Boycott “The Grey”…

400 WOLVES SLAUGHTERED IN MT/IDAHO HUNTS

January 27, 2012

State biologist dreads Hollywood portrayal of wolves

Attacks on humans, implied in movie’s trailers, extremely rare

Wolves are coming to the big screen today in “The Grey,” a man-versus-beast thriller starring Liam Neeson.

When their plane crashes in Alaska’s frozen wilderness, a bunch of oil-field roughnecks fight for survival. Not only do the men combat cold and hunger, they’re stalked by a wolf pack.

Film previews feature eerie howls and shots of feral eyes glinting in the darkness. When carnage ensues in this R-rated film, the wolves are usually the winners.

But the movie’s portrayal of wolves as man-eaters dismays Gary Wiles.

“My first reaction was, ‘Oh, no!’ ” said Wiles, a wildlife biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “It looks totally like a Hollywood-contrived movie: something to strike at people’s basic fears.”

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/27/state-biologist-dreads-hollywood-portrayal-of/

UPDATE: January 2o, 2012

Howling for Justice will continue to highlight this post until the movie opens on January 27, 2012 and beyond.  We are happy to see that Wild Earth Guardians  has joined the fight and is also calling for a “blacklist of The Grey”.

UPDATE: January 17, 2012

As if there aren’t enough reasons to dislike this movie, add the sickening fact that Liam Neeson and the  cast of  ”The Grey” actually ate wolf meat while making this  ”movie”. The thought of them eating the flesh of the ancestor of our beloved dogs, makes me physically ill.

One more BIG REASON to BOYCOTT “THE GREY”.

Liam Neeson and “The Grey” Cast Ate Wolf Meat

 by Jennifer Mishler January 17, 2012

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/01/17/liam-neeson-and-the-grey-cast-ate-wolf-meat/

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I guess Hollywood doesn’t have anything better to do then demonize wolves. With two wolf hunts mowing down wolves  in the Northern Rockies, aerial gunning planned in Idaho’s Lolo zone, wolves in the Great Lakes coming off the endangered species list,  facing brutal hunts, Hollywood decided this would be a good time to make a movie about killer wolves.

“A group of oil-rig roughnecks are left stranded on the sub-arctic tundra after their plane experiences a complete mechanical failure and crashes into the remote Alaskan wilderness. The survivors, battling mortal injuries, biting cold and ravenous hunger, are relentlessly hunted and pursued by a vicious pack of rogue wolves.”

Wolves are the least dangerous of  large predators in North America. 

THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE FATAL WOLF ATTACK ON HUMANS IN THE LOWER FORTY EIGHT IN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OF RECORD KEEPING.

There have been two controversial human/wolf fatal encounters in North America, in the last century, that’s  it. You have a better chance of accidentally being killed by hunters (100 fatal hunting accidents per year in the US and Canada with another 1000 injured) or have your child shot @ a bus stop.  It’s not wolves parents should worry about @ bus stops but stray bullets from hunters.

Child Shot At Bus Stop By Hunter

Click here to watch video

 Our beloved dogs, kill another 30 people or more a year and bite approx. 4.7 million people annually. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs but those are the facts.

Deer/vehicle accidents claim at least 200 lives every year and cause billions of dollars in damages. You know why there are so many deer? The fish and game agencies make sure predators are targeted and their numbers kept low. Then deer  populations explode causing hundreds of thousands of auto accidents.

In Canberra, the capital of Australia, they’ve decimated the dingoes, the kangaroo’s  only natural predator.  Around the city there’s been an explosion of the Roo population. The Roos hop into the city at night, munch on people’s  lawns, get hit by cars and chased by dogs.  These are “urban kangaroos”, pushed into the city by drought, dwindling habitat and their own over-population. When Roo  numbers get too high “wildlife managers” control them by “culling/killing” kangaroos by the thousands. Roo mothers are shot in the head during “the culls” and their little pouched  “Joeys”  are either decapitated or their skulls are crushed.

Australia isn’t any better at  “managing” their wildlife then we are. They eliminate the top predator, the dingo, who could prevent kangaroo overpopulation.  Instead,  kangaroo numbers go up and the guns come out.

The same happens in America with deer. Natural predators are eliminated, the deer population explodes and you have a recipe for disaster.

“In 2000, of the 6.1 million lightweight motor vehicle collisions reported in the US, 247,000 crashes involved deer-vehicle collisions.^[1] Deer-vehicle collisions lead to about 200 human deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage every year.^[2] State and federal governments, insurance companies, and drivers spend an addition $3 billion in an effort to reduce and manage the increasing number of deer-vehicle collisions.^[3] The term “deer-vehicle collision” is commonly annotated throughout safety agencies as DVC.”

