Statement on USFWS Plans to Introduce More Mexican Gray Wolves in the Southwest

Contact: David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org

R.J. Smith, Senior Fellow, The National Center for Public Policy Research

Washington, DC - For a quarter of a century the controversial program to repopulate the Southwest with Mexican Gray Wolves has created a constant political struggle in New Mexico and Arizona. There were very good reasons why the early settlers across the West and the local, state and federal governments cooperated in eliminating the wolves. The large numbers of wolves made cattle and sheep ranching nearly impossible with their constant depredations on the livestock and they also threatened family dogs and even children. Read the story »

USFWS Reinstates Protection For Wolves “In Compliance With Court Orders”

On December 11, 2008, recorded in the Federal Register, the Department of Interior, more specifically the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published the final rule that places the gray wolf in nearly all of the lower 48 states, under federal protection of the Endangered Species Act. What this final rule does, I doubt 99.999999% of Americans understand. Read the story »

Rocky Mountain Angoras

By Denny L. Vasquez

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“Are you gonna make it?” my guide whispered in my right ear. I didn’t even make an effort to turn toward him, but just gave a slight nod of my head in response. I snickered to myself’ “Are you gonna make it?” he asks. Hmph, I thought! a fine time to ask me that seemingly senseless question now.

We were almost to the trailhead, and it didn’t matter that I was gulping air as if it were some type of coolant that could soothe the fire in my lungs or that my body felt like rubber from running across the face of this hell that he called a mountain. At that moment I couldn’t have held still for a steady shot if my life depended on it. And to top it off, we were up at a minimum of 10,000 feet in elevation; but it was probably closer to 11,000. Read the story »

Doing “Dogs” With Dr. D

By Denny L. Vasquez

The weather was almost perfect, if such a thing is possible. The low of the previous night had been in the high 40’s while the highs predicted for during the day were only in the upper 60’s. Overcast, cloudy skies were the only negative aspect of the weather conditions that we would have to contend with. The lackluster sunlight that the thick cloud cover would allow to filter down wouldn’t allow the “dogs” to stand out in as sharp a contrast as they would have on a clear and sunny day. But, even though we wouldn’t be able to see the dogs “shine” in the sunlight, as they lay on top of their mounds, we knew that it would be a good day for a prairie dog shoot.

The date was September 30,1994 and this was the first day of the Burris Company’s annual prairie dog and pronghorn antelope hunt. My hunting companions for the prairie dog portion of the hunt were Pete Fossleman, a former Associate Editor of Gun World Magazine, and Dwight Van Brunt, Dr. D, the former Director of Marketing and Sales at Burris. Read the story »