This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.

In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.

After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. Oneparasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.

I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.

Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefullyGraves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.

In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.

Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.

There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.

I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

Things I am looking for, but not limited to.

•    Gear: Clothes, utility tools, ATV’s…
•    Favorite weapons: guns, bows, sticks, stones…
•    Best Duck Blind or Hide…
•    You, family or friends dressed for the hunt…
•    Where you hunt

All I need is a digital picture in any PC compatible format and a description of the picture.  You can make the description as long or short as you would like.  If there is a story behind the picture we would love to hear about it.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

Each call comes complete with an instructional dvd, a surface saver cover, two strikers and a surface conditioning kit. There are two surface choices, crystal and anodized aluminum. Either one will be devastating on gobblers in your neck of the woods this spring.

Scott Ellis

By Blaine Cardilli

As a 48 year old hunter with more experiences than I can begin to remember, it’s strange that I never gave “hunt parks” or “game ranches” a second look until now. Like most, I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of free range hunting and must have gotten caught up in the “We hunt 100% wild, 100% fair chase” mode that is so prevalent in todays hunting circles. Now don’t get me wrong; I still prefer hunting the wide open forests and fields of this beautiful country, hands down, and as a member of the prostaff with “Northwoods Adventures TV” I have some great and varied opportunities nationwide, but at least now I can understand the allure of a true hunt park after having finally experienced one. Enter ‘Peaslee Mountain‘ and owner Forest Peaslee, of Jefferson, Maine.

I got a chance to meet Forest after reading an advertisement about his property and he gave me and my hunting partner, Orrin Parker, the grand tour, taking special care to answer the myriad of questions we both had and how the park actually worked compared to others. Sure, they have high fences surrounding the ranch, and yes you can drive up the main entrance and see dozens of animals roaming the pens but it’s nothing like I thought it would be, believe me. The facility is divided into two distinctly different factions: the hunt park itself and the game ranch.

‘Peaslee Mountain Hunt Park’ offers the trophy experience of a lifetime and is among the premier hunt parks of the east coast. They offer 3-day fully guided hunts for red stags, fallow bucks, plains bison and bull elk or one-day, guided meat hunts. Rustic cabin lodging and full meals are all inclusive. The ‘Rocky Mountain Ranch’ section is home of the Maine Buffalo Company which raises the finest grade of buffalo meat in the east and here they have red deer, elk, and fallow that are available as breeding stock. Group safari tours and cabin rentals are also available upon request. The hunt park runs from September through March and consists of a 400 acre plot of land that is anything but tame. The terrain is very uneven and rolling, and is made up primarily of spruce and fir thickets sparsely broken up with hardwood pockets, and there is a natural stream, a marshy swamp, and some very rocky hard-to-climb ridges. Normally, a certain number of untamed animals, (20-40), are introduced into the area about 6-8 weeks before the season, and are left to get acquainted with their new surroundings, without any human interaction. In an area that large it doesn’t take long for them to become reclusive and shy, especially once the hunting season starts. And in 2008 Forest plans to have even fewer animals in there at any given time, yet they’ll be more trophy-class in size and antler spread.

Orrin and I saw the hunt park immediately as a tremendous opportunity for our boys, Ryan and Lance, ages 10 and 13 respectively, and Forest couldn’t have been happier to discuss plans for a hunt. We decided we would do a “meat hunt”, which meant the boys would be going after red deer does so we got our gear together and headed over after work one evening. We were met by Forest, his brother Dannie, who would also be our guide, and Charly Calpo, our hostess and cook for the next 24 hours. After checking out our rooms in the beautiful main lodge, Charly sat us down for an incredible meal of elk roast, trimmed out with boiled carrots, potatoes and onions, gravy, and homemade biscuits. We ate until belts had to be loosened and then ate some more and the kids loved the spread. Charly followed it up with a homemade apple pie topped with French vanilla ice cream.

After our gourmet meal, Dannie sat down with us and prepped us for the hunt. Apparently, this would not be an easy one at all and he pulled no punches as he informed us just how hard it was really going to be. He said that there were only four mature red deer does left in the park, and that after being hunted extremely hard for the past six months, they were very reclusive. After reminding us that they also had 400 heavily wooded acres to roam, he told us that a typical wild whitetail hunt would probably be easier than what we were about to face. Still, the boys retained their excitement and even joked about who would get to shoot first, since Dannie was planning to track and stalk with us. Before he left, Dannie turned to us and very stoically reiterated that he would do his very best for the boys but the simple fact remained that this late into the end of the season and with so few animals left, we would be lucky to get a shot opportunity at one doe, let alone two; the whole premise being that we were only there for a one day meat hunt, and not a trophy hunt.

