MT going to cut loose on wolves!!!

[cowboy]

The RMEF has taken a stand for the delisting of wolves. As I understand it, their bylaws limit them to using their funds for aquisition and improvement of elk habitat.

Time for the RMEF to change their by-laws then. Their "stand" came way too late.

Having been REALLY active in the RMEF in the past I have never heard or been told this. When the wolf re-introduction first began I personnally talked to every person in RMEF that would listen to me and got nothing but the standard "we are for all wildlife". After a couple of visits to the office in Missoula I knew I was beating my head against the wall.

The next year I was no longer chairman of the local committee as I was no longer a RMEF member and to this day I am not.

Please do not take that as a bash against the RMEF as it was a personal decision that I made and that I live with. The RMEF has done SO MUCH GOOD in so many States that I take my hat off to them in the habitat/relocation area. The last time I left the offices in Missoula my parting comment was something to the effect of: I hope being politically correct don't bite you in the @$$ in a few years. I wish I would have been wrong.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Ah yes, PC! It is the bane of a lot of good people and organizations!!!

 

[HARPERC]

Gone Ballistic
I read your post and I think we say pretty close to the same thing. Yielding to blackmail and caving in seems like the same thing to me. What would the issue look like today if Idaho and Montana Governors had said keep your Pittman Robinson dollars, and by the way, we won't investigate or prosecute any wolf cases, and we'll vigorously protect our wildlife and livestock. They proposed an anemic solution they knew the Feds would accept.
When you ask about "inferring they are crooked and liars" are you asking about the Feds, or the RMEF? If my sentence structure laid the Feds lies at RMEF's doorstop I apologize. My issue with them is their total disconnect from the issue. Our local sportsmens group has their show this weekend RMEF will be there. Year after year they actually refuse to answer the simple question "where do you stand on the wolf issue"? They refuse to even talk about it. Is speech outside their mandate? What changed so they could finally issue a position letter? Has the national organization been muzzling the local chapters? They could have lent their voices if not their dollars to the issue long ago. I thought it was pretty symbolic that all the trophy heads disappeared from their headquarters, and it's turned into just another roadside tourist trap. What would the wolf issue look like today if the hunter's in RMEF all sent back their memberships, and withheld their donations? That's what banding together looks like to me! If you get responses from RMEF I'd love to hear them.
You are correct the issue is at least a couple of layers deeper than wolf, and my bet is you and I agree on way more than we disagree on. If you find yourself in Spokane, I'll buy the burgers, and we can dis-"cuss" it until we shave the edges off places we disagree,

 

[sp6x6]

Cowboy, I had a friend that has put 20 + years in as a hunter ed instructor, and was a major figure where I live for many, many years in the RMEF. H e helped put them on the map where I'm at, and had record setting fund raisers. He is no longer a part of it, or I.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

Topgun 30-06,
I can't thank you enough for sending the URL attachments you did yesterday. This group is the one we all need to send whatever financial support we can spare if we are going to get this **** wolf problem stopped. In one of the videos he speaks about shaming RMEF and others into fighting for the elimination of the Canadian Gray Wolf. From the amount of decimation that they have caused just to the Yellowstone Eco-System, they need to be eliminated as they are destroying every living creature in the zone. The fact that no one really knows how many ther are and the are using corrupt computer models to make that determination is apalling at best. Every hunter that belongs to the NAHC should help us by sending whatever financial support they can to help us in our plight. If you other folks havent clicked on the URL lead Topgun posted on this site and want a real eye opener to the truth, please click on it and watch all the videos. Thanks again Topgun, I sent them $100 yesterday.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I'm a LM of the NAHC, but that was actually copied/pasted from the monstermuleys.com website. I've become pretty involved on that site after a friend told me about it late last year. I just go by Topgun on it.

 

[zupatun]

Ah yes, PC! It is the bane of a lot of good people and organizations!!!

PC depends on your politics...PC is different for tree hugging left wingers, which is different (sometimes) from Democrats which is different from Republicans...the big problem is when you have NO politics and try to be PC with everyone...what a mess!

one example: I love the NRA and what they've done, but sometimes they choose a route that is too "PC" for me--one that is hardened and solely focused on their current dogma and approach.

..and you don't know if my view is more conservative or liberal or just a plain different tack but sometimes I see the follow their "PC" policies to placate their donors rather than stand behind their principals/what is right. Sometimes bylaws don't cover what is "right" or what is new and has never been addressed. It's a limitation of most politically active organizations dependent on funding to "get the job done" and makes them less a "grass roots" organization. Doesn't mean they are worthless or "less than" they just put themselves in a corner at times...

