Stop Idaho’s Cruel Wolf and Coyote Derby

First, here’s an article on the subject:

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 12:15 am

Shoot biggest wolf, win trophy and cash

The New West / By Todd Wilkinson   Jackson Hole News&Guide

Idaho guide and outfitter Shane McAfee appears to have a pretty good business deal that private land competitors do not enjoy. He makes his living by selling clients the opportunity to hunt public wildlife on federal public land.

For $7,150, a big game enthusiast can buy a five-day “elk, mule deer, black bear, wolf combo” package from Castle Creek Outfitters, which operates under a special use permit with the Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Despite the heated rhetoric swirling around his hometown of Salmon, Idaho, declaring that wolves have devastated the hunting, McAfee offers this website guarantee:

“If for any reason you don’t harvest a mature six-point bull on your hunt with us, we will discount a return trip for you to do so.” The hunting is so good that, unlike other outfitters, Castle Creek tells clients not to kill five-point bull elk because they’re the seed stock for next season.

Ever an innovator, McAfee is organizing an event in time for this holiday season between Christmas and New Year’s. He and others are hosting a predator-shooting competition in Salmon billed as fun and wholesome entertainment for the entire family.

McAfee’s “Coyote and Wolf Derby” is awarding trophies and cash prizes to those who bag the most coyotes and kill the biggest lobo.

Some of the shooting will be conducted as teams in which adults are paired with kids as young as 10.

“It’s my [11-year-old] daughter’s first big adventure and she thinks it’s awesome,” Barbara Soper told a reporter for Reuters.

“Shooting contests conducted in the name of killing animals for fun, money and prizes is just not consistent with the values of most people in the modern world,” Schoen says.

and here’s something you can do: http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14795

Since they were stripped of federal protection in Idaho, 859 wolves have been killed in the state. But Idaho wants to take its slaughter one gruesome step further: The state is planning cruel contest hunts sending hired killers into our public lands to gun down wolves.

This despicable wolf and coyote “derby” is planned for Dec. 28 and 29 — and it’s actually partly aimed at children. There will be cash prizes, and trophies will be awarded for the largest wolf caught and the most coyotes killed.

Wolves were nearly eradicated in the lower 48 states by government-hired killers. After nearly 40 years of work to restore these beautiful animals to the American landscape, Idaho wants to hold its cruel, throwback killing contest and send a gunman to mow down two entire wolf packs.

Wolves and coyotes evolved over millions of years to create balance with prey animals like elk and deer. Healthy ecosystems need these magnificent creatures.

Please take action now to urge Idaho agency heads, elected officials and business leaders to cease their barbaric treatment of wolves and coyotes: http://action.biologicaldiversity.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=14795

copyrighted wolf in water

2 thoughts on “Stop Idaho’s Cruel Wolf and Coyote Derby

Leave a reply to Stacey Cancel reply