Governor Richardson directed the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish to initiate the temporary trapping ban, while it conducts a study on trapping to determine the level of risk to the Mexican Gray Wolf associated with the various traps and snares.

“The indiscriminate traps and snares in the Recovery Area are harming efforts to reintroduce the Mexican Gray Wolf to its native habitat,” Governor Richardson. “I am ordering this temporary ban to protect the wolves and increase the likelihood for the wolves to survive and flourish.”

"In the last eight years, in the Recovery Area located in New Mexico, there have been six confirmed and three probable Mexican Gray Wolves that have been trapped, five of which have sustained injuries from traps or snares, including two Mexican Gray Wolves that had injuries severe enough to result in leg amputations."

After the small black bear got into a fish fryer on the porch, Parker decided to try a novel approach to deconditioning the animal to people, he said. He armed himself with a backup firearm and a personal Taser C2, which launches a 30-second burst of 100,000 volts, Parker said.

"I thought, 'Here is a wonderful opportunity to give this a test,' " Parker said. He fired out the window and hit the bear in the shoulder from about 15 feet, he said.

"The bear promptly went inverted, with feet in the air, growling and crying at the same time, flailing with his feet," Parker said. "He actually rolled off the porch."

When it was done, the bear sat up, shook his head, seemingly to regain his wits, and then bolted "faster than any bear I've ever seen," he said.

"Hopefully, he's associating electrification with getting into mischief in people's homes," Parker said.

If you use more powerful weapons on the predators in your area, make sure to pick up a copy of Mike Schoby's "The Complete Predator Hunter."

Last fall, a bobcat was photographed by a landowner's trail camera in Dane County and the photo was sent to the Department of Natural Resources. Earlier, a bobcat was caught and released in a live trap in Juneau County.

"We are seeing an increased presence of bobcats in southern Wisconsin, especially in southwestern Wisconsin," said John Olson, furbearer specialist with the DNR in Park Falls. "We've had bobcats caught and released from foot-hold traps near Horicon, along the Mississippi River, and even in Dane County.

To All;

I 160, the anti trapping ballot initiative, failed to qualify for the November 2010 ballot.

The MEWM Steering Committee, Pac/West, the hundreds of organizations, businesses & individuals who contributed monetarily, as well as the many individuals who have actively dispelled the inaccurate statements of the antis through press releases, letters to the editor and personal appearances; you deserve thanks and praise. It was through your donations and efforts that a sufficient number of signatures to qualify I 160 were not obtained.

How close was it? Speaking with a local clerk at the county courthouse, there were 34,586 signatures turned in statewide at the county level, but only 20,318 were accepted and sent to the Secretary of State. The AR’s failed in their voluntary efforts and began paying signature gatherers; according to their financial data filed to date, signature gatherers were paid a little over $12,000.00 in this campaign. These same documents reveal that Anja Heister (Footloose Exec Dir) was paid $10,768.04 for her efforts and a cell phone bill; also $915.00 was paid to Footloose Montana by the MTFPL Committee for rental of Footloose’s RV. Perhaps we also owe Anja & Footloose a thank you for siphoning off the $11,683.19; rather than hiring additional signature gatherers.

I will be obtaining information as to which legislative districts qualified the initiative and how many signatures were gathered in each legislative district; we will then know where to direct our efforts in the future.

The battle is not over, as Connie Poten (Footloose Montana) said, “If we didn’t make it, it’s just practice because we’ll be doing it again”. Any funds left over from the campaign, as well as additional monies will be put into efforts to seek a legislative solution to end or slow down the management of Montana’s wildlife through the ballot initiative process. A skirmish has been won, now we move to the legislative battlefield.

Once again - Thank You and forward to those whom you feel would be interested.

Take Care

Jim Buell
Montana Trappers Association

“With our limited budget, I think it’s a huge success, and we’ll be back in 2012," said Anja Heister, executive director of Footloose Montana. “We are Montana grassroots without any out-of-state funding.”

Most folks might think trapping is a thing of the distant past, a part of wilderness lore from when Europeans were making their earliest inroads on the continent or when mountain men held sway in the Rockies.

"Do you ever hear from PETA?" asked an audience member, referring to the radical organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

"The National Trappers Association takes care of that," Richardson said. "I think (PETA is) a little bit misguided, but I still try to talk to them and not get too upset.

"I think I'm helping people. I thin (nuisance) animals for farmers. If you stop all trapping, you can forget farming anything."

Last month he said BP paid for him to travel to Sarasota and take a training class.

But it's been weeks, and he's still on standby. 

"I'm annoyed because I’ve actually been turning work down in order to be able to go ahead and go when they do call me," said Dean.

To watch the video report of Dean's story, click HERE.