Fresh Sign: News, Facts, and Fun

Legislation To Remove Barriers
Introduces 87,000 to Hunting

Across the country, more than 87,000 new hunters have taken to the field thanks to laws that remove barriers to youth hunting.
The new laws and regulations are the direct result of the Families Afield initiative, which was launched to help turn the tide against waning youth hunter recruitment and decreasing license sales - a key source of revenue for state wildlife agencies. The program was spearheaded by the NWTF and its partners, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. Together, with the support of the National Rifle Association and local sportsmen’s organizations, Families Afield is getting results. As barriers to hunting are struck down in state capitals nationwide, a new generation is discovering America’s time-honored hunting tradition. To date, 25 states have passed laws as a result of Families Afield.
In addition, a new research report from Mile Creek Communications shows that many states that have introduced apprentice license programs have shown sharp increases in youth license sales, from 10 percent to 111 percent. “We are always looking for ways to open the door and invite new hunters in,” said Ohio Division of Wildlife Chief Dave Graham. “Our apprentice license has really allowed us to put out the welcome mat. And the best part of the project is that, just as our early research indicated, young hunters accompanied by a mentor are among the safest of all hunters.” The apprentice license programs help new hunters learn under the watchful eye and guiding hand of licensed adult mentors. Completion of a hunter education course is still required for a new hunter to become fully licensed. Mik Mikitik, hunter education coordinator for the Washington Division of Fish & Wildlife, added that the programs have proven to be very popular, and are expected to gain popularity among novice hunters both young and old. “What really surprised us here in Washington is that approximately 60 percent of the hunters taking advantage of these new opportunities are over 18 years old,” said Mikitik. “So we’re seeing that all people, not just youth, are wanting to try hunting, and hopefully it’s something that they’ll enjoy for a lifetime.”
The new programs have garnered support from not only state wildlife agencies, but also lawmakers such as Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, who expressed his support for the mentoring system. “This is how I learned to hunt, and how my son learned to hunt, and I think most hunters agree that it is the best way to pass on the tradition,” said Gov. Freudenthal.

Cougars at Wolfs Bait

Wildlife officials in Eastern Washington have been putting bait out to try and get more proof and evidence of wolves in the area. They have had credible reports of a single and up to three wolves in the LeClerc Creek drainage for the last three years. This past summer wildlife biologists set up cameras and were able to capture photos of at least one wolf in the area. Over the winter, officials had information that loggers had found where wolves had killed an elk and consumed it. They got permission and assistance from the forester to put two road-killed deer out above the locked gate for bait to attempt to attract the wolves and hopefully document numbers and or maybe even if there were young vs adult. No wolves came, but the photo tells the story that some nearby mountain lions enjoyed the bait. It is not unusual that cougars come into remote cameras, but this instance is quite spectacular to see a female and that many young feeding together sharing a bait. From the tracks in the snow this was just a female and her young or at best maybe an additional female from a previous litter in there with mom and new litter. According to the documented camera photos, the female came in about 6 p.m. ten days after placing the bait. She didn’t feed on the carcass but returned about 3 a.m. with the young. They only fed at night and cleaned up the carcass in two nights.

The Broder Buck, What Happened?
Fight Over World Record….Continues

In the Special Winter Issue of Hunting Illustrated (Winter 2006) we featured an exclusive cover story about the trials of the Broder family and the unfortunate family battle over the world record non-typical mule deer taken by Ed Broder in 1926. This extensive story concluded but was not finished. The family was still in court battle fighting for who was responsible and how the money was going to be awarded or divided up among the siblings. In the May/June 2006 issue we published a rebuttel by the Estate of Edmund Broder (Deceased ) and allowed them to tell their side of the story as well. This provided a very complete and comprehensive offering of the Broder story that was only found in Hunting Illustrated. Since then things have been quiet. We have recently received information of the conclusion to the appeal by Don Broder according to the following statement sent to me by Craig Broder:
Following the conclusion of the Appeal, Don Broder completed an Application for Leave to the Supreme Court of Canada. The application was denied. The legal battle with the sibling is over and the Estate was divided up with all six siblings/plaintiffs receiving just under $20,000.00 each and Don Broder nothing. When the Administrator was elected in 2001 Don and Craig Broder’s lawyer failed to show up or even notify Don Broder. The Application for Administration was being heard on May 24, 2001. The Plaintiffs won by default, and were successful in naming two of the Plaintiffs as administrators, which then made their lawyer the Estate Lawyer, and also created liability to Don Broder to pay off his equal share of their legal fees.
Once the conclusion and all avenues of the law had been exhausted, Don and Craig Broder have initiated a Statement of Claim against the law firm representing them for negligence. The lawyers excuse for not showing up was that Don and Craig did not hire him for the Estate Matter. His original retainer letter has been located and the subject line was “RE: Estate Litigation”. Review of document is underway, and then shortly following will be Examination of Discovery. The saga continues…

Did you Know Brought to you by Boone and Crockett
Did You Know….The longest horn length for a desert bighorn sheep is 46 2/8-inches. This is from a ram taken in Arizona and ranks No. 2 in the world with a score of 201 3/8 B&C. In comparison, the longest horn length on a rocky mountain bighorn sheep is 50 7/8-inches. This ram is from Colorado and was found dead in 2005 and ranks No. 71 in the world.