Loss of large predators has caused widespread disruption of ecosystems

Scientists say decimation of top consumers may be “humankind’s most pervasive influence on the natural world” due to cascading effects on ecosystems

July 14, 2011

By Tim Stephens

http://news.ucsc.edu/2011/07/apex-consumers.html

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All because “wildlife managers” are short-sighted and listen to the hunting and ranching cabals instead of doing what’s right and healthy for our ecosystems.

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A woman was recently killed by flying deer parts (head and shoulders). The deer had been cut in half in another accident.

Woman driver killed by flying deer parts

December 29, 2011 9:41AM

POLICE in western Pennsylvania say a woman was killed when part of a deer struck by another vehicle went through her windshield and hit her.

Click here to read more

People die from bee stings, are fatally stomped by moose, run over by trains, approx. 90 people are killed by lightning strikes each year, in 2010 14, 748 people were murdered in the US, I could go on and on.

My point? Wolf attacks are VERY RARE.  So rare that making a movie about killer wolves is ridiculous. Wolves DO NOT need more bad press, the anti-wolf crowd spends their waking hours spreading myths and lies about wolves. Just because someone came up with this lame-brained idea of a movie, doesn’t mean it had to be made. It will do nothing but hurt wolves,  just like the movie Jaws hurt the image of sharks.  70 to 90 million sharks are killed every year around the world.

Please boycott this movie!!

You can picket your local theater where “The Grey” will be  playing but personally I think that draws more attention, people love controversy. BUT do contact the theater complex and let them know how you and your friends feel about this movie and that you’ll be staying away.

I call on the producer and director to re-consider what they’re  doing.  Are they not  aware of the nasty campaign being waged against wolves across this country but specifically in the Northern Rockies? Have they not done their homework? Do they care? Wolf haters don’t need help from Hollywood to persecute wolves. What happened to all the environmentalists in the movie industry? Will they be silent and allow this misunderstood, highly intelligent, social animal to be characterized as something they’re not?

At the very least a  disclaimer is needed, wolves rarely ever attack people. They are shy and reclusive, dedicated to their families. The exception to wolves exhibiting extreme fear of humans is when wolves been habituated to human presence, as in Yellowstone National Park. where because of their rock star status, they are exposed to people on a regular basis. Visitors are fascinated by these iconic animals and can’t get enough of them. Wolves  generate at least 35 million dollars annually to the GYA (Greater Yellowstone Area).  Yellowstone wolves do tolerate human presence because they don’t perceive humans as threats inside the park.  Outside the park is a different story, since these wolves are so used to people they are easy targets.  The most unfortunate incident happened during Montana’s 2009 wolf hunt, when FWP opened the hunt right outside park boundaries.  Wolves routinely move in and out of the park because they can’t read signs. Hunters took advantage of this and decimated the studied and famous Cottonwood Pack, killing the alpha male and female and their powerful daughter. When the alpha pair is killed the pack usually disperses.

Shame on the director and producers of this film.  They should visit the Northern Rockies, where brutal wolf hunts are in full swing and see for themselves the hatred and scapegoating wolves are subjected to.

Please read Bill Gibson’s article in the LA Times, to get up to speed on what wolves are being subjected to.  Maybe you’d understand how damaging “The Grey” will be to wolves and why advocates are so upset over this.

The new war on wolves

Op-Ed

As soon as federal protection ended, the slaughter began.

December 08, 2011|By J. William Gibson

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/08/opinion/la-oe-gibson-the-war-on-wolves-20111208

More examples of persecution. The Safari Club and others are providing incentives for hunters to go out and kill wolves and make
darn sure Montana meets it’s 220 dead wolf quota by February 15, 2012.  February 15, 2012 is an extension from the original wolf hunt end date of December 31, 2012. Montana FWP moved the goalposts.

 From the Ravali  Republic:

“The Safari Club International’s Western Montana Chapter announced recently it will raffle off the taxidermy of a wolf pelt to successful wolf hunters this year. The prize is worth an estimated $750.

That organization is the third that has offered a prize or a check to hunters bagging a wolf this season.

The Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association started the ball rolling right after the end of hunting season with an announcement it would raffle a rifle valued at $650 to wolf hunters successful in the southern reaches of the Bitterroot.

The Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife followed with a photo contest that offered successful wolf hunters $100 and an annual membership for photographs of dead wolves.

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THREE HUNDRED AND NINTY NINE  WOLVES

are dead in the Montana/Idaho wolf hunts as of o1/20/12.  And this is only January. Idaho’s wolf hunt runs through June 2012, in the Lolo and Selway zones, A TEN MONTH LONG HUNT!! Wolves in Idaho are dying painful deaths in brutal traps and choking snares.

