Time To Toss The Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act is unconstitutional. It is nothing more than a strong arm tool used by out of control animal rights groups and power hungry administrators. It strips Americans of their constitutional rights and is probably doing our wildlife more harm than good in many ways.

The ESA when it became law in 1973 was a plan to help protect disappearing species of wildlife. I can’t believe that it was designed to do what history has shown are the results of such an act. Because of extremists and special interests an American landowner is forced to give up their rights to prosper and protect their own property in order to save an animal. Not only is this wrong, the landowner has to do it at his/her own expense.

Animal rights groups continue their assault on Americans by filing lawsuit after lawsuit while using the ESA as the basis of many of their attacks. What’s sad is that too often they are winning.

Let’s take a moment and look at a few of the more recent events taking place across the country that should give readers a chance to at least ask if the ESA needs to be reworked.

Today in the Colombian, a newspaper out of Washington state, Erik Robinson shares examples of how twisted the ESA interpretation has become and how extreme views are becoming costly to innocent wildlife species at the behest of saving another.

In the far west, the U.S. has been protecting the spotted owl for some time. Forget that some scientists believe the owl was never endangered to begin with. Its protection has cost American industry millions of dollars. It has gotten to the point where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is prepared to start shooting barred owls in hopes of saving a few more spotted owls.

Another incident involves the saving of salmon. Sea lions are hanging around the Bonneville Dam looking for an easy meal of salmon as they work their way up the fish ladders. Government officials are considering killing many of those lions in order to save some more fish.

Is this how it’s done?

In Maine the Animal Protection Institute has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine in order to stop all trapping in most of that state where the Canada lynx habitat is. In 8 years, trappers have inadvertently trapped and killed two lynx and API wants all trapping to stop. Reports have been circulating that if API is successful in winning this suit, they will file a similar one to stop fishing in any waters in Maine where endangered species of fish live – namely the Atlantic salmon.

Is this the intent of the ESA?

Crosswalk.com republished an article from CNSNews writer Randy Hall about a Montana rancher who has been charged with violating the Endangered Species Act because he shot and killed two wolves that were part of a pack destroying his livestock. As many as five head of cattle had been consumed by this pack of 13 wolves.

The owner of this particular ranch, Roger Lang, has spent huge sums of money in order to protect his property all for the sake of protecting a wolf that no longer needs protecting. This is out of pocket money, an expense he should not have had to incur in order not to infringe upon the ESA.

I am not alone in calling for the ESA to be either abolished or completely revamped. Brian Seasholes, an adjunct scholar with the conservative National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), says that the main threat to all wildlife is the encroachment by man into their habitat. For wildlife to be protected, agencies such as local fish and game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, depend on the landowner’s cooperation. Clamping down on a landowner like Lang will have very negative effects.

“Wildlife authorities can’t be everywhere, and more often than not, they aren’t,” added Seasholes, the author of an NCPA report entitled “Bad for Species, Bad for People: What’s Wrong With the Endangered Species Act and How to Fix It.” As a result, “landowners are the ones who bear the true cost of living with wildlife.”

Because farmers and ranchers tend to be “land rich and cash poor,” they may decide to quietly “shoot, shovel and shut up” or, more detrimentally, “make their land inhospitable to wildlife by erecting high fences or eliminating sources of water, he stated.

“That’s the great tragedy of the Endangered Species Act,” Seasholes added. “If one had deliberately tried to write a law that would do enormous harm to wildlife, it would be hard to top the ESA.”

As this assault on landowners rights continues, who can blame a landowner for “shoot, shovel and shut up”? I have often said that animal rights groups have very little real interest in what is best for wildlife. Their target is the end to all hunting, fishing and trapping nationwide – at whatever the cost.

We see first hand that this insane influence on our authorities now has them easily willing to shoot and kill other species in order to save another. Is there science behind that? Is this what the creators of the ESA had in mind when it was written?

In Maine, the API wants trapping stopped in order to protect three species – the bald eagle, the Canada lynx and the gray wolf. The bald eagle has been removed from protection in Maine because it is thriving and there are no confirmed cases of any wolves living in Maine. That leaves only the lynx but this brings me to another point which the way the ESA has been administered creates another bad situation.

Those who spend perhaps the most time in the woods are the hunters and trappers. They are the ones who see what’s really out there. Tell me what incentive is there for any hunter or trapper to report or help to document the existence of gray wolves or mountain lions in the Pine Tree State? It would be a death sentence for the hunter and trapper.

Once anybody can document that these animals exist in Maine, groups like the API will move in with more lawsuits to end many hunting and trapping opportunities. This is a clear example of Seasholes’ “shoot, shovel and shut up”.

I have all but gone public in telling people I know to keep your mouth shut if you see any wolves or mountain lions in the woods of Maine. While I wouldn’t condone the needless shooting of these animals, I certainly don’t consider shooting them for self protection and the protection of my property as being wrong. In those cases, I believe a shoot, shovel and shut up method would be in order.

The way the ESA is being administered is wrong, it’s unconstitutional, and if allowed to continue, will have a complete opposite effect than what its written intent was in 1973.

