Carbon pipeline regulation, trophy hunting, and a CAFO ban are on November ballot
A "voter veto" of a state law regulating carbon dioxide pipelines is on the general election ballot in South Dakota and residents of Sonoma County, in California's wine country, will decide on Nov. 5 whether to ban large-scale livestock farms. The handful of state and local referendums across the nation that involve agriculture also include a vote whether to ban slaughterhouses in Denver.
New research shows hunting’s effect on sage grouse population is mixed
The sage grouse population fell so low during the 1990s that the chicken-sized species was considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Now, two researchers say that restrictions on hunting the sage grouse have a mixed record when it comes to the bird's numbers.
NOAA reviews limits on whale catch for Alaska natives
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is reviewing catch limits for 11 Alaskan native communities permitted to catch bowhead whales for subsistence hunting. The new quota would cover a six-year period starting in 2018.
Pigs don’t fly but hunters do
Aerial hog hunting is a booming, albeit niche, market in Texas, home to one-third of the six million wild hogs that cause millions of dollars in damage to U.S. crops and livestock annually, says Reuters.
More hunting could hurt Yellowstone wolf research
Experts worry that as the gray wolf population just outside of Yellowstone National Park continues to grow, looser hunting restrictions in surrounding states could change pack behavior and hurt one of the most comprehensive research studies on the species anywhere in the world.
Bears Ears Monument is a win for tribal food sovereignty. Will Trump undo it?
Last week, President Obama created the 1.3-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and the 300,000-acre Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada, bringing the total of new protected lands designated by his administration to 553 million acres. His critics are already calling on Trump to reverse the order
Report: The world has lost more than half of its wildlife since 1970
“Worldwide populations of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have plunged by almost 60 percent since 1970 as human activities overwhelm the environment,” says Reuters, based on the 2016 Living Planet Report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Study: World’s wild mammals are being eaten to extinction
Many of the world’s wild mammals, from primates to bats, are being hunted to extinction for bushmeat, says The Guardian. In the first global report on the ecological impact of human hunting, researchers warn that without better management practices not only will species disappear, but hundreds of millions of rural people who rely on bushmeat for food could go hungry.
Texas votes on constitutional right to hunt and fish
Voters in Texas will decide today whether to amend the state constitution to specify "the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife, including by use of traditional means," subject to game laws. The proposed amendment, Proposition 6, also says, "Hunting and fishing are the preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife."
Hunting and trapping feral pigs in Louisiana
The BBC Pop Up unit has a five-minute video feature about the estimated 500,000 feral pigs in Louisiana that includes interviews with hunters, trappers and scientists about the pigs, which weigh up to 400 pounds.