Is there nothing Hollywood won’t do to make a buck?  Not only does this movie unfairly depict wolves but it will contribute to the escalating wolf demonization.

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Contact information for  “The Grey”, courtesy of Justin Forte:

Please take a few moments to contact  those involved with this “movie”. Tell them how you feel about it and why. Be direct, polite and to the point.  Let them know you are boycotting “The Grey”. Be sure to mention there are thousands of outraged wolf advocates, who are also movie goers. We are spreading the word, we don’t want to contribute to profits made off the backs of wolves.

Demand a disclaimer in the opening and closing credits. This movie is a  misrepresentation of wild wolves. They are not blood thirsty, human stalking killers, as the movie depicts.

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Contact:: Open Road Films and Liam Neeson .

Open Road Films

12301 Wilshire Boulevard

Suite 600

Santa Monica, California 90025.

Telephone: 310-696-7575. Fax: 310-571-2278.

Liam’ Neeson’s publicist is: Alan Nierob, Rogers & Cowan Public Relations, Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Avenue, 7th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90069. Telephone: 310-854-8100

Thank You. The wolves thank you!!

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WildEarth Guardians Joins The Fight to Boycott “The Grey”

Wolves are under attack, having lost Endangered Species Act protection in many states, placing them in the crosshairs of a vocal minority in agribusiness and hunting groups who refuse to tolerate this ecologically vital carnivore. Hundreds have already been killed this winter and now Hollywood has jumped on the hysteria bandwagon by perpetuating the stereotype of wolves as evil and violent in the new film, “The Grey.”

Please join WildEarth Guardians in sending a strong message to the film director and boycotting “The Grey” so that anti-wolf profiteers like director Joe Carnahan won’t benefit from this terrible film.

CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR WOLVES

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Here is a true wild wolf encounter with the added treat of seeing a grizzly sow with cubs. Do these wolves look like bloodthirsty killers who stalk people? Absolutely not.

Please visit Brad Joseph’s Wildlife Videos on YouTube and see how a true naturalist appreciates and photographs our vital apex predators, like the wolf and grizzly bear.  

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Brad Joseph’s Wildlife Channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/bradjosephs

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Alaska Bears and Wolves

About Brad Josephs

http://www.alaskabearsandwolves.com/brad-josephs/

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Video:  YouTube Brad Johnson’s Wildlife Channel

Posted in: Wolf Wars, gray wolf

Tags: boycott “The Grey”,wolf scapegoating, wolf demonization for profit, unfair representation of wolves, Liam Neeson,  Open Road Films, Brad Johnson

A Round of Applause…

The endless whining and demonizing of wolves is so mind numbing  it could actually rival the drug Ambien as an effective sleep aid. The same talking points are repeated over and over ad nauseam. That’s why it was so refreshing to read reporter Nick Geovck’s piece in the Mt.Standard. A round of applause to him for having the courage and conviction to speak out about this modern-day witch hunt, directed at wolves and other predators.

He drives his point home by quoting from Aldo Leopold’s famous writing, Thinking Like a Mountain, from a Sand County Almanac. Leopold, who was once a wolf hunter himself, had an epiphany:

“Leopold realizes that killing a predator wolf carries serious implications for the rest of the ecosystem.”

Please take the time to thank Nick Ge0vck by leaving a comment under his excellent article.

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Hatred of predators reaches ridiculous fervor

In the Hunt by Nick Geovck |

Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2012 12:15 am

“Conserva-tion is a state of harmony between men and land. By land is meant all of the things on, over, or in the earth. Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say, you cannot love game and hate predators.”

- Aldo Leopold

Let’s kill every wolf in Montana.

Sounds like a popular idea these days among hunters.

While we’re at it, let’s kill every grizzly bear, every black bear and every mountain lion. Throw in golden eagles, bald eagles, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

We’d be left with a hunter’s paradise – a state teeming with game animals and hunting opportunity, right?

That’s the sentiment I heard recently at a meeting on the hunting season setting proposals in Butte, where an oft-angry group of sportsmen called for large-scale killing of predators to increase the number of deer, elk and other game species. The suggestions ranged from having government trappers shoot wolves from helicopters to creating a season on eagles so they don’t kill mountain goats.

Of course Butte sportsmen aren’t alone. Over the past few years anger has been building blaming predators – and in particular wolves – for lower game herds and for less hunting opportunity. Wolf haters throw around words like “annihilation” and “devastation” when it comes to Montana’s deer and elk herds. And even some respected conservation groups have gotten in on the wolf bashing through public statements decrying the effects of predators.

