Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Wildlife agency dismisses wolf baiting claims
Montana wildlife officials on Tuesday rejected allegations that a
Montana rancher and hunting guide illegally baited wolves by leaving
sheep carcasses piled up on his property near Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife advocates had accused William Hoppe, who lives near
Gardiner, of intentionally luring the predators to his land and shooting
one after wolves killed at least 13 of his sheep. Hoppe is a long-time
critic of the reintroduction of wolves to the Yellowstone area two
decades ago. But Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials said an investigation
determined Hoppe buried all but one of the sheep that were killed by
wolves on April 24. The remaining animal was dragged away by a grizzly
bear. "We certainly understand there has been a lot of talk about this
story, but we have to go with the facts on the ground," FWP spokeswoman
Andrea Jones said, adding that there was no evidence of baiting.Hoppe obtained two shoot-on-site kill permits from the state
following the sheep attack. He used one to kill a wolf from Yellowstone
National Park last week and has offered to forfeit the second. He said he's received two death threats and harassing phone calls and
emails after the baiting accusation was leveled by representatives of
Wolves of the Rockies and the National Wolfwatcher Coalition...more
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