Tom Remington

After All the Fighting And Lost Jobs, The Spotted Owl Is History

Or so it seems. I have been reading two articles in the Oregonian about the spotted owl, that little creature that cost thousands of people their jobs and closed many logging industries, when President Bill Clinton signed into law the protection of the spotted owl.

Environmentalists then knew, beyond a doubt, that if they could stop the cutting of old growth timber, they could save the spotted owl, a creature they knew very little about.

They stopped the cutting and even in places where no cutting ever took place, the spotted owl’s population is racing toward extinction while at the same time, the barred owl population is growing leaps and bounds.

Some scientists attribute the loss of the spotted owl to the influx of barred owls but they’re not exactly sure why.

Makes you wonder how many of these environmentalists and scientists ever stop and think how much of this stuff is just going to happen anyway?

For those wishing to learn more about what is going on out in Oregon with the spotted owl, you can read these two articles.

So much for saving the spotted owl

and

To Oregon timber towns, it was the owl that roared

Tom Remington

Another Dead Wolf Found In Oregon

The badly decomposed body of a wolf that had been shot was found in Union County, Oregon on May 25th. Officials are investigating. This is the fourth confirmed case of discovering wolves in Oregon and all four have come from Idaho, believed to have migrated.

Read more here.

Tom Remington

Oregon Commission Determines Game Tag Numbers

Deer

80,463 deer tags, virtually the same number as last season.

Elk

53,851 total elk tags, a 1 percent decrease form last season.

Pronghorn (Antelope)

3,094 pronghorn tags, a 2 percent increase from last season.

Bighorn Sheep

92 bighorn sheep tags, a 12 percent increase from last season.

Rocky Mountain goat

7 tags, a 17 percent increase from last season.

Spring bear

7,375 tags, a 1 percent increase from last season and 1 percent decrease in youth tags.

Tom Remington

Take A Kid Hunting

By Robert Lane

Bob Lane is a Licensed Master Maine Guide and photographer. He has also guided Caribou Hunters and Fishermen on float trips in Southwest Alaska.

Deer season in Maine is a longstanding tradition marked by cold, frosty mornings, treks through the pre-dawn darkness to a coveted tree stand, a swamp’s edge, or a favorite stand of hardwoods in quest of the elusive whitetail. Lifelong friends share the camaraderie of hunting camp with stories of seasons past, traditional, hearty early morning breakfasts with strong coffee, and enough fat and cholesterol to fuel a skidder. Read more

Recap of Mt Lions In Southwestern Maine

by
A. Sayward Lamb

For several years I have been hearing from several friends and acquaintances, telling me of sightings of the very elusive mountain lions which they have seen personally, or have been told of sightings by their friends. My earliest recollections of sightings were back in the mid-nineteen fifties, when I was living in South Woodstock. My friends, Leon Poland, and Joe Pete Appleby, repeatedly told me of sighting a Mt. Lion that crossed the highway in front of their vehicles on several occasions, just about dusk or shortly after dark, about a quarter of mile from where I resided. Others were reluctant to tell about their sightings for fear of people thinking that they were “crazy” and making up these stories. Read more

My Deer Season Bonus

By Richard L. Julian

The closest I’d come to killing a bear in self-defense happened in 1995. I was deer hunting in Maine. A storm was scheduled to come in that afternoon so we were thinking that the deer might already be in some thick stuff. We hit an area that had been logged 15 years prior and left to grow wild. It was a tangled mess. My buddy and I were attempting to still-hunt through the area about 100 yards apart hoping to kick something to each other. Read more

Through Better Men than I

By Master Sargent Mike Sibley

I can hear their whispers wherever I go. “Control your breathing, concentrate on the blade, and squeeze.” “Feel your way along with your toes instead of watching your feet.” “Work your way down through that black-growth and you’ll find ‘em in that stand of beech.” So persistent are they that I sympathize with a schizophrenic who feels as if he’s never alone. Unlike him, my voices are not a psychotic delusion created by chemical imbalances crying out for the saving grace of lithium. Real men spoke those words and no amount of time or distance will ever silence them. They are my last connection to a past that I crave but know I’ll never see. They define the man who hears them. And I pray they shape the lives of my sons. Read more

Nine Survival Tips if Ever Lost in the Woods

By Steven T. Remington

We all enjoy getting out in the woods and searching for game. Our thoughts of coming up victorious are in the forefront of our minds throughout the season, but are we prepared for the worst case scenerio? Usually the times when we are unprepared is when we least expect it. Make sure you hope for the best experiences while at the same time expect the worst. Below are 9 basic survival tips when lost in the woods. If you remember these tips your chances of survival will increase dramatically if ever you become lost while in the woods.

1) Stay Together!
DO NOT separate if you are with a friend or even a pet. A friend or a dog can provide body heat for one another in colder temperatures. You are able to cuddle up and stay warm. Do not let a dog loose, but keep them close by. Companionship is also important. A lot of times people act strange while alone and lost and are quicker to make irrational decisions. You and your friend have a better chance of surviving by keeping each other in check and bouncing ideas off each other.

