From:

Boulder-White Clouds Council

Wolf on a hillside in the Salmon River canyon. I hid in the sage and watched as her pack fed on an elk, likely

injured after being hit by a vehicle on Hwy 75, a common occurrence. © 2008 Lynne Stone.

March 1, 2023

Subject: Idaho Wolf Management Plan – Comments due Monday, March 6th. Read the plan here: https://idfg.idaho.gov/form/wolf-plan-2023

Dear Friends, 

Many of you have seen wolves in Idaho, perhaps have gone on wolf outings with Boulder-White Clouds Council over the past 18 years, and now wolves need your help, again. 

A draft management plan that will govern Idaho wolves for the next six years has been proposed by Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game. It’s terrible. IDFG claims there are 1500 wolves in our state. The goal is to reduce wolf numbers to 500, meaning 60% of the wolves IDFG says are on the landscape would be killed. By just about any means possible. 

The rationale that IDFG uses isn’t based on science or biology, but politics. We live with 20,000 black bears in Idaho and at least 4000 mountain lions. Elk numbers exceed 120,000 and there are 400,000 deer. The plan doesn’t say one good word about wolves. Non-lethal is not an option for the current IDFG. They fail to recognize the Wood River Project’s success in proving there can be co-existence between wolves and sheep. 

So far, big game units 48 and 49 in Blaine County are the only ones in Idaho where wolf trapping and snaring are not allowed. We can thank our county commissioners and other officials. The Idaho Trappers Association based in Fairfield is pushing hard to be able to trap where we hike, bike, ski, camp, fish and simply walk our dogs. Remember the minute you drive over Galena into Unit 36, be wary of wolf traps and snares. This means the Sawtooth Valley, Stanley area, Salmon River canyon, Valley Creek and points in-between.

IDFG is advocating wolf hunting year around with no limit on tags or wolves taken. That’s how much the agency disregards wolves. No other species is so over mismanaged. Manage = kill.   

Phantom wolf pups I happened to walk up on, looking for a place to lead a wolf outing. ©2008 Lynne Stone. 

Looking back: I’ve lived in Idaho since 1981and remember ten years later in 1991, when IDFG participated in the sockeye vigils that the Sawtooth Wildlife Council organized at Redfish Lake weir. Some of you were there. Char Roth led us in an inspirational musical mantra. Will Caldwell filled the night with the rhythm of his drums. IDFG spoke and educated us about Redfish Lake sockeye, which were near extinction. But, one sockeye – to be named Lonesome Larry – showed up one morning at the weir, I took a photo that went out across Idaho media. Redfish Lake sockeye were given a chance. BWCC board president Pat Ford has worked decades on the salmon issue and continues. 

My point is, I remember a time when IDFG was our ally, now the agency is consumed with killing wolves, even contributing to bounties. Powerful interests who don’t care for salmon or wolves are forcing this. 

We must fight back. 

Attached to this email is an ALERT from Western Watersheds Project with details to comment on the draft plan. It’s easy, you can be brief. Thank you, WWP for the excellent summary. Cut and paste this link into your browser:  https://mailchi.mp/westernwatersheds/takeactionidahowolvesmarch2023?e=ab965341d5

Note – I was a founding board member of the Idaho Watersheds Project in 1993 along with Jon Marvel and Linn Kincannon. We worked on grazing including state leases. Wolves had yet to be reintroduced. I walked every stream and spring in the Upper East Fork Allotment along with Herd Creek and also Warm Springs Meadow in the White Clouds. Those allotments are now retired, benefitting fish and wildlife. Wolves could have a refuge if not for unlimited hunting, trapping and snaring.

Also, I spent many summers at Cape Horn next to sheep bands and chasing off wolves when they came by, nearly nightly. That allotment is now closed. Wolves no longer will tangle with sheep there. Some of the Wildhorse Allotment over Trail Creek also is no longer grazed. I spent more days than I care to remember walking, documenting grazing overuse, until snow drove me out. Perseverance pays off. Ranchers couldn’t meet grazing standards, so when offered a buyout they took it. Works goes on to retire more allotments. Less livestock means less conflict with predators. 

Why bring up this history? These “wins?”  So we can remember that hard work and advocacy does make a difference. Local, state, regional and national groups care about Idaho wolves. Lawyers are trying to stop the madness governing wolves in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming. It takes money, I’ve worked many days in the past decades without pay, to try and make a difference and would do it again. Please help groups working to help wolves. 