What state are these people living in?

Here are a few facts about Montana’s wildlife populations and hunting over the past two decades, covering the period during which the much-maligned western gray wolf has been on the landscape.

In 1992, three years before wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks official estimate of the elk herd was 89,000 elk in Montana. Today we have a statewide estimate of 150,000 elk.

In 2003, the state Legislature passed a bill that required FWP biologists bring elk numbers down to the targeted objective populations laid out in the statewide elk plan. They were responding to complaints from ranchers about too many elk on their private land.

Ironically, some of the same lawmakers who supported that bill are among the most vocal wolf bashers. That hypocrisy begs the question: are there too many elk or too many wolves in Montana?

Anyway, the Legislature in recent years has given FWP several tools to kill more elk, including giving hunters the chance to kill two elk per year.

And since then, Montana has on three occasions extended the general elk season to give hunters two additional weeks to kill elk in years when the harvest was slow.

Second elk tags, extended seasons and liberal regulations allowing more cow elk hunting: where’s the loss of hunting opportunity?

In truth, elk hunters have had more opportunity than in decades and now we’ve seen the effects of that.

Over the past couple years we’ve brought elk back down closer to the target populations or in some cases dropped it below those objective numbers. Accordingly, FWP biologists have gone from liberal to more conservative seasons, allowing fewer cow elk to be killed in many areas and reducing the second tags.

It proves that two-legged predators with high-powered rifles can be extremely effective at killing elk.

Read more: http://mtstandard.com/news/local/hatred-of-predators-reaches-ridiculous-fervor/article_3e418c46-47ba-11e1-b87a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1kelv40FJ

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Photo: Courtesy goukaboutdotcom

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: wolf persecution, wolf hysteria, Mt. Standard, Nick Gevock ,  war on predators

“Wolves Unleashed”….

Wolves Unleashed Poster  (Courtesy Andrew Simpson)

Wolves Unleashed is an amazing documentary directed and produced by famed animal trainer Andrew Simpson.  He and his thirteen wolves traveled to far-flung  Siberia, one of the coldest destinations on earth, to make a French film called Loup (French for wolf). Wolves Unleashed takes you behind the scenes of the making of  Loup.  It demonstrates the extraordinary feats, in the harshest of conditions, Andrew and his wolves accomplished.  They set “out to make the biggest wolf film ever attempted.”

Raves from the Calgary International Film Festival:

“WOLVES UNLEASHED contains raw footage, presented without any special effects enhancement. Who needs cinematic tricks when you have Siberian vistas, inter-species drama and a wolf pack of epic proportions?“

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Reaction to Wolves Unleashed At The Banff Film Festival

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Wolves Unleashed Website

Andrew and Quigley  (Courtesy Andrew Simpson)

http://www.wolvesunleashed.com/index.php

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Wolves Unleashed Facebook Page

http://www.facebook.com/wolvesunleashed?ref=ts

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Wolves Unleashed will make its American debut at the  Sedona International Film Festival on February 22 and 24th, 2012 in Sedona, Arizona.

Please support this important film by spreading the word.  Visit the Wolves Unleashed website and Facebook page.

Wolves are so maligned in our culture, this is a chance to see how intelligent and amazing these animals really are, demonstrating “the unbreakable bond” between Andrew Simpson and his wolves.  It’s a breath of fresh air in contrast to the dark picture painted of wolves in The Grey. Wolves are shy and sensitive animals. Yes, they are apex predators that have a job to do in nature, keeping ungulate herds healthy but they are devoted to family with strong social bonds between pack members.  In fact wolves and humans have much in common, being two of the most social species on earth.

To quote Ed Bangs from a 2000 Nova Online interview.

“Wolves are the parents, the mothers, the fathers, the brothers and sisters that we always hoped we could be. I mean there’s extreme loyalty among family members, it’s everything to them.”

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Video: You Tube Wolves Unleashed Zenn Media

Photos: Courtesy Wolves Unleashed (Andrew Simpson)

Posted in: gray wolf, biodiversity, wolf education

Tags: Wolves Unleashed, Andrew Simpson, Thirteen amazing wolves, Siberia, Loup, Banff Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival

Howling For Justice Will Go Dark To Protest SOPA and PIPA…

Howling For Justice will go dark today, January 18, 2012, between 8am EST and 8pm EST, to protest  two very dangerous bill before Congress, SOPA and PIPA,  that seek to censor the Internet.

New Full Wolf Moon Vigil Pictures!!

Blue Phoenix, New South Wales, Australia

UPDATE: January 22, 2012

I’ve added new vigil  pictures from Blue Phoenix, who lives “down under”.  Wolf persecution is global and even though Australia does not have  wolves they do have the dingo, who is also scapegoated and killed like wolves. Pure dingo genetics is decreasing due to mating with domestic dogs.