The next morning found us waking up to the bustling sounds and smells of Charly cooking breakfast in the lodge kitchen. She arrived at 5:30am and by 6:00 we were all sitting down enjoying a huge mess of fresh eggs and a big platter of thickly sliced bacon, along with juice, milk, and hot coffee. Dannie arrived shortly after and we got all our gear together as he made some final adjustments to the days schedule as we stood around the table. Since the woods were deep with snow and the past few days and nights had seen thawing and re-freezing, Dannie felt so many of us would simply be too noisy so he planned to set us up in separate stand sites and do a little moving around on his own in an attempt to get the deer motivated. As we left, Charly handed us each a brown paper sack she said included lunches and snacks for the day.

Once at the park, a drive of some 20 minutes up the road from the lodge, Dannie left Ryan and me in the truck while he took Orrin and Lance in to a box blind set up near a spruce thicket to wait and watch. When he returned he led us down some winding tote roads and about 15 minutes later, dropped us off at a trail head where we nestled into the base of a few trees and tried to stay warm. It was close to 8:00am and when we left the lodge the temperature was a frigid 10 degrees above zero and here we were sitting in on the fringe of a forest, in the open, with a biting 15 mph wind whipping at us, causing our ears to burn and our eyes to water. Ryan was a trooper through it all and though very cold and shivering, managed to sit an entire two hours in that spot until Dannie appeared to see if we had seen anything. We hadn’t so he decided to take us about 400 yards to see how Orrin and Lance were doing.

When we got there, we found them extremely cold as well, though they said they did have an encounter with a solitary buffalo that wandered through. We talked about the possibilities and where Dannie thought the deer might be and then he proceeded to take Ryan and me to another spot for a second set up, while Orrin and Lance stayed put. To make a long story short the next couple hours came and went without incident except that we got even colder if that were at all possible. Ryan and I broke open our lunch sacks around 11:00am and ate sandwiches and snacks atop a rocky bluff under the partial shelter of a group of fir trees overlooking a small trail crossing. It was still a welcome sight when Dannie appeared to take us to our third set up of the day, as sitting in one spot in frigid temperatures was testing even my mettle, let alone little Ryan’s.

This time we followed him about 300 yards to a slightly open hardwood ridge intermixed with evergreens, and listened intently as he outlined the new scenario. It appeared the deer were moving yet were too spooky to settle into a discernible pattern, due to the crunchy snow packs so he thought it best we position ourselves over the knoll he pointed out to our left, and that we find a spot where we could see the two trails coming together and get set up. He had already repositioned Lance and his dad over the opposite ridge and said that he hoped he could kick up the deer in an old fashioned driving maneuver by circling around to where he thought the deer might be. With that said, he disappeared and Ryan and I made our way to the wood line.

After surveying the situation I picked a likely spot just inside some low hanging fir branches and was in the process of getting us both ready when Ryan suddenly announced he saw antlers coming through the woods. Sure enough I looked up and saw a red deer doe leading several other does, a stag, and even a bull elk into the trail some 50-60 yards up, apparently having been jumped by our guide. Ryan, though he’d never shot anything in his life before, not even a bird or squirrel, was calmer than I was as I nervously passed him his rifle. I had prepared him for a broadside shot but as the doe approached to within 30 yards she pegged our movement in the woods, turned to us head on and started stamping her foot as we moved and whispered back and forth.

I managed to coach Ryan into putting his scope on her lower chest and I heard myself telling him to shoot, like it was somebody else talking. He hesitated and I could see the doe was getting ready to wheel off so I told him once again to shoot. With the report of the rifle, I saw a tuft of hair take off and the doe bolted to the left in a classic reaction to a heart shot. She was down and out in seconds, not moving, and Ryan lost it as he realized he had just taken his very first animal, and a big deer at that! As we were trying to calm ourselves down and regroup, we heard Lance fire about a minute and a half later. Dannie quickly appeared and the congratulations, hand shaking, and patting on the backs began as Ryan recounted his story. After taking five minutes to absorb everything, we picked up our gear and went to meet Lance and Orrin over the next ridge.

Upon arriving to where they were waiting, Lance told us his story. They had heard Ryan’s shot and braced themselves as they saw the deer coming through the woods, but when they cleared the trail and were within 60 yards, both the stag and the elk were in front, completely blocking the does with bodies and antlers. As Lance shouldered his .30-06 he got a brief window of opportunity and squeezed off the only shot he could take, which ended up hitting one doe in the hind quarter, but at a fairly decent quartering-away angle, meaning the bullet had gone up into the vitals. She buckled but recovered, and followed the rest of the group over the ridge.