Other ways to help:

– being in touch with our elected officials – city, county, state

– getting to know the IDFG Commissioner in your Region: https://idfg.idaho.gov/d7/about/commission/members

– thanking sheep and cattlemen who coexist with wolves and other predators

– supporting environmental groups that believe wolves have a place on the landscape and oppose wolf hunting/trapping/snaring

– support businesses and outfitters who support wolves  (I choose to boycott those that guide wolf hunts, websites give that info) 

With resilience, 

Lynne 

Lynne K. Stone, Director

Boulder-White Clouds Council

Box 6313

Ketchum ID 83340

Share https://www.kcci.com/article/tracking-mountain-lions-in-iowa/43106484

Updated: 7:27 AM CST Mar 1, 2023Infinite Scroll Enabled

Nicole Tam 

ReporterPlay VideoSHOW TRANSCRIPT

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.Your Email AddressSUBMITPrivacy Notice

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Mountain lions, pumas, cougars, panthers. We all have our own way to identify these big cats that are being spotted across Iowa.

One big cat, officially known as Cougar NE 110, recently traveled more than 700 miles across three states from August to October. Part of that journey included nearly two months across southern Iowa through Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe and Wapello counties.

https://swf.mixpo.com/media/www/6b/6b07b24f-877e-45a7-baaa-d86fa7e48f77/index.html

Advertisement

“It’s not uncommon for young male mountain lions when they hit the kind of teenage years to really take off and go hundreds and hundreds of miles,” said Sam Wilson, with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

NE 110’s journey started in Nebraska. We know that because Wilson and his team trapped and attached a GPS tracking collar to the cat before releasing him.

“Being able to watch these animals move across the landscape, doing what they naturally do, is really fascinating,” said Wilson.

Technology is what allows Iowa Department of Natural Resources biologist Vince Evelsizer to trace this cat’s every step.

“That helps with longevity of tracking, ease of tracking, efficiency of tracking with getting, you know, remote location points on an animal that’s very secretive,” said Evelsizer.

Recommended

‘I thought I kicked a rock’: Surfer describes moment he was bitten by shark

Many of you are also monitoring these cats’ whereabouts, Iowans regularly share with KCCI their own pictures and video of mountain lions captured on trail cameras. NE 110 himself may have even been caught on camera in Van Buren County. The people who spotted him say they’re always on the lookout for these beautiful creatures.

They’re beautiful, but are they dangerous? The DNR says there have been 63 documented injuries nationwide in the past 110 years but none in Iowa. If you come across one, the DNR says you should look as big as possible so spread your jacket, wave your arms while facing the mountain lion and yell at it. Evelsizer explains it’s because the creatures typically do not pursue something that already sees them.

But why are we seeing these big cats more often, anyway? The DNR says mountain lions were once native to our state, but the population was wiped out when European settlers moved to the Midwest in the 1850s and started killing them. The population in states like Nebraska and South Dakota finally started to rebound 20 years ago.

“When that happens, the odds of getting a dispersing animal mountain lions from the western states coming east to the Midwest is higher,” said Evelsizer.

The males are looking for a new place to settle down in hopes of finding a habitat with a lot of female cats. When they’re passing through Iowa, it’s often just a place to stop and get a good meal.

“The number one prey animal for mountain lions is known to be deer,” said Evelsizer.

Evelsizer hopes his research can lead to answers on the why the animals go where they go and eat what they eat. If researchers get their hands on a carcass, it can answer the most questions about these elusive creatures.

As for NE 110, his trip ended in Illinois when the DNR there decided he was a public safety threat and trapped him. He was sent to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Indiana, where he’s been living since October.

“It’s sad and unfortunate that he has been brought in into captivity. And so we are we are trying our very utmost to provide him with a life that will be as comfortable as possible,” said Joe Taft, the founder of Exotic Feline Rescue Center.

Taft says the mountain lion was covered with ticks and parasites when he arrived but is now okay.

They’re building him an enclosure and hope to give NE 110 a new identity based on where he’s been. Among the choices: Omaha, Neil for Nebraska, Illinois, little buddy and Springfield.

PeopleFollow https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/over-half-a-dozen-sheep-escape-slaughterhouse-in-new-jersey-and-find-their-way-to-animal-rescue/ar-AA183HAU?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=e94c615b00ae49c4dbb0f01006f391d9&ei=6

View Profile

Story by Kimberlee Speakman • Yesterday 1:45 PM

5683312 Comments

Some lucky sheep in New Jersey are starting a new life after escaping a slaughterhouse.

