz Meyers, Member Fremont County SFW, for your efforts in getting a response started to balance and hopefully overwhelm those that are trying to derail the progress which has been made with the delisting of wolves in the Rocky Mountain Region.

This record whitetail buck taken by Brian Andews in 2003 has recently been stolen. This amazing deer was taken in Buchanan County, Iowa and scored 253 1/8 net B&C. It is the non-typical state record with a bow and was the second largest bow kill that year. Sometime between 8-10 p.m. on June 18, 2004, Andrews’ mounted whitetail buck was stolen from his family’s home.

Big Reward

The Andrews family and the Buchanan County Wildlife Association Inc. have offered a $5,000 cash reward for any information that will lead to the missing mount. Unfortunately that has not been enough as no information has come forward. Bass Pro has decided it wants to help and add to that reward.

Bass Pro Shops recently announced that it is offering a $5,000 gift card to anyone with information leading to the return of Andrews’ buck and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who stole it.

Anyone with information about Andrews’ buck is asked to contact the Buchanan County Sheriffs Department in Independence, Iowa, at 319-334-2567.

April 28, 2008

MISSOULA, MT— Twelve conservation groups today filed a federal court lawsuit challenging the federal government’s decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf population from the list of endangered species. Wolves should not have been delisted, the groups argue, because they remain threatened by biased, inadequate state management plans, as well as by the lack of connections between largely isolated state wolf populations.

The Fish and Wildlife Service’s premature decision to strip the protections of the Endangered Species Act from the northern Rocky Mountains’ wolves promises to undo the hard-earned progress toward wolf recovery of recent years. State laws that guide wolf management in the wake of delisting betray the states’ continued hostility toward the presence of wolves in the region. While ensuring that wolves can and will be killed in defense of property or recreation, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana have refused to make enforceable commitments to maintaining viable wolf populations within their borders. The states have failed to keep track of recent wolf killings and also neglected to secure funding for essential monitoring and conservation efforts.

Earthjustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, The Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Western Watersheds Project, and Wildlands Project .

So there we have it. It is no surprise to anyone that a lawsuit was just 60 days away from the de-listing date. We will wait and see what merit this lawsuit brings and how it will affect the de-listing that has already taken place.

So what about all of this rhetoric? I asked for permission to post this comment from Maury Jones (Jonesy), an outfitter from Wyoming, on his statements he made concerning the fight over the wolf:

This is a letter I wrote to an online sportsmen’s blog. One of my former hunters had written a post complaining of the wolves out west. After reading the comments to his post, which mostly defended the wolf introduction, I was incensed and wrote the below reply.

Jonesy

Dear sportsmen,
I just read the original post regarding the negative impacts wolves are having on our elk, and I read the almost unbelievable replies from people who are supposedly sportsmen. The wolf-worshippers/anti-hunters/eco-freaks have certainly done a fine job of brainwashing. I live in Wyoming and have been heavily involved in the wolf controversy from the beginning. We have seen how many lies have been told regarding the wolves, and unfortunately they are very good at telling the lies to get you to believe it is just returning Yellowstone to “natural conditions”.

Here are the facts:
1. The US Fish and Wildlife Service introduced a non-native specie to the Yellowstone region. The native wolf was the Rocky Mountain Wolf, which hunted in pairs and weighed 80 pounds maximum. The Canadians hunt in packs, sometimes as large as 27 wolves, and weigh in excess of 150 pounds. NOTHING in the region can stand up to them. So the USFWS, controlled by the wolf-worshippers, broke the Endangered Species Act by introducing a non-native specie.

2. Wolves did not commonly inhabit Yellowstone. Strong evidence shows that wolves rarely entered Yellowstone in the 77 years prior to 1913 (National Park Service Documents, “The Wolves of Yellowstone” Weaver 1978). Also, an official government document, Yellowstone Animal Census, 1912, lists various animals and their numbers, but under Gray Wolves the total is listed as NONE (Hornaday, Our Vanishing Wildlife, pg 336).

3. Wolves don’t kill only to sustain themselves. They often kill for sport. In 2005 in one night a lone she-wolf killed 29 sheep in Pinedale. The USFWS came the next day, tracked it down by air from its radio collar and found that it was 20 miles away, so they left it alone. Two weeks later it returned to the same herd and killed 13 sheep. At the Camp Creek elk feedground a lone wolf killed five calf elk, eating about 5 pounds of meat. Just having fun. In spring of 2006 about 40 sheep belonging to Jim Magagna were killed in a pasture near Farson, Wyoming. Many many times we have found deer and elk carcasses killed by wolves with only a little bit of meat eaten. My friend, Royce Hoopes, resigned as elk feeder in the Gros Ventre because every morning he would have to shoot 3 or 4 elk who were maimed overnight by wolves. The most common maiming would be that the noses and lips of the elk were eaten off, leaving the elk alive. The wolves would run them out into the deep snow and when the elk were so exhausted they couldn’t go further, the wolves would eat on them without killing them.

