Man who claimed Indigenous hunting rights fined for illegal hunting

The MNR laid charges against a Sault Ste. Marie man after an incident north of Terrace Bay.

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THUNDER BAY —  A Justice of the Peace in Thunder Bay has fined a Sault Ste. Marie man a total of $5,500 after finding him guilty of hunting offences.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the case involves an incident in October 2023 in the Esker Lake Road area, north of Terrace Bay.

The court heard that conservation officers observed Fred McLeod actively hunting for moose.

When they asked for his licence, he claimed to be hunting under Indigenous harvesting rights, but was unable to provide documentation.

The officers also learned that his federal firearms licence had been revoked.

The man was contacted three times over three months but failed to prove that he had Indigenous harvesting rights.

McLeod was found guilty of hunting moose without a licence and hunting with a firearm without possessing the required documentation.

Endangered wolves poached in Washington; $20K reward offered for information


by Alton Worley II, KOMO News StaffMon, January 6th 2025 at 12:39 PM

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A female member of Washington's former Diamond Pack seen in 2010. (Credit: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.)

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WASHINGTON STATE — After three illegal wolf killings in Washington state, the Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering rewards totaling $20,000 apiece for information leading to arrests.

The wolves were each killed in a part of the state where wolves are still federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Service also has offered a $10,000 reward in each case.

The first two killings were publicly reported on Oct. 28, 2024, by the Service, and the third killing was reported on Jan. 3, 2025, by the Service:

  • an adult male gray wolf in late September or early October 2024, east of the Klickitat River near U.S. Highway 142 and Goldendale in Klickitat County
  • an adult female gray wolf discovered southwest of Twisp in Okanogan County on Oct. 20, 2024
  • an adult male gray wolf in Klickitat County near Trout Lake around Dec. 17.

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At least 22 wolves are known or suspected to have been poached across Washington state since 2022, according to the Center.

17-year-old accused of killing another high schooler’s goat by poisoning it with pesticide

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By Kali O’Rourke

Published: Jan. 6, 2025 at 12:50 AM PST|Updated: 8 hours ago

CEDAR PARK, Texas (Gray News) – A Texas high school student is accused of killing another high schooler’s goat by force-feeding it pesticide. She allegedly told police she did so because the goat’s keeper “is a cheater.”

Aubrey Vanlandingham, a 17-year-old student at Vista Ridge High School, is charged with cruelty to livestock animals after she allegedly killed another teenager’s goat. Both Vanlandingham and the goat’s keeper were part of the Future Farmers of America organization, according to KXAN.

The alleged incident happened Oct. 23 at the high school’s barn in Cedar Park, Texas, where police say security video shows a student giving a toxic pesticide to a goat named Willie. The goat died about 21 hours later after experiencing symptoms including convulsions and respiratory distress, KEYE reports.

An affidavit filed by a Wiliamson County detective in November states that the goat’s cause of death was confirmed to be intoxication from a kind of pesticide known as phosmet, according to The New York Times.

Vanlandingham originally denied responsibility for the goat’s death but later confessed to having fed it pesticide, the affidavit said. She allegedly told the detective the goat’s keeper “is a cheater,” and she “doesn’t like cheaters.”

The affidavit also said the 17-year-old’s phone records showed she had searched multiple pesticides and phrases such as “can straight bleach kill goats,” “how much bleach kills a goat,” and “how to clear search history,” as reported by The New York Times.

Police say Vanlandingham admitted this was her second attempt to poison the goat, KEYE reports.

Vanlandingham was arrested Nov. 22 and later posted a $5,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 15.

Cruelty to livestock animals is a felony and carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $10,000 penalty, according to The New York Times.

Bird flu wipes out 200 snow geese in Pennsylvania as expert fears ‘something worse is on the way’

By 

Caitlin McCormack

Published Jan. 5, 2025, 10:16 p.m. ET67 Comments

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Over 200 snow geese found across Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania are suspected to have been killed by the bird flu, and experts are concerned the death toll could climb even higher as cases continue to skyrocket.

The birds were found at the Lower Nazareth Township in Northhampton County and Upper Macungie Township in Lehigh County, 6ABC reported. The two sites are just over 20 miles apart.

A group of snow geese gathered along Cave Neck Road in Milton
Over 200 snow geese were found dead across two sites in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.Jason Minto, The News Journal

Early testing has identified the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, in some of the geese, but the results still need to be ratified by the US Department of Agriculture before they can be officially confirmed as new avian influenza cases.

Infected, but still living birds were also found at both sites.

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Colorized transmission electron micrograph of avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles grown in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney epithelial cells
The H5N1 virus, also known as the bird flu, has been on the rise all year.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/AFP via Getty Images

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Egg production in the U.S. dropped 4% in November as the price of eggs and cases of bird flu continue to rise across the country, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

US egg production drops as prices continue to rise along with bird flu cases

Bird flu has been spreading for years in wild birds, chickens, turkeys and many other animals. It was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in March.

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“We just hope that these mortality events that we recorded don’t signal something worse is on the way,” Travis Lau, the spokesperson with the Pennsylvania Game Commission that is investigating the cases, told the local ABC affiliate station.

A large flock of snow geese flying over Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in December 2024
The bird flu has spread from avian creatures like geese all the way to house cats.Shannon Marvel McNaught / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Many birds that catch avian influenza are often humanely euthanized since there is no known cure or treatment for the disease in animals. It often takes less than a day for the disease to kill an infected bird.

“It’s devastating, and to know that other animals are eating those dead bodies, it’s a terrible domino effect. I mean you have eagles. We saw eagles flying above there. They’re feeding on these dead bodies, they’re contracting it,” Janine Tancredi, co-executive director at the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife, told the news station.

Bird flu cases have been soaring across the country in every animal from the eponymous birds to cows to house cats — and humans have also been infected.

Illustration of a test tube labelled 'Bird Flu' in front of the U.S. flag
There is no known cure or treatment for the bird flu in animals.REUTERS

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A total of 66 human cases have been reported nationwide. In 2024, California saw the most cases of any state with 36 confirmed cases resulting from exposure to infected cattle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California also saw raw milk recalls because of products contaminated by bird flu.

Nearly 11,000 wild birds have been infected with bird flu since January 2022, according to the CDC. A whopping 129,795,101 poultry have been infected since Februrary 2022, and all 50 states have seen outbreaks resulting from infected poultry.

Coyote Trapping and Management Workshop will be held in March

DNR

Posted Saturday, January 4, 2025 6:00 am

STAFF REPORT

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the South Carolina Trappers Association, will host a Coyote Trapping and Management Workshop at Webb Wildlife Center, in Hampton County, on March 13-14.

Sign-in and registration will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, and the workshop will start promptly at 2 p.m. The workshop will end at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

The cost for the workshop is $115, which includes workshop materials, overnight bunkhouse-style accommodations at Webb Wildlife Center, dinner on Thursday and breakfast and lunch on Friday.

The workshop is limited to the first 30 applicants submitting an application and payment (check or money orders only).

Registered foresters who take and complete the workshop may qualify for Category 2 Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits through the Society of American Foresters (Pending approval from SAF. Past workshops were 10.5 hours).