Thank you Blue Phoenix for holding a vigil for the beleaguered Northern Rockies wolves.  Sadly the death toll has increased considerably from 337 to 388.

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I want to again thank wolf advocates for honoring the fallen wolves slaughtered in the Idaho/Montana hunts. The purpose of the Full Wolf Moon Vigil was twofold:

1. To remember the wolves who’ve died

2. To bring attention to their plight.

There were many vigils held around the country and the world, including France, Australia and Denmark. Wolves are beloved and iconic animals, who have hundreds of thousands of supporters. We will have other vigils and protests as long as the wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho continue. Ann S. and Nancy Taylor did a great job organizing the vigil in Coeur d’ Alene.  It was covered extensively by the media, including 3 television stations and NPR radio.  Other vigils are represented below. We will update this page as we receive new pictures. Keep them coming everyone. You can post them on:

Howl Across America: 

http://facebook.com/howlacrossamerica

For the wolves, For the wild ones,

Nabeki

Full Wolf Moon Vigil, Marta “For the wolves perished and for the wolves that remain”

Blue Phoenix Full Wolf Moon Vigil, New South Wales, Australia

Better Be Known – Spiritual Center, New South Wales, Australia

Ian C. Full Wolf Moon Vigil

Blue Phoenix, Full Wolf Moon Vigil, New South Wales, Australia

NIWA’S Full Wolf Moon Candlelight Vigil, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

Brianna’s Wolf Vigil

National Public Radio (NPR) Photo by Kristine Løkken Nilsen for the Northwest News Network

Jennifer Wolf Vigil, Kentucky

Jennifer’s Wolf Tribute, Kentucky

Wolf Moon Vigil and Wolf Walk, Santa Barbara, California

Keith n Anna Wolf Vigil, Los Angeles, California

Candle Lit for the Wolves, Salt Lake City, Utah

Wolf Vigil, Wyoming

Katie’s Wolf Vigil, Oregon

Wolf Vigil, Idaho

Billy Wolf Vigil, Montana

Daniels Growing Memorial For Fallen Wolves

Howling Mad, Coeur d’ alene, Idaho (Jerome Pollos/Press)

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Photos (Credit given below photo)

Posted in: Wolf Wars, gray wolf

Tags:  Idaho wolf hunt, Montana wolf hunt, support for wolves, candlelight vigil pictures, wolf advocates, Wolf Moon, wolf walk, Wolf Wars, Coeur d’ Alene_Idaho

Howls To The Wolf Advocates Who Participated In the Vigil Tonight!!

What a beautiful photo, Courtesy Keith n Anna

Thank you everyone who participated in the vigil  for the fallen Montana/Idaho wolves, who continue to be slaughtered in the hunts.

We received wonderful responses from all over the world.  Thank you to Ann Sydow and Nancy Taylor of  NIWA who organized the vigil in Coeur d’ alene. To Arctica and Nini, Wolf Peoples’s eight month old wolf pups, who were so cute on camera. To Beckie and  Trap Free Oregon for organizing the vigil in Ashland Oregon, to Wally, to Tallulah for the vigil in Santa Barbara, to Dr. Raven, to Agnes Delanis in France to Lynne S. , Katie, Brianna,  Keith n Anna for your wonderful picture, Wazaiyata, Norma, Sandra, wolfdog, Holly C., vibeke, Iszaria, Gitte, Erika,  Sheila, Barb, Josie, Zia, Captain Sakonna, N.Parry and all the dedicated wolf advocates who lit a candle for  wolves tonight.

NIWA had great success @ their vigil in downtown Coeur d’ alene.  KREM Channel 2 Spokane, KXLY Channel 4 Spokane, The Coeur d’ alene Press and NPR covered the vigil.  More on this tomorrow and hopefully people will be posting their pictures on Howl Across America so we can compose a montage and post them here on Howling for Justice. If you don’t want your face shown on the picture we’ll white it out.  We’d like people to tell us where your picture was taken but you don’t have to include that information. Also if you have a link to any media that covered your vigil let me know so I can post that as well.

HOWLS TO ALL FOR MAKING THIS A SUCCESS.

WE’LL BE DOING IT AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE THE HUNTS CONTINUE!

