Judge Malloy cut the wolf trapping season to protect grizzly bears. Yeah, right!! The last issue with wolf traps and grizzlies was in 2013. Why so much concern over an incident a decade ago? Last year there were two grizzly bears killed by cars in district 2. There were several more killed in other areas by vehicles, also in the last year. Last year there were two grizzly bears killed from fly fishermen. There were two grizzly bears killed by bow hunters. One bear problem with upland game bird hunters. Why then are they focusing on a problem that does not exist? Why then did the judge not shut down the fly-fishing season or the archery season? Why then are the groups that profess to want to save the bears not getting injunctions on the other outdoor user groups? At least six bears killed by other methods in one year, yet the judge goes with the anti trap groups. Not to belabor the point, but these other groups better take a good hard look at where this is going. I know that the animal rights groups will say “We are not against hunting -just trapping.” Yep, take a look at Colorado, California, Washington and Oregon. Check out the activity in those places and then tell me what the agenda is. They will tell you anything you want to hear, but actions speak louder than words. For the hunters out there that like to pursue deer, elk and bear as well as fish and chase grouse, where do you think this will go on after the trapping issue? This appears to be another concerted effort to malign a group because someone else does not like the activity.
When you look at the facts about grizzly bear deaths, you will see that wolf traps are far and away the least cause of bear mortality in our state as well as other states. Why then is that getting all the attention, yet the real causes of mortalities are being ignored?
Malloy made a call, not on what did happen, but on what “might” happen. Extrapolate that to your favorite outdoor pursuit. How about when you are out looking for sheds in the spring. Grizzlies are coming out of hibernation and even that experience could be curtailed or even closed off. The bears will be out and about this spring when fishing season starts. Be sure and check to see that your pursuit is not hampered or set back or possibly curtailed completely by a judge that uses what “might happen” as a reason to change Montana law about harvesting a species.
Make no mistake. This is not an issue about protection of the grizzly bear, but it is an issue about furthering an agenda.
Short and sweet is, they are trying to get the low hanging fruit before climbing the tree further.
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