Sport hunting is one of the most controversial topics we cover on the Animals desk. It’s an emotional issue that inevitably leads to debates about ethics, sustainability, sportsmanship, and even sovereignty. Today, I’m going to turn the newsletter over to National Geographic Explorer Filipe DeAndrade, whose new film takes a deep dive into one of the most controversial types of hunting of all: wildlife killing contests.
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) has proposed a rule to ban wildlife killing contests statewide for certain species that don’t have a bag limit, including coyotes, bobcats, crows, foxes, and raccoons. WDFW has opened a public comment period that includes opportunities for submission of written comments as well as attending and testifying at the July 30-31 – August 1 Commission webinar. Final action by the Fish & Wildlife Commission—which sets policy for WDFW—is expected during their August 21 webinar.
Project Coyote is leading the effort to end this violent bloodsport and your support has enabled us to expand this campaign nationwide with media, grassroots activism, film, and a coalition that now includes more than 30 wildlife conservation organizations working together to relegate killing contests to the dark ages.
While we are gearing up for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, some of Marin’s wildlife are already onto Valentine’s Day. I love listening for the courtship calls of the great-horned owls this time of year. They court for about a month before nesting in January and February.
After decades of deliberation the final revision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan (the Plan) was released at the end of November, but former USFWS officials tell EnviroNews it strays far from scientists’ minimum recommendations for recovery of the gray wolf subspecies.