2) Stay in one place or area.
DO NOT WANDER! This is the most important rule. If you can walk away from reading this list and are able to remember just one of these survival tips, please remember this one. When you wander around you are almost impossible to find. The reason is that those searching for missing people move very slowly while searching for clues and if you are constantly on the move then it becomes difficult to catch up to you. Sometimes surviving depends on hours, or even minutes. Another reason for not wandering is the great possibility of falling and getting hurt. When you are lost and then become hurt you can become hopeless and it is quite a tragic event.

3) Keep Warm.
Keep warm with the clothes you are currently wearing. Never shed any clothes! Look for exposed skin such as fingers, neck, and even your face. Try to find ways to cover these parts even if they don’t feel cold at the time. This strategy is not to “become” warm BUT to “remain” warm. If you are wearing a jacket, make sure it stays zipped. Though you may feel more warm than desirable the heat may save your life in near future encounters with changing weather temperatures and conditions.

Try to keep moving by collecting brush, branches, and leaves. Later it can be used to stay warm while you sleep. Try not to over exert yourself. The key is to keep moving so you keep your blood flowing through your body so you can remain warm, and at the same time not tire yourself. Make sure to keep your eyes open for any possible searches if you choose any little projects.

A good tip learned the hard way is to watch out for shoe laces. Branches have a tricky way of sticking into the tied laces and undoing them. Double knot your laces. If you lose a shoe for just a few seconds, your toes may never find warmth again until you are found. The most important article of clothing is a hat. If you do not have a hat try to find something that will cover up your head as best as you can. Over 70% of all your body heat escapes through your head.

4) Find a Cozy Waiting Place, Not a Hiding Place.
A cozy waiting place means, a warm place out of the wind and rain but not a place where people searching for you can not see you. Find a large tree and remain still. If you jump into thickets or bushes it is quite possible searchers will walk right by you.

5) Put Out Something Bright.
While you sit and stay warm, put out something bright to make searchers aware of where you are. We don’t expect you to create an entire camp from scratch but make a flag using what you have. Try not to take off any clothes to make your flag. It is important for you to keep your clothes on to remain warm. Some suggestions offered by trained search and rescuers are white paper, money, hair ribbons, a strip from an orange garbage bag, etc.

Also what has helped in past situations is spell the word “HELP” or “SOS” on the ground using rocks and sticks or even make a large arrow with them, pointing to where you are. Do anything that will attract attention to where you are.

6) Look For Searchers.
In previous situations people who become lost give up hope and forget people are searching for them. Always expect searchers to be coming and begin looking for them. If possible, your waiting place should be near an open space. When you hear someone coming, move to the middle of the clearing and call. Never run in the direction of the noise. Let them come to you. If it is an aircraft you heard, lie down so the pilot has a bigger target to look at. Then wave with both your arms and legs, like making an angel in the snow. Stand up immediately after the aircraft has passed because the ground can be very cold.

7) Do Not Lie on the Bare Ground.
The only exception to this rule is when an aircraft is flying above you, so laying on the cold ground for a very short period of time, attracting attention, will be more beneficial. Being in direct contact with the ground for any length of time is dangerous. The cold ground will steal your body heat from you. Build a mattress using available materials such as branches, moss, leaves, etc. Try to make the mattress as thick as the one you sleep on at home! After the mattress is completed, gather the same amount or more, of the same material and use it for the blankets. This is called a survival bed.

Do Not Eat Anything you are not sure of.
Do not eat any berries, mushrooms or anything else unless you are 100% sure what they are. Being hungry is not as bad as compared with being violently sick. Even field experts have made mistakes by not properly identifying wild berries. In turn, this can be fatal. If it doesn’t directly kill you, it can inhibit your chances of staying warm, being found, and making rational decisions. And remember, there won’t be anyone there to look after you. You can go without food for a long time, but you cannot go without water.

9) Stay Away from Large Rivers and Lakes.
You must have drinking water to survive, but be careful where you get it from. Do not go near any large bodies of water. Instead, drink from a water supply that is smaller than you are, so you can not fall in. Another source of water can be found on leaves in the form of dew.

By Steven T Remington

Turkey Hunting Tip for the Beginner

When and How Often to Call
By Scott Ellis
My name is Scott Ellis. I am a member of the Crossroads Cabin (fullstrut). I am also a member of Quaker Boy Game Calls Pro Staff.

The best two tips I can offer to the new turkey hunter is one: Practice your calls regularly and become proficient in more than one type of call. Also, be sure to gain confidence in your calling ability. Nothing is worse than a “newbie” out in the woods that is afraid to talk with a gobbler because his calling lacks confidence.

The second tip is to learn when and how much to call. This is something that a hunter will learn in time but a good rule of thumb is if the bird is coming, shut up!! Overcalling is probably the number one reason rookies don’t bag toms. In addition if you know anyone that has been successful hunting and taking turkeys, pick their brain for knowledge, or better yet take to the field with them and see what makes them successful. You can learn more from one hunting trip with a good turkey hunter than many a seasons a field by yourself.

If you have any other questions my email address is Proturkeyhntr@aol.com - I would be more than happy to answer any questions your readers may have via email…

Thanks!!!
Scott Ellis
Quaker Boy Pro Staff

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