Utah: some wildlife more equal than other

Tom Wharton, a columnist at the Salt Lake Tribune, takes on Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources as being under the thumb of the state’s Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, to the detriment of predators and “a better, more holistic approach to wildlife management that recognizes the need for balance and the useful role predators play.”

The article gives the experience of a professor of pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine who thought he’d do the civic thing by participating in state wildlife management ~ only to have wildlife spited for his effort at bringing some new ideas to their public fiefdom.

Wharton: Wildlife management process is rigged in favor of hunters

It’s the same animal in Idaho. A link to Ralph’s post Predator hunters for the environment, “Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife”

Perhaps its time to bring a bit more balance ?

Wildfire threat continues across West. Idaho, Montana account for nearly two-thirds of major wildfires.

Idaho, Montana account for nearly two-thirds of major wildfires. Disaster News Network.

I do think things are calming down, however, and I am taking off for a while to visit central Idaho.

Returned on September 16. The wildfires did cool a bit, although there were a couple big runs in Montana. McCall, Cascade, and Riggins, Idaho were completely free of smoke while I was there, but the plumes blew, and continued to blow, over very sparsely inhabited central Idaho into Montana, covering almost all of the west half of the  “Big Sky State” with smoke (to which was added the many Montana fires). The motel keeper in Hamilton, Montana (Bitterroot Valley) told they had hardly had a smokeless day since July 9 when the first big forest fires started in Idaho.

Maryland family fights off rare rabid bear

Maryland Family Fights Off Bear. 134-Pound Sow Is First to Test Positive for Rabies in State. By Joe Holley. Washington Post.

Dying whitebark pine stands in Greater Yellowstone produce bumper nut crop for third year

This story is by Brodie Farquhar in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune.

Good News for Griz — For Now

Things look worse and worse for that critical fall food source of Greater Yellowstone grizzly bears — whitebark pine nuts. However, these stressed stands of high altitude trees have produced a bumper crop of nuts again this year for the third year in a row (it is usually every other year).

So this will be another year when the grizzlies don’t have to risk visiting the lower elevation, more inhabited zones, to search for the food to fatten for hibernation.