For the wolves, For the wild ones,

Nabeki

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Wolf lovers hold vigil to protest Idaho wolf hunts

http://www.kxly.com/news/30172841/detail.html

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North Idaho group holds vigil for wolves killed during hunt

http://www.krem.com/news/local/North-Idaho-group-holds-vigil-for-slain-wolves-136978788.html

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Pro-wolf vigil tonight in CDA

http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_c61ce9d0-3ae0-11e1-89ec-001871e3ce6c.html#user-comment-area

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Photo Courtesy Keith n Anna

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: Candlelight Vigil, Full Wolf Moon, Fallen wolves,  NIWA, Wolf Warriors, Howling for Justice, Howl Across America, Wolf People

ALERT: Ashland Full Wolf Moon Candlelight Vigil Tonight!

ALERT: Full Wolf Moon Candlelight Vigil,Monday, January9th, 2012. Where? Across America and the World!!

Ashland Full Wolf Moon Candlelight Vigil

January 9, 2012 from 7- 9 PM, Ashland Plaza

Bring candles and signs that show your support of wolves.
Nearly 350 wolves have been needlessly slaughtered in Idaho
and Montana so far this season.

Let’s be proactive in Oregon to prevent this same future for
our budding wolf population.

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Contact: Beckie Elgin
541-292-6207
belgincrn@gmail.com

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Thank you Becky!!  I hope there will be many more vigils in the Northern Rockies, Across America and the World!!

Stand up for our fallen wolves!

ALERT: Full Wolf Moon Candlelight Vigil, Monday, January 9th, 2012. Where? Across America and the World!!

UPDATE: January 8, 2012 (6:00 pm)

I have an idea that will bring more exposure to this event. You can call local media to tell them you plan a vigil for wolves slaughtered in the Montana/Idaho hunts, now totaling  337 wolves and ask them to cover your event OR you can take your own pictures of your vigil and if you feel comfortable,  post them in the comment section of this blog or post the link to the  pictures and I’ll make a montage of everyone’s pics.  That would be another way to draw attention to the wolves’ plight.

Post your pics on your Facebook or Twitter accounts and Howl Across America as well!

UPDATE: January 8, 2012

I’m very gratified for the terrific response we’ve gotten for this vigil. Thank you and I know the wolves would  thank you if they could. There is only one thing that we ask. If you can please try to gather in groups in a public place, with a few friends or with many friends. I know people will light candles in their homes and that’s wonderful but there are two reasons we are holding this vigil.  One is to honor the wolves who have fallen and continue to die but also to bring attention to their plight. We were hoping that when you gather you would notify the local media and let them know you will be holding a candlelight vigil for wolves in the Northern Rockies, who are dying.  This is a way we can truly get the word out to the rest of the country, since the mainstream media refuses to do it. So please make a special effort to pass the word along to gather in groups, they don’t have to be large. Notify your local media and make sure they know where you’ll be and what you’re doing.

Please notice the picture in the middle of this post. It was taken of two wolf advocates in Nampa, Idaho, in November. They contacted the local newspaper and the Tribune came and covered their event. That picture made it to the LA Times. They were just two people, trying to make a difference and they did.

The old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” is so true. Imagine hundreds or even thousands of pictures like that in newspapers around the country. Think what an effect that would have!

We don’t have much time warriors. Wolves are dying at an alarming rate and we could lose them forever. We need your help.  The grass roots wolf movement is what will turn this around. We have the power of numbers, if we would only use them!!

For the wolves, For the wild ones

Nabeki

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Monday, January 9, 2012,  is the night of  the Full Wolf Moon.  The date changes every year, it’s the first full moon in January. Legend surrounding this moon is rooted in Native American culture.

Wolf Moon 2012

December 27th, 2011 by Nannette Richford

“The wolf moon, sometimes referred to as the “snow moon,” occurs on January 9, 2012. Although the full moon won’t look any different from other full moons during the year, it conjures up images of wolf packs howling at the moon. In fact, that is exactly how the wolf moon got its name. According to Native Americans, January is the time of year when wolves are often heard howling over the snow-covered landscape.

According to the Binghamton University  Newsroom, whether wolves actually howl at the moon is unknown. Its belief is likely connected to the fact that wolves howling travels great distances in the still of the night. It may be more noticeable during the full moon because man is more likely to be outside to gaze at its beauty or take advantage of the light.

Wolves howl for several reasons: to reassemble the pack, to warn nearby wolves of their territory, to celebrate a kill and to express joy when new cubs are born. The thought that wolves may also howl out of sheer loneliness – or at the beauty of the full moon – is not farfetched, but simply has not been verified.

Some tribes refer to the January full moon as the snow moon – but most reserve that name for the full moon in February when snow is often deeper in northern climates.

Whatever you call it, a full moon in the midst of winter often appears so bright that the night takes on an mystical glow from the light of the moon as it reflects off  the snow-covered landscape.