ABC 7 NY© Provided by People

Seven sheep — some with tags on their ears and a red spot on their wool coats, marks used to signify when animals are for slaughter — escaped from a slaughterhouse into Paterson, New Jersey, on Monday, according to WABC-TV.

Residents spotted six of the wooly animals roaming around River Street near a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Sealy Mattress store and called animal control to pick them up. 

According to the news station, one sheep even made a break for it, running a few miles north to Hawthorne, New Jersey, before it was captured in nearby Fair Lawn.

RELATED: Kentucky Police Help Reunite Monkey with its Family After Animal Went Missing During Car Crash

“The Paterson Police Department did a phenomenal job. We took two of the sheep, and ended up putting them in the back of a police car. We escorted them up here with their lights and [sirens] on,” John DeCando with Paterson Animal Control told WABC-TV.

Interior Car Accessories – Save Money. Live Better.

Ad

www.walmart.com/Auto/Accessories

Paterson Animal Control decided that the brave sheep would not return to the slaughterhouse and instead contacted Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue in Sussex County for assistance. The facility agreed to take the fluffy animals in and care for them for the rest of their lives, per the news station.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that [the sheep are] not going to be on someone’s plate,” DeCando said.

Paterson Animal Control did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional details about the rescue.

RELATED Video: New York Animal Shelter Seeking Forever Home for ‘Fire-Breathing Demon’ Dog Called ‘Ralphie’

Mike, a Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue employee, told the station that the sheep likely hadn’t had the best life.

“These guys, I hate to say, at no time have they gotten on a trail or has their life gotten better,” he said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

However, the animals now have something to look forward to — a barn of their own on a 600-acre sanctuary.

Read the original article on People

Andrew Joslin and Linda Amato of Cape Ann Wildlife had to capture a bald eagle Monday in a cemetery in Arlington, Massachusetts; the bird of prey will undergo intense treatment

By Michael Rosenfield • Published 1 hour ago • Updated 41 mins ago

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-bald-eagle-dies/2985657/

A critically ill bald eagle has died, days after it was captured by wildlife experts in Massachusetts in an attempt to save it from a likely case of poisoning.

The eagle was caught Monday morning in a cemetery in Arlington, after showing signs of poor health since Friday. It could no longer fly when experts from the Cape Wildlife Center were called in to snag it.

Referred to as M.K., the eagle began to bleed internally Tuesday night, the center said Wednesday, calling it a “catastrophic” spontaneous hemorrhaging. Veterinarians quickly tried to clear the bird’s airway but she quickly died.

“It was always hard to watch a patient in this condition, but MK was particularly devastating. We know how well loved she is here in the Baystate and how many people her presence inspired to connect with our natural environments and the wildlife in them,” the center’s post said.

https://www.facebook.com/v2.3/plugins/post.php?app_id=249643311490&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Dfa4b85dba2aec%26domain%3Dwww.nbcboston.com%26is_canvas%3Dfalse%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.nbcboston.com%252Ff31be324aa86db4%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=552&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCapeWildlife%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02wkB2srztK9v2RbRRHbkMTfrfkLvbRZ9VqrzU16zEioiajt2CoHTBAGuK2kH2bGPal%3Fcft%255B0%255D%3DAZWDfhG3Lx_1RnjiLdSPXVvMCjDFxfBblJt08ue9dIrVvMD5YzY-jtSNXlzEOUhHHUL2NHj9EgOCsi-HjS_MWyJ0AiDpJiDlK6bL1agSy1IW_U1UCbm-X_rhvx9LYcwPFC6b8m1OrC5qIdT0Na-kiWU33pthsx1wFYN2joUf46gJiMfXSMHwPtDKhbr7uE5f8vM%26tn%3D%252CO%252CP-R&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&width=552

M.K. is about 8 years old; experts had said they believe she likely ate a rat that had ingested rat poison — something that’s becoming a big problem for birds who prey on rodents — and that there was a good chance she could be rehabilitated if she survived a couple of days.

2:15

Bald Eagle Rescued After Being Sickened by Rat Poison

Wildlife experts had to capture a sickened bald eagle in order to treat the bird of prey.

The Cape Wildlife Center said Wednesday it was still waiting for diagnostics on the eagle.

The center urged supporters to advocate for second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to be banned — the form of pest control is currently only approved for commercial and structural uses.

“It is time to restrict the use of these poisons. Rodent control does not need to come at the expense of our natural heritage and ecosystem,” the center said.

3:17

Mass. Lawmakers Look to Curb Use of Rat Poison

Wildlife advocates say rat poison is killing other animals at an alarming rate.