Corporations Sponsor Wolf-Killing "Derbies": Take Action to Stop Them
Rodger Schlickeisen, Defenders of Wildlife
How much is a wolf’s life worth?
Three points -- according to Idaho’s misleadingly named Sportsmen for Wildlife, who recently held three “predator derbies,” competitions where contestants vied to see who can kill the most wolves and other animals over a two-day period.
Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse -- two major outdoor retailers -- sponsored the derbies, with the entry fees for these brutal competitions funneled to support anti-wolf lawyers and lobbyists working to keep wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies off the endangered species list… and squarely in the crosshairs of those who would do them harm.
Predator derbies targeting wolves are a hold-over from a more brutal time.
It was a time when wolves were hunted, poisoned and trapped to extinction in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies, a time before wildlife biologists recognized the important role that wolves play in healthy and balanced western ecosystems.
We’ve learned a lot since that dark time. Since wolves were reintroduced to Greater Yellowstone and central Idaho fifteen years ago, we’ve seen local ecosystems rebound as these top predators helped prevent overgrazing of foliage by elk and deer.
According to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, there are 150,000 elk in Montana, compared to 90,000 in the mid 1980s when wolves started to make their way back to the state. Wyoming's elk population is up 35% since then to 95,000, while Idaho's is up 5% to 115,000.
We know that your voices can make a difference. In November, an independent grassroots campaign convinced Nikon, a previous corporate sponsor of these predator derbies to withdraw their support. Please take action now.
Defenders of Wildlife is committed to working with responsible businesses, ranchers, conservationsists and concerned citizens to ensure a lasting future for wolves in American West. But we need your help.
For the Wild Ones,
 |
 Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife |
P.S. To get Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse to end their sponsorship of wolf-killing predator derbies, we need to make a lot of noise. Please take action now and forward this message far and wide (or at least to three friends)!
Making a Difference for WildlifeBelow are updates on two recent Defenders activist campaigns...
|
|
More than 5,000 Defenders activists called (or emailed) their Senators to urge them to oppose Senator Lisa Murkowski’s pro-polluter, anti-polar bear amendment to legislation concerning the national debt ceiling.
In the face of broad criticism, Murkowski abandoned the amendment, but has vowed to continue work to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon pollution that is fueling climate change and driving America’s polar bears to extinction. Also, more than 36,000 Defenders activists have urged Canada to support a U.S.-sponsored ban on the international trade in polar bear parts. |
 |
In just four days, more than 900 Defenders activists have contacted their state legislators to stop a Utah bill that would require the state to kill or remove any wolf found in Utah. A version of the bill has passed a state senate committee. Defenders continues our work on the ground to stop this anti-wolf legislation |
Three Points for
Killing a Wolf
Contestants at three recent “predator derbies” were awarded three points for each wolf they killed, with entry fees going to support anti-wolf litigation. The outdoor retailers Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse helped sponsor the events.
Entry fees for the predator derbies held in December and January are being used for anti-wolf litigation.
Please forward this message to at least three friends.
*************************