Elk Hunt Approved for First Time on Rabbit Mountain
Boulder County, Colorado approved a plan allowing a limited elk hunt to take place on the Rabbit Mountain Open Space, just north of Boulder on Tuesday. The decision coming after officials have watched the mountain’s elk population skyrocket over the past decade. Ten short years ago, there were an estimated 25 elk thought to inhabit […]
A Conservation Milestone: Yellowstone Grizzlies Removed from Endangered Species List
Despite being clouded in controversy, the decision to lift the federal protection of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is a victory in sound wildlife conservation. After living under the protective umbrella of the Endangered Species Act for over 40 years, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke called the recovery “one of America’s great […]
Connecticut Man Charged with Transporting Captive Deer Carcass
As the news of a massive 24-point buck made its way through Connecticut, it managed to capture the attention of the state’s Environmental Conservation Police and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Reportedly taken in Bridgewater, Connecticut, the deer was inspected by officials and was found to be without the usual hide blemishes and […]
Restitution and Jail Time for Poacher Who Shot NY Conservation Officer
While investigating reports of illegal hunting while accompanied by fellow conservation officer Lt. Liza Bobseine last fall, James Davey was shot in the pelvic region while making his way through a cornfield. The shots came from the perpetrator they were there to investigate and thanks to the quick-acting Bobseine, Davey luckily walked away with his […]
Study Points to Elk as More Significant Brucellosis Transmission Risk than Bison
Present in both bison and elk, Brucellosis is an infection that causes infected animals to abort their calves. While the infection has historically affected both species, it is the bison where much of the efforts to contain brucellosis were concentrated. As large grazing animals who often encounter livestock, ranchers have grown abundantly concerned that the […]
Missouri Hunters for Fair Chase Seeking Changes on the Captive Deer Industry
With a heavy focus on containing the spread of the fatal chronic wasting disease inside Missouri’s borders, a local fair chase advocacy group is petitioning the captive breeding industry in the show-me state. With the disease continuing to spread in many areas of the country, much of the focus has turned to the captive breeding […]
25 Convicted on 161 Poaching-Related Charges in Ohio
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Spanning a 24-month period, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has announced the convictions of 25 individuals, including 20 juveniles, Muskingum County, Ohio, just east of Columbus. The lengthy investigation kicked off during a night patrol in 2014. DNR officers were observing a vehicle spotlighting deer in a hay […]
Canadian National Park Considering Hunting to Manage Elk Herds
Surrounded by fencing, Elk Island National Park just outside of Edmonton, Alberta is facing a conundrum of sorts regarding the growing populations of its enclosed wildlife. As elk, moose and bison populations continue to flourish in the park, officials are growing concerned about the effect the amount of grazing is having on the ecosystem. The […]
Study Indicates Wolves Do Not Necessarily ‘Prey Switch’ to Stabilize Prey Populations
Dating back to the late 1960’s, the term ‘prey switching’ was initially hypothesized in general ecology to describe the way generalist predatory animals switch between prey as the prey species relative abundances change. What this means is that predators, such as wolves, were thought to have switched their preference of prey based on the abundance […]
Elk Habitat Conserved in Washington’s Lewis River Watershed
MISSOULA, Montana — Nearly 4,500 acres of prime wildlife habitat in southwestern Washington are permanently protected and opened to public access thanks to ongoing collaborative efforts by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and PacifiCorp, an electric utility company. “This is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “This forestland is crucial habitat […]