As we race towards the legislative session, the alarm bells are already going off, as once again Republicans in the legislature are introducing a slew of new anti-wildlife bills, all exacerbated by the continued use of bounties to feed the spread of trapping. The thought that they could change their position is impossible as long as Greg Gianforte is Governor and Paul Fielder is in the House.
It begins with the Game and Fish Commission, a self-dealing mini-empire, minus one single respectable Commissioner, Susan Kirby Brooke, whose integrity demands that she consider opinions outside ranchers, trophy hunters, and trappers.
Above them all, Pat Tabor is perhaps the most detestable. Lately, his new profit-making scheme is to allow more female black bears to be killed in the area or district where his son operates his outfitting business. Orphaned cubs? No problem; let’s just kill more. This is a man who wants no one to stand in the way of his making money. His long list of issues with the forest service, including cutting trees, dumping garbage, intimidating hikers, and otherwise thinking he and his company own the national forest, is why, as a commissioner, he feels that killing wildlife is his choice, not that of the people of Montana. He is soulless. This man must be removed from the commission; to further that cause, please share our petition to remove him with friends. This action by Tabor will find its way to the courts.
Let me now introduce to you our new freshman representative from Kalispell, Lukas Schubert, who has introduced LC 1743, likely working on orders from Fielder. This bill calls for shooting wolves on sight and year-round. Imagine that a young man would have such hatred for an animal that is part of a family unit, a predator that keeps the spread of chronic wasting disease in check; a creature that is even scientifically proven to be a significant pollinator. Wolves prey on sick and weak animals, thus making the elk and deer herds even stronger. They are a species that play together but yet endure pain and suffering at human hands. Tabor is a person who is so ambitious that he would allow the blood of such beauty to be spilled for his career advancement.
But he is not alone. It appears that Representative Shannon Maness from Dillon wants to one-up Schubert. His bill, LC 2548, would instate no-quota wolf hunting and trapping. So, the goal in these and likely other bills is to torture or destroy all wolves in our state. Republicans are making clear that wolves and soon grizzlies will be destroyed if they have their way. The real question is why? Most of my republican friends love wolves and grizzlies, and they are very special in their minds, so why this nonsense? The views of the Governor and Commission only reflect a tiny minority of people who call themselves outdoorsmen but who are, in reality, afraid of predators, indulge in ignorance, and are scared of true, wild nature. So, they need to kill for their pathetic sense of safety and ego-driven feeling of superiority.
Again, Gianforte has taken a lot of heat on wolves and his taste for trophy hunting; rather than listen, he is going all-in to destroy the wildest part of nature. That sums up his immoral nature. With Fielder, hatred of predators is his guiding principle, and a lust to trap and watch animals suffer. But let’s not forget the third party in the room. It’s the Foundation for Wildlife Management, the stooges that are a front for trappers and a group that has broken their non-profit integrity by getting allowing their Board to collect the majority of bounties for themselves. But that group enjoys funding from the NRA, and likely from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as well.
The reality is that wealthy individuals like the Governor and Pat Tabor, along with the ignorance that surrounds wolves and grizzlies in Montana and the push by the livestock industry to control public lands, is the stew that is cooking our own right to wildlife viewing, and the freedom to hike and recreate on the very lands we all share.
This will be a very tough legislative session, and we will be there fighting the worst of these bills, but (as I mentioned last week,) pushing hard to pass our three bills:
· Trapping Signage.
· Bear spray mandated for hunters.
· No harassing wildlife or chasing predators or furbearers on snowmobiles.
We really want a bill that ends bounties on wildlife and to reform this nightmare of a Game commission. But so far, no takers.
What we need is your voice, your emails, your letters, and your passion and smarts to crush these outlandish bills and fight for wolves like never before. Please call your representatives, make clear:
· You want an end to the killing of wolves-period.
· No delisting of grizzlies.
· Never support the state funding bounties on any wildlife.
· That you want their support on these bills that will support wildlife.
· Let them know ignorance on wolves is not an excuse for their killing.
· The livestock industry has the privilege to graze on public lands, not a right, and they do not have the right to kill predators; instead, they must learn to co-exist with wildlife to continue receiving the subsidies they enjoy. If you have a 1000 head of cattle it equals $20,000 a month in government subsidies.
· Ranchers are more than compensated if their livestock is killed by wolves. This is very rare, but killing more wolves will result in decimating packs and, in turn, more deprivation.
Thank you for your continued support. Continue to be the strong voice for wildlife! We at Bold Visions will continue to fight hard for all wildlife and promise to keep you informed!
THESE TWO PEOPLE NEED GROWLS:
Lukas Schubert
House District 8, Republican
Lukas.Schubert@legmt.gov 406-609-6099
175 Hutton Ranch Rd Ste 103 PMB 102
Kalispell, MT 59901
ShannonManess
House District 70, Republican
Shannon.Maness@legmt.gov 406-925-3604
PO Box 701
Dillon, MT 59725
Send a friendly howl with your wildlife concerns:
Susan Kirby Brooke
406-438-0460
Bozeman, Montana