4. The Dunoir Valley, northwest of Dubois, Wyoming was the home of over 100 moose for the past 60 years. Now there are almost no moose in the Dunoir, the Washakie Pack of wolves having eliminated them. One of the very last moose calves was killed in the Dunoir within 20 feet of the house of Budd Betts. It had been living right next to the house trying to avoid the wolves.

5. The Betts family dog was killed on their front lawn in broad daylight by two wolves right in front of Budd and his wife and kids. Budd and a hired hand ran the wolves off by shooting over their heads. You are damned right we are scared of the wolves!!!!

6. The Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd numbered over 19,000 when they introduced the wolves. Now they number about 7,000. The only thing that has changed is wolves.

7. The Final Rule For Introduction of the wolf promised that when there were 100 wolves for 3 years, they would delist the wolf and turn management over to the state. That threshold was met in 2002. There are now over 1,700 wolves. The Environmental Impact Statement examined the effect of 100 wolves on the Yellowstone ecosytem, and 300 wolves in the tri-state areas of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The present number of wolves exceeds the study by more than 5 times.

8. If you wonder what the wolf is doing to our huntable wildlife out west just do the math. According the feds, each wolf is responsible for killing 1.9 elk per month or the equivalent. That is 20 elk per year killed per wolf. We have, officially, 1,700 wolves. That is 34,000 elk killed by wolves each year. It doesn’t take much of a mathematician to understand that there is a crash of epic proportions happening.

I could go on and on about this. In conclusion, it is painfully apparent that the wolf-introducers are not wanting to “balance” nature, but are mainly interested in killing off the surplus game so there will be nothing left for us to hunt. If you have too many deer in your neighborhood, please come get some of our wolves. Then you can watch as your game and your livestock is destroyed, and you will have to drive your children to the bus stop and keep them in the car until the bus comes, because the wolves are sitting there in the snow watching them wait for the bus. That is happening.

Yes, we are mad about you eastern ignoramuses cramming the wolf down our throats and destroying our way of life. Please study up on this issue before you defend the indefensible position of reintroduction of wolves.

McCartney appears in a PETA print advertisement, wearing one of the organization’s pro-vegetarian t-shirts. PETA also featured an interview with McCartney on its website.

The text of the ad relates the moment when McCartney first became a vegetarian. He says that he realized it when he was fishing and the fish on his line was dying and struggling for breath.

In More news from the PETA front that should make us all proud….

Sandusky and Cleveland, Ohio-area television networks and cable stations have refused to broadcast a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) advertisement featuring the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

The commercial shows a KKK member attending an American Kennel Club (AKC) meeting. A PETA official says it is meant to show similarities between the two organizations and that “the AKC is a shameless promotion of pure bloodlines and against mixed breeding.”

According to the PETA official, the advertisement in question has run in other areas, including on stations in the New York City area during the Westminster Dog Show.

Did the PETA official really say that it was meant to show the similarities between the two organizations…I have nothing more to say.

There are a few photos going around of some Wyoming wolf success since the de-listing of the wolf. In Wyoming, there are some designated areas where the wolf is considered open game similar to the coyote. However, all wolf kills must be submitted to the Fish and Game within 10 days. Many people are concerned that the wolves are going to be wiped out because of this. I don’t think there is reason for concern. I don’t have the most current numbers, but a couple of weeks ago there were a total of 10 wolves taken so far that has been recorded. Some of these 10 wolves were trouble wolves that were found and taken by authorities. Not quite the slaughter that many of the anti’s have made it out to be.

Let’s remember, the wolves are not going to be killed off. Wyoming and the other western sates are going to watch the population very carefully and monitor how many are being killed. They must maintain certain numbers so all this talk of wiping out the wolf again in the Rockies will not happen. Wolves are here to stay, so it is good that we can finally manage them.

Early word is that the wolves are very difficult to hunt, as many locals have been hitting the hills to get a chance at them but with no success. The photos included above were taken by Big Piney and Pinedale Wyoming. Can you believe the size of those things. Amazing. The photo below is a wolf taken near Daniel by a trapper from Lyman.

Anyone with some stories on some recent wolf hunts/adventures let me know.