We were all nervous wrecks except for Dannie who calmly took out his lunch and began to eat, informing us that we needed to give the doe time to bed down before going after her. We agreed and once Dannie thought enough time had passed, he motioned for us to follow him as he started tracking her. There was blood in the snow but not much, and after we trekked up and over a rocky bluff, some 200+ yards, Dannie stopped us and decided it best to formulate a new plan. He sent Orrin and Lance back down and around to near where Ryan’s deer lay by means of a half circle approach, while directing Ryan and I to take the adjacent trail and simply walk it in an attempt to maybe jump her up towards Lance. Dannie would remain on her track and watch for movement.

After executing the new plan, Ryan and I weren’t 75 yards down the tote road when we heard Lance shoot. We saw Dannie inside the woods who yelled to us that he could see the doe lying down in the woods up ahead. She had gone exactly where Dannie had hoped and he had expertly placed Lance in the right position. When we all met up over his deer, an unbelievably huge doe, they recounted what had happened. Orrin had seen the doe coming through the woods about 75 yards away and he quickly led Lance a few feet ahead and got him in position with his gun up. The doe made it to a clearing and stopped to look around and Lance dropped her where she stood with a perfect shot through the right front shoulder.

Much celebration was had and phone calls placed by us, as Dannie began the arduous task of hauling out the deer with his tractor and field dressing them, with help from the boys of course, and when all was said and done no one could have been happier than the three of them. He had indeed forewarned us of an extremely difficult hunt and after six long hours of hunting under the toughest of conditions, we had to agree. For the kids, this was clearly going to be remembered as one of the most exciting hunts of their lives, especially Ryan, who had just taken his very first deer. And this is clearly not just a place to bring your kids; ‘Peaslee Mountain Hunt Park’ has the very best to offer young and old alike and as Orrin and I both found out, we experienced a hunt that day as hard if not harder than any whitetail hunt we had ever been on under normal “fair chase” conditions. We would recommend this place to anyone in the east who simply can’t afford a Midwest hunt but would like to experience one in as wild a setting as possible. And the plus side is that most Midwest outfits won’t guarantee you a trophy for the money you spend, but Forest will, if a trophy hunt is what you’re looking for, and you book the time. One of Forest’s goals is to show the public that even a place this far east, (namely Maine), is very capable of putting on a great trophy elk hunt as a viable alternative if a Midwestern hunt is out of the question, as it may be for certain individuals, due to time constraints.

We took many photos of the kids and their deer and even videotaped the entire experience. After leaving our new friends behind, we made our way to the local meat processor who does all our game and dropped them off. Ryan’s tipped the scale at 133 lbs and Lance’s weighed in at a whopping 152 lbs. Though Orrin and I have many opportunities to hunt deer, bear, wild boar and other game all across the country, I think we’ll make plans each season to take the boys back to see Dannie, Forest and Charly, and we might even want to try bow hunting a world class elk ourselves sometime, now that we know it’s definitely no “give away” hunt!

For more information about ‘Peaslee Mountain Hunt Park’ and ‘Rocky Mountain Ranch’, check out their website at www.peasleehuntpark.com and if you make plans to go, be sure and tell Forest that Blaine sent you!

SDHRA was founded by a group of outdoor enthusiasts who strongly believe that hunting is a sacred, inalienable right; a basic tenet of our existence that teaches the intelligence, beauty and power of nature, while engendering respect for all life, responsibility to society, social authority, and spiritual power. In concert with that belief, SDHRA is actively engaged in legislative, administrative, and limited legal advocacy to protect and enhance the rights of South Dakota residents to lawfully hunt on publicly and privately owned land within the state…..

From the information I have been able to gather from their website and the press release below, it appears that we have a winner. This group actually seems interested in protecting hunting for everyone and not geared to some select special interest other than hunting.

They’ll certainly have my support if they hold true to their pledge.

Here’s the press release:

South Dakota Hunters Have a New Voice in Politics

The South Dakota Hunting Rights Advocacy (SDHRA) is a newly formed nonprofit group committed to enhancing the stature of the state’s resident hunters. The organization, based in the State’s capitol, was created to proactively monitor proposed legislation and administrative rule changes that impact hunting and explore ways to make the sport more available to casual resident hunters.

According to Board Chairman, Lennard Hopper, “The organization is really the culmination of years of discussion about the need stand up for the rights of the ‘average’ South Dakota hunter. A lot of casual hunters are being squeezed by commercial ‘pay to hunt’ operations; public land is often miss-posted by adjacent property owners attempting to retain game populations for “paying” customers. The irony is that the game they’re trying to contain is managed with public tax dollars by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks for the benefit of all residents of the state.” Hopper states that the organization is “not opposed to game farms and
‘canned’ hunts, they’re great for the State’s economy. Its just that we want to make sure that all public hunting areas are both accessible and clearly posted and that administrative rules do not place the interests of nonresidents ahead of resident hunters.”

