Predator Derbies? Really? This is where hunters see how many wolves and other animals they can kill in a three day period. They get points for each kill. How much for a dead wolf? Three points. That’s right three points for a dead wolf.
The money the sponsoring corporations are getting from entry fees and such, is going to help lawyers who are working to keep wolves in Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies off the endangered species list. I’m pretty sure these are the same people who get their pictures taken playing with their dogs so they have a nice illusion for their corporate brochure.
I thought hunting competitions like this were a thing of the past. That is because I thought people had awakened to the fact we are killing our environment and many of the animals that share it. But I see now that I was wrong. These people are just plain stupid and barbaric. As of this writing there is no cure for stupid.
We need to stop these hunts once and for all. It is beyond time for this cruelty to end. The wolf is an integral part of the wild environment. Wolves help to create balance in the numbers of prey animals and they help keep prey herds healthy by culling the sick or injured. It is time to let them live the way they were meant to, in harmony with nature and the environment.
Defenders of Wildlife is asking for signatures once again. I am sure this won’t be the last time we will have to step up and be counted.
Saving even one wild wolf is more than worth the time it takes to sign the petition. Please take a moment to be counted among the defenders of these wild canines.
Thank you for all that you do.
From Defenders of Wildlife (note the updates on recent actions at the bottom of the email):
Dear Roberta, Three points — according to Idaho’s misleadingly named Sportsmen for Wildlife, who recently held three “predator derbies,” competitions where contestants vied to see who can kill the most wolves and other animals over a two-day period. Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse — two major outdoor retailers — sponsored the derbies, with the entry fees for these brutal competitions funneled to support anti-wolf lawyers and lobbyists working to keep wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies off the endangered species list… and squarely in the crosshairs of those who would do them harm. Predator derbies targeting wolves are a hold-over from a more brutal time. It was a time when wolves were hunted, poisoned and trapped to extinction in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies, a time before wildlife biologists recognized the important role that wolves play in healthy and balanced western ecosystems. We’ve learned a lot since that dark time. Since wolves were reintroduced to Greater Yellowstone and central Idaho fifteen years ago, we’ve seen local ecosystems rebound as these top predators helped prevent overgrazing of foliage by elk and deer. According to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, there are 150,000 elk in Montana, compared to 90,000 in the mid 1980s when wolves started to make their way back to the state. Wyoming’s elk population is up 35% since then to 95,000, while Idaho’s is up 5% to 115,000. We know that your voices can make a difference. In November, an independent grassroots campaign convinced Nikon, a previous corporate sponsor of these predator derbies to withdraw their support. Please take action now. Defenders of Wildlife is committed to working with responsible businesses, ranchers, conservationsists and concerned citizens to ensure a lasting future for wolves in American West. But we need your help. For the Wild Ones, P.S. To get Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse to end their sponsorship of wolf-killing predator derbies, we need to make a lot of noise. Please take action now and forward this message far and wide (or at least to three friends)! Making a Difference for Wildlife
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