Wolves used as negative imagery in Presidential race ad

The negative myths associated with wolves have long been used as emotive fodder for political gain.

planetpalin.wordpress.com has a post about how this campaign season is no different:

McCain/Palin Campaign Drags Wolves Back Into the Mud

Of course, the footage of wolves in these ads doesn’t seem foreboding to me – it seems to me you could put a picture of a rutabaga in front of the background music the ads use — especially the ad from ’04 used as comparison in the post – and evoke a similar emotive response.  It’s the imagery and the constituency that the message of the imagery galvanizes that’s more interesting.

(Thanks to ‘Kestrel’ for providing the link within the comments)

Wyoming bighorns in decline.

Wyoming bighorns in decline. Casper Star Tribune. By Chris Merrill

The primary cause is domestic sheep. If you want bighorns, you can’t have sheep in the area or even travelling through it.

Bear mauls fisherman on docked boat. Vancouver Island, BC

Bear mauls fisherman on docked boat. Times Colonist. “Bystanders rush to help, swarm and kill bear; victim was cleaning fish at Port Renfrew marina.”

It’s important to note that while people tend to fear grizzlies, almost all predatory bear attacks are black bears.

This was the first such bear attack on Vancouver Island.

Hunters, it’s time to think grizzly in those certain parts of Montana and Wyoming

Think Grizzly.

“Thousands of hunters are crawling around grizzly country in the predawn darkness, alone, quietly, into the wind, and smelling like stale elk pee. If they have a successful hunt, they’ll fill the wind with the smell of high-quality grizzly food. Is this a problem? By Bill Schneider.” By Bill Schneider. New West.

. . . and a related story about using electric fences to keep grizzlies from hunting camps.

Zap! Marauding grizzlies in for nasty shock. ↓

Electric fences are meant to keep bruins from following noses into outfitter camps. By Cory Hatch. Jackson Hole News and Guide.

Ah, Pilgrim Creek in the Teton Wilderness. I know it well — grizzly central! It was worrying to backpack there.

More on shutting down Nevada mine that released massive amounts of mercury into Idaho

Mercury-emitting mine in Nevada shuts down. “The owner of the mine just reported big losses. The operation sent tons of the toxic metal into Idaho’s air before a Boise activist pushed officials into cracking down.” By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.