Another issue Hopper sees is that South Dakota law has functionally disenfranchised parents from effectively sharing the tradition of hunting with their children. According to Hopper, age restrictions, established in the name of safety, circumvent the knowledge that parents naturally have regarding when a young son or daughter is ready to get started hunting. “We’ve been supporting a bill right now in the legislature to get youth out sooner, as well as some ideas to include youth that may otherwise be overlooked.” The organization is presently assembling a plan to provide hunting opportunities to boys and girls in single parent and non-hunting families, who have an interest in hunting.

The organization is funded entirely by donation. Additional information is available at the organization’s website at http://www.sdhunting.org.

February 26, 2008

Pierre, South Dakota

Issued by: South Dakota Hunting Rights Advocacy

125 Norbeck Dr.

Pierre, SD 57501

Tom Remington

1/2/2008 12:04:38 PM A man wielding a knife was arrested inside a campaign headquarters of Democratic presidential front-runner Senator Hillary Clinton in Decorah, Iowa, police said Wednesday.

Christopher James Faris, 42, of Decorah was arrested Monday evening and charged with carrying weapons and with third-degree harassment. Faris was in the Winneshiek County jail on Wednesday, held on a $5,000 bond, The Associated Press reported.

There’s little to go on here but I sure do have a couple of questions or fifty. The term “wielding” is used in the opening paragraph to describe what this man was doing with a knife (described as a hunting knife). Wield, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, means in this case, 1. to handle a weapon. 2. To exercise or exert power or influence.

The article makes little sense actually, perhaps because it is riddled with terminology meant to scare the hell out of people instead of tell what actually happen. First of all, why was it a hunting knife? Was it because this took place in Iowa? We don’t know.

Second, the article first states he was “wielding” a knife but later says nothing happened.

”He just came into the headquarters, just mainly staff was there. There were no comments made about Hillary Clinton at all or nothing like that,” Courtney said. “It was a short episode. He left even before the officers arrived.”

So, what happened? What did he do? Who is this guy? This might explain some of it.

“He’s one of these guys we’ve dealt with before in town here. We’re aware of his behaviors.”

More questions then. What is his past record? Because it seems this guy was holding the knife in his hand it became a weapon? And as such he was charged with third-degree harassment?

The police chief said he had no details on what the knife was only that someone had described it as a hunting knife.

It doesn’t matter whose campaign headquarters this guy might have gone into, the questions would still be here. A quick trip around the Internet to see what the chatter is and I’m finding more than a reasonable amount of talk of another “staged” event at a Clinton campaign headquarters – just prior to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire’s primary where the last Clinton campaign headquarters was allegedly going to be blown up.

If this guy’s a whack job get him off the street. I want to know what the knife was he was carrying or supposedly carrying in his hand. The police said he didn’t do anything with it. He was just there.

If this is a staged event, perhaps a second one, then let’s get the other whack job off the streets.

Tom Remington

There are no official reports out yet but the Michigan DNR is saying that Michigan sold about the same number of hunting licenses as in the past. They also are reporting that deer harvest rates were up by about 6% in the Upper Peninsula, down 6% in the upper lower peninsula and down 7% in the lower lower peninsula.

Other unofficial reports statewide seems to indicate that hunter participation was low everywhere. A couple weeks ago, Eric Sharp, outdoor writer for the Detroit Free Press, asked where all the hunters were. DNR officials are perplexed and don’t seem to have any rational explanation for that.

Meanwhile, over in Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources is considering an emergency statewide deer hunt because harvest numbers have been so low. To this point in the season, hunters have taken 34,000 fewer deer than was projected. If the commission approves the emergency hunt, it will be statewide and any hunters with unfilled tags will be able to fill them with antlerless deer only.

Iowa officials blame poor weather for the lousy success rate.

Tom Remington

Not all of Iowa would be open to hunting and trapping of the cat. It would be limited to 21 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Those 21 counties are primarily in the southern part of the state where bobcat populations are the highest.

As part of the process, there will be a public hearing in Des Moines on May 30, 2007.

Tom Remington

Kevin Kelly, the Tipton Christmas tree farmer who was recently found guilty of illegally killing a deer that was eating his trees, says what many other Iowa residents say that they’re not sure who owns the deer but they sure know who collects all the money associated with deer – the Department of Natural Resources.

If you think I’m kidding, check out this article in the DesMoines Register and see how much of it makes sense.

Tom Remington