Although the moon isn’t technically “full” until 2:30 am, moonrise occurs at 5:04 – less than an hour after sunset – and will be visible in the night sky until just before sunrise the following morning. Moonset occurs at 7:10 am only 4 minutes before the sun returns – promising a spectacular display if the weather remains clear.”

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Howling for Justice, NIWA, Wolf Warriors and Howl Across America are asking wolf advocates to  honor the fallen wolves, who continue to die in the Montana and Idaho hunts, by holding candlelight vigils across this country on Monday, January 9, 2012.

NIWA is holding a candlelight vigil in downtown Coeur d’ alene on Monday, twilight @ 4:30pm, timed to watch the Full Wolf Moon emerge. They will be playing Louise Du Toit’s beautiful music, Howl Across America and For Every Fallen Wolf .

Please visit Howl Across America for further details.

Wolf Warriors, if you can gather a group of advocates together, we suggest you find a public place in your home town for this peaceful vigil.  It’s imperative you notify the local media or if you live in a larger city, the national media. Let them know you will be holding a candlelight vigil to protest the wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana and  honor the  fallen wolves dying brutal deaths,  now numbering 335!! You can also stand outside your home or a place of your choosing, if you cannot find a group to gather with, to honor the fallen wolves on this special night.

You may  post your vigil on Howl Across America, to allow other advocates who live in your area to organize with you.

Wolf advocates around the world, please feel free to join us, when the Full Wolf Moon rises!

Candle Light Vigil Held To Honor Wolves in Nampa, Idaho on November 29, 2011

We hope this event will take place across America and the world.  Please make every effort to attend the vigil,  wherever you may be, to protest the ongoing, brutal, political witch/wolf hunts in the Northern Rockies.

For the wolves, For the wild ones,

Nabeki

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Videos: YouTube-Courtesy Louise du Toit and immywolf

Top Photo: Wolf Moon Courtesy greenmanblogdotcom

Middle Photo: Candlelight Vigil Courtesy Idaho Press Tribune

Bottom photo: Wolf gif Courtesy layoutsparksdotcom

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Idaho wolves, Montana Wolves

Tags: Wolf hunts, 332 fallen wolves, traps, snares, firearms, candle light vigil, honoring dead wolves

ACTION ALERT: Please Comment On Wyoming’s Bad Wolf Plan by Tomorrow, January 13, 2012…

“Reintroduced wolves being carried to acclimation pens, Yellowstone National Park, January, 1995″

Time is running out to comment on Wyoming’s horrific wolf  “management plan”, a euphemism for killing wolves. Please let your voice be heard and tell Wyoming what you think about their “wolf plan” that would allow unregulated killing of wolves in much of the  state.

The Plan

“Under the agreement, negotiated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials and Gov. Matt Mead, the state’s roughly 243 wolves living outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation could be killed on sight in all but the northwest part of the state, where they would be designated as trophy game and could only be hunted with a license.

The plan also establishes a flex zone covering northern Sublette and Lincoln counties, as well as southern Teton County, in which wolves would be protected only from Oct. 15 until the end of the following February.”

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Talking Points

•Wolves are vital to a thriving ecosystem. They keep elk healthy by culling the old, sick and weak. Having wolves on the landscape push elk and other ungulates to keep moving (ecology of fear), preventing over-browsing of young trees,  specifically ash and cottonwood along stream beds. This is called a trophic cascade.

•Wolves are accused of effecting rancher’s bottom line by preying heavily on cattle. In fact this couldn’t be further from the truth.  In 2010, Wyoming ranchers lost 37,100 cows to non-predation. Wolves were responsible for just 26 cows and 33 sheep losses, yet 40 wolves were killed in response.

•Wolves are blamed for decimating elk numbers in Wyoming. The truth is in 2010 there were 120,000 elk in the state up from 95,000 in 2009, plenty of elk by any standards. There are close to 400,000 (371, 000) elk in the tri-state area Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

•Assigning “predator status” to wolves, in 90% of the state, is essentially a death sentence for Wyoming wolves.

•Wolves in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National park will be in grave danger from this “plan”

•Wolves are an economic bonanza for the Greater Yellowstone Area or GYA. They generate 35 million annually to the area. Tourists flock from all over the world to Yellowstone,  just to get a glimpse of a wild wolf. They are the rock stars of the park. Yet Wyoming is willing jeopardize  park wolves and all wolves in the state just to please a small, vocal group of hunting and ranching interests.

•”Predator status” means wolves can be killed at any time for any reason in 90% of the state. They can be run over by ATV’s and snowmobiles or chased by these vehicles until they drop dead. They can be tortured and nobody will be the wiser, because a license won’t be needed to kill a wolf. The only requirement is the wolf killer report the killing to the state.  Sort of like being on the buddy system with no incentive to report.