Off my soapbox for now...

Matt

 

[HARPERC]

GREAT LINK Topgun! It amazes me given as much energy I put into staying connected on this issue I missed this group. I'm still sifting through their info.
The challenge is how to get this stuff equal time, in schools, media, etc.. I bundle up all the outdoor magazines I can get my hands on, and leave them in waiting rooms. They get sucked up fast-There's a real hunger for this stuff if we can find a way to feed it.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

Good News!
The Anti's have finally awakened! After the attempts to get a bill attached to Federal operations bills, that would do away with the wolves protection by the Endangered Species Act by Congressional mandate, the 10 Anti groups have realized that the protection for wolves was very close to ending. The bills that have been worked on by congressmen from Montana and Idaho (with a high priority on Montana's congressmen) has caused fear among the Antis that protection of wolves would be stripped nationwide.
Court documents detailing the proposed agreement between the U.S Department of Interior and 10 conservation groups were filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Bozeman, MT. If approved by a federal judge (and their is every reason to believe it will be) the deal would keep the species on the endangered list in areas where they are considered most vulnerable: Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Utah. It calls for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to set up a scientific panel to re-examine wolf recovery goals calling for the original minimum 300 wolves in the region.
With Congress now threatening to intervene, the 10 national and local groups said they wanted to head off precedent setting bills that would undermine the Endagered Species Act.lightbulb
Wyoming has got to do something to get approved or the wolf control will be impossible to achieve, if it isn't anyway. At least Idaho and Montana can do everything in their power to bring the populations down to somewhat manageable numbers.
Hunters, get ready to buy another wolf tag!
I am a little leary that this will come to pass, as "wolf" has been cried many times and we all know how that old story goes--let's just hope it does the job this time...

 

[Topgun 30-06]

With the announcement last week that the USFWS had dropped their Federal lawsuit against Wyoming and are going back to the bargaining table, I would hope that Wyoming will also be in the fold pretty soon. The USFWS had already approved their plan before caving to anti pressure and then rescinded it with no real basis after Wyoming showed their scientific evidence was valid and Judge Johnson agreed when it went to Federal Court. I believe the Feds see the handwriting on the wall now that Congress is getting involved and will move things along so they don't lose the ESA controls they now have on the wolf and that is what would happen if that Congressional Bill goes through. That is also why the antis are in a "hurry up" move so they won't lose the ESA on wolves altogether. I think hunters and all the others with a little bit of common sense that have finally gathered together and spoken up in mass for a change have finally swung the matter in our favor. If the Feds accept a plan from Wyoming, then I see no way that Judge Malloy will have any recourse other than to reverse his decision and let the killing begin again, but this time throughout all three states!

 

[HARPERC]

I'm a little leery too Gone Ballistic. I'm trying to feel good about USFWS getting out of court and back to the table, while realizing the game is still on. I hope this represents a change in policy and not just tactics.

 

[mustang58]

I heard a little about this last night but didn't know the particulars. This all sounds good but are we in the same place we were before with some states still with a small population that is protected? I wonder if we shouldn't keep the pressure on the legislature to move forward anyway. What is your take?

 

[Gone Ballistic]

It definately shows some promise. I would still like to see congress change it the way the Montana Senators and Representatives were going about it as well as Idaho's Representatives in the House and Senate. As I recall, the senator from Wyoming couldn't get the bill he was sponsering out of comittee. I would imagine that Wyoming still will have to make up some ground if they want to be included with Idaho and Montana. To me, as I previously mentioned, I think it would still be better for all the states that currently have or eventually will have wolf problems, if the legislative side gets them eliminated from the ESA. Then we can return to what our forfathers did and eliminate every Canadian Gray wolf from our states and be done with them. I have emailed my legislators to "stay the course."

 

[mustang58]

I too would feel better if this was done legislatively. It just seems the other side weasels around in the courts and gets their way. The media report I read this morning said there are 4 groups involved in the original court case with Malloy that haven't signed off on the agreement. There is still some doubt whether Malloy will go along with the agreement and vacate his prior order. Even if this is successful for us I still have doubts if we will remove enough of them to make a difference. We are talking about 70% for several years to get the game herds back and then we have to keep the pressure on the wolves to keep their numbers in balance with the game herds. If we let up for a year or so we will right back where we are now. I don't know if it is politically doable. Do you really think we will ever be able to eliminate them completely?