Help California’s Wildlife

There is no question California is hurting. Their resources are unhealthy and it is do to improper management on both habitat and wildlife. Overgrowth of habitat is a problem due to the timber industry being unable to thin forests limiting food for wildlife. Predators have also run rampant as bears have increased from about 15,000 to 30,000, coyotes gobble up everything in sight and mountain lions have gone from 2,400 in 1990 to 6,000 at present time. Each adult lion consumes about one deer per week and an adult female with cubs can eat two fawns per day. Consequently the deer herds have been decimated as population has gone from 2,000,000 in 1990 to less than 450,000 today. Biologists have concluded that the wildlife cannot come back unless corrective measures are taken. Citizens for Sustainable California Wildlife is a new non-profit organization created to help in this balance. All those interested in helping preserve wildlife in California can learn more at www.sustainablewildlife.org.

Wolves De-listed…. Now What
By Don Peay – Founder Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife

When wolves were first reintroduced to the Yellowstone ecosystem, the original agreement was that when the wolf population reached 300 wolves and 30 packs, the federal government would remove them from the Endangered Species list and allow states to manage wolves. This arrangement is similar to wildlife management plans for bears, cougars, and wolves in Alaska. Today, in spite of the federal government killing over 700 wolves in the past ten years for getting into trouble with livestock, there are over 1,500 wolves and 140 packs in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.
The state of Wyoming drew a hard line with wolf management. They agreed to allow fifteen packs, and decided to manage them under trophy management status in Yellowstone and the surrounding wilderness areas from Cody down to Jackson. However, Wyoming said that wolves found outside of those areas would be considered predators and killed on site.
The former Bush Administration Secretary rejected Wyoming’s plan even though eleven of twelve wolf experts that were hired to review the plan said that it was adequate.
After considerable political fighting, lawsuits and threatened lawsuits, the federal government accepted Wyoming’s plan with the dual trophy zone and predator zone status. Wolves are now considered predators in all areas of Wyoming other than Yellowstone National Park and the Jackson and Cody wilderness areas and can be killed on site. Many sportsmen have already bagged a wolf in Wyoming.
On March 26th, 2008, the Bush Administration took the wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, as well as the wolves in small parts of Utah, Washington and Oregon, off the Endangered Species List. Current policy allows those states to manage wolves according to state wolf plans. Fish and Game agencies in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are preparing a wolf hunt. This hunt will be regulated similarly to other game hunts with season restrictions and bag limits. The current goal of these hunting seasons is to limit the population growth of wolves, or even reduce these populations. Within these management zones, agencies do not want to reduce wolf populations too rapidly due to pressure from anti-hunting groups. These groups are looking for any reason to ask a federal judge to file an injunction and stop the management of wolves by states.
Wolves are, without question, starting to have a significant negative impact on moose and elk populations in many areas of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
The northern Yellowstone elk herd has declined from 20,000 elk to less than 7,000. Because there is such a low calf survival rate, cow elk hunts have been cancelled. Wolves, however, can’t take all the blame, bears also play a major role in elk predation.
The once famous Clearwater elk herd in northern Idaho has been reduced from 10,000 animals to less than 1,000. Idaho Game and Fish has documented that unless wolves are removed, the herd will continue to decline.
Many sportsmen wonder how animal rights groups could want to promote an animal that destroys game herds. The answer is very simple, these groups are composed primarily of anti-hunters, and the wolf is the biological weapon to ending hunting in the West. These groups dislike hunters more than they care about the wolf.
These anti-hunting groups have already filed notice that they will try and stop states from managing wolves. Their goal is to have 5,000 to 8,000 wolves in the West. A wolf population of that magnitude would result in 125,000 to 200,000 dead elk, deer, moose a year. There is a reason why many pioneers starved to death. If herds were left to wolves and bears, game herds would be reduced approximately 90% from where they are today.
Anti-hunting groups have already filed notice to try and stop state management of wolves – they will do so officially on April 26th, the first day possible.
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife has taken a strong stand on minimizing wolf populations to limit the negative impacts on hunting, hunters, guides, outfitters and wildlife herds.
SFW has worked very hard to see wolves taken off the Endangered Species List. State SFW chapter leaders have committed to doing whatever it takes from a legal and policy standpoint to keep wolves in the hands of the states. SFW will most likely be required to raise millions of dollars, money we would rather see go on the ground for habitat protection, to help litigate and defend the state’s rights to manage wolves. If we as sportsmen do not win this litigation, and the anti-hunters win, hunting in the West will be dramatically reduced.
If wolf management were left up to me, I would keep about 500 wolves around, which is 200 more than the original agreement. I am willing to lead the fight - tooth and toenail - against the anti-hunters who want to destroy our game herds and our hunting heritage.
You can keep track of the SFW efforts on the wolf wars at www.sfwsfh.org

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