Leupold® & Stevens Announces Purchase of The Redfield® Brand

BEAVERTON, Ore. –Leupold® & Stevens, Inc. announces the purchase of the Redfield® brand including all intellectual property and associated assets.

Redfield was originally founded in 1909, and spent many decades as a leading U.S. producer of riflescopes, spotting scopes, riflescope mounting systems and binoculars until it closed in 1998. The Redfield brand subsequently changed hands several times, before being acquired by Meade Instruments, from whom Leupold & Stevens made the acquisition.

Tom Fruechtel, President and CEO of Leupold & Stevens, declined to discuss the purchase price or plans for the Redfield brand under Leupold ownership, but did state: “Leupold & Stevens is pleased to have had the opportunity to acquire one of America’s leading sporting goods brands. For half a century, Leupold respected Redfield as a leading innovator and competitor in the sports optics industry. The opportunity for Leupold to rescue this American brand from dormancy could not be missed. As we carefully consider how to proceed, we will be very cognizant of Redfield’s historical significance and the position it fills in the hearts of millions of dedicated American Sportsmen.”

Leupold & Stevens, Inc., is the leading American-owned and -operated optics company, employs more than 650 people in its state-of-the-art Beaverton, Ore., facility where rugged, dependable, high-performance Golden Ring® sports optics are designed, machined and assembled. Leupold is a fifth-generation, family-owned company. Winner of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers Accessory Manufacturer of the Year award for both 2006 and 2007, Leupold’s products are sold worldwide to hunters, wildlife observers, competitive shooters, law enforcement officers and special operations military personnel. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; flashlights; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories.

Hello! If that is correct, we are looking at the second largest velvet typical mule deer in the world. Anybody out there have any information on this buck or the hunter?

February/March 2008 issue of Hunting Illustrated is now available in our Virtual Magazine
The Best of 2007 Issue

One of our more popular issues each year is our “Best of” issue. This is where we showcase some of the biggest big game animals taken the previous year. Our Best of 2007 issue of Hunting Illustrated is now available in our exclusive HI Virtual Magazine for FREE. Click on the cover image above to check out the whole issue, flip the pages, search and more.

Highlights
Read about the new #5 typical archery elk in the world taken by Don Roach
Kyle Lopez and his now 306 4/8 net non-typical mule deer from Colorado
Darrel Snedeger’s awesome state record rifle elk scoring 423 net B&C
Idaho’s Super Tag and Utah’s Sportsman Mule Deer Tag
Oregon State Record archery mule deer

Any much more!

Enjoy reading this “Best of 2007″ issue and drooling over the photos. If you like it and want it coming to your door at a special limited time offer of just $10 (normally $24.95), then click the banner below or call 800-447-6897.

I was privileged to have the legendary Charlton Heston on my radio show in Detroit back in 1995. And there, as during many such memorable encounters as a fellow NRA Board Of Director and NRA President, he was everything the legend indicated him to be, and more. He defined intellect, humor, goodwill, decency, American spirit and dignity. As both awe inspiring actor, civil rights leader and US Constitutional activist, he lived the ultimate “we the people” participation and celebration. His unwavering fight for Second Amendment rights proved a courage unrivaled in the oftentimes unforgiving, fickle Hollywood industry, and he deeply inspired me and legions of freedom loving Americans to always stand up for the self-evident truth fueled American Dream. Mr. Heston and his warrior spirit lives on in the hearts and souls of freedom fighters everywhere.
In the wind, he’s still alive.
Ted Nugent

Women in Hunting
Hunting Illustrated April/May 2008 Issue HI35

On Newsstands Now (March 25- May 20)

Our Women in Hunting issue of HI is here. I am excited about this particular issue of the magazine. I feel this topic is perfect for what is going on now with the hunting industry and the ladies are really taking a liking to hunting.

We have some great stories and articles that cover a broad range of the great experiences shared by successful women hunters. Their unique perspective is inspiring and their success in the field is impressive.

Included are great stories on mule deer, elk, turkey, pronghorn, moose and more. This issue of the magazine is to help showcase the trend that women numbers are increasing significantly and are becoming a market that is being targeted more and more to help with hunter retention.

Pick up a copy today or Subscribe for an incredible deal.
Get one year of Hunting Illustrated for just $10. That’s right. Buy a couple of gallons of gas, or get a full year of Hunting Illustrated (six big issues) coming to your door.

That is a 60% savings off normal subscription price ($24.95) and 70% off the newsstand cover price.

What are you waiting for.
Call now at 800-447-6897 to subscribe today, or go to Hunting Illustrated and order on-line.