•This “plan” will destroy wolf families and leave wolves unprotected from the fierce hatred of anti-wolf factions. They could suffer unimaginable torment.

•The current plan is almost identical to the one USFWS rejected for years as insufficient.  What has changed?

•Let them know you will be boycotting Wyoming, specifically Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP,  until they stop the push to exterminate wolves in the state.

• Be courteous but resolute

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From EarthJustice

Defend Protections For Wolves

Northern Rockies wolves are in peril! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently proposed to remove wolves in Wyoming from the endangered species list. This deadly proposal would allow unlimited, shoot-on-sight killing of wolves in nearly 90 percent of the state.

Under intense political pressure from Wyoming state officials, the Fish and Wildlife Service cut a deal that could hand wolf management over to the state, allowing politics—not science—to decide the fate of wolves in the region.

Independent scientists say that 2,000 to 3,000 wolves are needed for a sustainable, fully recovered population. But at the end of last year, only an estimated 1,650 wolves were living in the Northern Rockies—with just 343 wolves in Wyoming.

The federal government has spent 16 years and millions of dollars to reintroduce wolves in the West. This proposal combined with the recent congressional delisting and hunting of wolves in Idaho and Montana threatens their very survival. Help us fight back against this deadly proposal.

Take action to speak out for strong wolf protections and a plan that supports a full recovery for the species.

CLICK HERE TO COMMENT

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Send Written Comments to:

Public Comments Processing
Attn: Docket No. FWS–R6–ES–2011–0039
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM
Arlington, Virginia 22203

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Speak out for Wyoming’s wolves!!  Deadline tomorrow, January 13, 2012.

The anti-wolf forces have alerted their followers to send in their comments. Please do not let them drown out our voices.

BE HEARD!! 

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Public Comment Opposing De-Listing of Wolves in Wyoming

Friends of Animals

January 07, 201

http://www.friendsofanimals.org/news/2012/january/public-comment-oppos.html

From the Wildlife News:

Peer Review concludes that Wyoming Gray Wolf Management Plan is Deficient

By Ken Cole On January 12, 2012

http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2012/01/12/peer-review-concludes-that-wyoming-gray-wolf-management-plan-is-deficient/

“Soliders displaying Wolf pelt at Soda Butte Creek patrol station, Yellowstone National Park, 1905″

Photos: Wikimedia Commons

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Wyoming Wolves, Howling for Justice

Tags: Unregulated killing of wolves, Wyoming, wolves threatened, Wyoming wolf delisting

Jay Mallonee Speaks Out….

Jay Mallonee is an independent wolf biologist who has studied wolves in Montana for twenty years, notably the The Fish Trap Pack for ten of those years. His peer-reviewed paper,“Hunting Wolves In Montana, Where Are The Data”  is posted on this blog, under PAGES.

In his own words Jay speaks out about his struggle for the truth.

“On September 3, 2011, I published the paper Hunting Wolves In Montana – Where Are The Data?  in the peer-review, scientific journal Nature and Science.  It reviewed the data collected by Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) regarding wolf population numbers.  This is the state agency responsible for wolf management in Montana. The paper demonstrated that much of their data was flawed or blatantly wrong, in addition to fabricating wolf numbers.  After publication of the paper, I spent two months emailing and visiting FWP officials to understand how and why they used flawed information to decide how many wolves should die in public hunts.  I also asked about the procedures used to collect their data, because FWP has claimed that wolf hunts are based in science.  This is not true either, and I have yet to have my questions answered.  Nevertheless, my email exchanges with FWP and the Governor’s Office demonstrate how management officials fein cooperation, then evade answering questions directly, and finally just get mad and no longer communicate.  In the meantime, the hunting season has been extended to February 15, 2012, and FWP supports groups that offer cash prizes for the best photo of wolves killed in the hunt.  FWP has gone out of their way to make sure wolves die.

You can help by going to my website

(http://www.wolfandwildlifestudies.com/downloads/emailexchanges.pdf)

and reading these email exchanges then contacting FWP directly.  I have provided the contact information for everyone involved in these emails.  Ask your own questions or demand answers to the ones I have asked.  These people are pubic servants.”

Make them prove what they say.

Jay Mallonee, January 2, 2012

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Hunting Montana’s Wolves

by Jay Mallonee

http://www.wolfandwildlifestudies.com/downloads/huntingwolves2012.pdf

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Photo: Courtesy kewl wallpapers

Posted in: Wolf Wars, gray wolf

Tags: Jay S. Mallonee, Wolf biologist, Montana FWP,  Hunting Wolves In Montana