The Idaho Statesman has the details:

Rich Hobson, a Boise wolf advocate, used a public records request to get the names of hunters who reported wolf kills to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Hobson posted 122 names and bought a classified ad in the Idaho Statesman that directed people to a Web site.

He said harassment was not his intent.

"I certainly hope that doesn't happen," Hobson said.

Hobson added this later:

"They're paying for the privilege to use a resource that belongs to all of us," Hobson said. "They've made a conscious decision to do something that other people in this state disapprove of."

His site and ad are not meant to encourage harassment of the wolf hunters, according to Hobson, but many hunters, including John Hendley, of McCall, Idaho, feel his actions are irresponsible.

"I have some concerns over the safety of the individuals listed," said Hendley, who didn't harvest a wolf last year and isn't on the list.

"What (Hobson) is doing is legal on one hand, but immoral on the other."

Robert Millage, who killed a wolf on the first day of the Idaho hunt, said he's been harassed ever since the day he shot the wolf. He's countered by making a blog featuring the comments he's received, both positive and negative. You can visit the blog here: Wolf Hunt Comments.

Monday, February 01, 2010 7:41:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0]

Here we go again with the call to bring back trapping. Did we forget that the people of Massachusetts voted to ban this cruel and inhumane practice? And it should stay banned — permanently!

If these so-called rubber-jaw traps are painless (letter, "Bring back trapping to control coyotes," Sept. 11), or any trap for that matter, I want to see a trapper put his hand in one. Let's see how much it doesn't hurt.

This outdoor writer is not a trapper, but he is a hunter and conservationist and knowledgeable enough about trapping to accept the challenge and demonstrate that the traps truly are humane and not the heinous devices purported by the animal rights drama queens. So I got a coyote-size rubber-padded trap and went to The Standard-Times office to have the demonstration filmed by S-T videographer Nick Tavares.

It's not nearly as painful as slamming your fingers in a car door and not even as painful as pulling a hair out of your nose. I didn't have the urge to chew my arm off and it's been six days since then and no gangrene has set in and I have not starved to death, debunking the myths and misinformation that they are cruel and inhumane. And while my hand was in the trap nobody said, "let's get him," and came to attack me.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 3:55:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [1]

On November 10th, Federal District Court Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. ruled that Maine’s trapping practices did not irreparably harm the Canada lynx and denied the injunction sought by the anti-trappers.  Further, the Judge agreed with the state and the USSAF that “irreparable harm” is harm to a species as a whole and not simply one individual member.   

“Although the plaintiffs may appeal the ruling, the Federal Court’s decision is a monumental victory for the trappers in Maine and sets an excellent precedent that will make it harder for the antis to misuse the ESA in their attempts to ban hunting and trapping in other states,” states USSAF Vice President for Government Affairs Rob Sexton. 

“We knew the evidence was on our side and are thrilled with outcome,” said Skip Trask, executive director of the Maine Trappers Association. “The USSAF’s legal assistance was invaluable to the favorable outcome.”

Chick Andres, President of the Fur Takers of America commented, “Trappers nationwide should be grateful that the court saw through what the anti’s were trying to do.”

Support from trapping groups like the Maine Trappers Association, the National Trappers Association and Fur Takers of America and other outdoorsmen groups like the U.S. Sportsmen's alliance was crucial in defeating the lawsuit. Trappers and sportsmen from across the country should be commended for all of the time and money they devoted to ensuring our trapping rights would not be infringed upon in Maine and beyond.

Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:03:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0]

Daniel East and his sister, Tevyn, were travelling at about 75 mph along Interstate 80 when they saw some coyotes running nearby. One of the coyotes ran in front of the car.

"Right off the bat, we knew it was bad," Daniel East told reporters with Sacramnto news station KCRA.

They said they kept driving because they thought they had killed the animal, so there was no point in stopping.

When she arrived, East and his sister were taking the screws out of the car's grill in an effort to get the animal out. Once the grill was pulled forward, the coyote poked its head out.

"No broken bones, no internal injuries — nothing," Daniel East said, adding that the animal only had a few scrapes on one of his paws.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:08:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [0]

Robert Millage of Kamiah said he was surrounded by a pack of wolves before dawn and waited until light to call them with a hand call that sounded like a wounded coyote. The 80-pound female wolf came fast to him 25 yards before Millage shot her with his .243 rifle in the Lolo Zone.

"The whole area is lousy with them," Millage said. "But I guess it was the luck of the draw."

Meanwhile, shortly after sunrise archery hunter Jay Mize of Emmett walked out of his tent to see a wolf harassing his horse at Bull Trout Lake near Stanley. He walked back into his tent, put his rifle together and shot the wolf, said Jon Rachael, Idaho Department of Fish and Game wolf manager.

"He said he had bought a wolf tag but never planned to use it," Rachael said. "He was going to have it framed."

A pending court decision by a federal judge in Montana still looms over the season. Thirteen environmental groups have requested that the season be shutdown and U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy is considering whether to stop the hunt while the groups' lawsuit to return wolves to the federal endangered species list is considered.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009 3:48:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)    Comments [4]