Reblog from multiple sources:
Wolf Torture and Execution Continues in the Northern Rockies
by James William Gibson – March 28, 2012
Montana Anti-Trapping Group Gets Death Threat for Releasing Photos
On March 16, a Friday, a US Forest Service employee from Grangeville, Idaho, laid out his wolf traps. The following Monday, using the name “Pinching,” he posted his story and pictures on www.Trapperman.com . “I got a call on Sunday morning from a FS [Forest Service] cop that I know. You got one up here as there was a crowd forming. Several guys had stopped and taken a shot at him already,” wrote Pinching. The big, black male wolf stood in the trap, some 300-350 yards from the road, wounded—the shots left him surrounded by blood-stained snow. Pinching concluded his first post, “Male that went right at 100 pounds. No rub spots on the hide, and he will make me a good wall hanger.”
(The person in this photograph, Josh Bransford is a federal employee and public servant out of the Red River Ranger District on the Nez Perce National Forest in north-central Idaho. As a taxpayer, you have a right to call the Front Desk and complain about his behavior. Call for his resignation and/or ask that he be suspended without pay for a period of time for his actions 208-842-2245.)
All photographs were taken from Trapperman.com website are being reproduced here under Fair Use“Pinching” with the wolf he trapped that he wrote would make him “a good wall hanger.”
The Trapperman website went wild with comments. “That’s a dandy!! Keep at it,” wrote Watarrat. Otterman asked, “All the gray on that muzzle make a guy wonder how old he is or if it is just part of his black coloring.” Pinching’s picture of the wolf’s paw caught in the trap got special attention. “Is that the MB750 stamped ‘wolf’ on the pan?” asked one man. “Looks to be a perfect pad catch. Congratulations! Pinching confirmed the trap model and commented, “Oh an [sic] by the way, a wolf is a heck of a lot of work to put on a stretcher! Man those things hold on to their hide like no other!”
By late March some 117 Idaho wolves had been killed in traps and snares, and another 251 shot. Montana saw 166 killed, for a total of 534 wolves out of an estimated 1150 in the two states. Although Montana’s season ended in February, Idaho is not quite done. Both states have announced plans for increased hunting in the 2012-2013, and discussions are underway among hunting groups and state officials to allow private donations to establish wolf bounties.
Wolf’s paw in trap.
As recently as the spring of 2011, gray wolves in the Northern Rockies received protection from he Endangered Species Act. But in April, 2011 Congress passed a rider on a federal appropriations bill removing them. Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester, facing a 2012 challenge from Republican Congressman Danny Rehberg, wanted to show Democrats hated wolves just as much as Republicans. Conservation groups filed suit in Montana’s federal district court, claiming the delisting represented an unconstitutional infringement by Congress on the judicial branch while it deliberated an ongoing lawsuit over federal wolf protection.
Losing in district court, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Clearwater, WildEarth Guardians, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Cascadia Wildlands appealed the decision to the Ninth Circuit. On March 14, the appeals court rejected their arguments, upholding the Congressional wolf delisting as a lawful amendment. This decision might well mark the endpoint for the conservation movement’s decades-long fundamental strategy of litigating in federal courts to promote wolf recovery in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
A hunter and his dead prey.
Thus wolves, demonized by the far-right in the Rockies as disease-ridden monsters and icons of the federal government (see my Summer 2011 Journal story, “Cry Wolf”), now face a brutal campaign to radically reduce their numbers so far that extermination can not be ruled out. Idaho’s Governor Butch Otter declared in a March 25 news conference that his state faced a “disaster emergency” from wolves. “We don’t want them here.”
Skirmishing on the web escalates. Footloose Montana, an anti-trapping group, posted the trapped wolf’s pictures on its website, drawing over a 1,000 comments within days. Word spread. Nabeki, founder of Howling for Justice, opined that “This wolf will be the face of the cruelty and ugliness that is the Idaho hunt…Our forests are hiding acts of unspeakable horrors that are being perpetuated on innocent animals.” Protesters called Idaho and Montana tourist bureaus, demanding the hunts end. By Monday, March 26, Trapperman learned that its photos now circulated offsite. The group’s administrator demanded that Footloose Montana remove the photographs.
Footloose staff and board members also received an anonymous death threat in their email: “I would like to donate [sic] a gun to your childs [sic] head to make sure you can watch it die slowly so I can have my picture taken with it’s [sic] bleeding dying screaming for mercy body. YOU WILL BE THE TARGET NEXT BITCHES!”
FBI agents and Missoula, Montana police received copies of the threat.
Wolf advocates hope that these pictures will go viral, shaming a nation into facing the torture people inflict on animals and the moral and political failures that promote and legitimize it.
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*** FURTHER ACTION / UPDATE – 03/04/2012 ***
ID Forest Service employee and trapper, Josh Bransford, had nothing better to do than to pose in front of a wolf caught in one of his leghold trap – the wolf had already been shot a couple of times while he was helplessly caught in Bransford’s trap! This brutal and callous behavior, particularly when displayed by an agency employee, whose salary we pay, is unacceptable. For more information, scroll down to read John Adams’ article in the Great Falls Tribune. Thank you for your help! Your friends at Footloose Montana
Please voice your opinion about this tragedy and call or send an e-mail today!
Here is some contact information. Please be respectful:
Nez Perce National Forest: Forest Supervisor Rick Brazell (208) 983-7000 / rbrazell@fs.fed.us
Deputy Forest Supervisor Ralph Rau (208) 983-7017 / rerau@fs.fed.us
Fire Management: Bob Lippincott (208) 983-4066 / blippincott@fs.fed.us
Public Affairs: Laura Smith (208) 983-5143 / lasmith@fs.fed.us
Idaho Fish and Game: Director Virgil Moore: virgil.moore@idfg.idaho.gov
Idaho Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore: (208) 334-3771.
Please sign this petition, which will be sent to:
USDA Office of Ethics Forestry Ethics Branch(Lorraine (Rainee) Luciano, Branch Chief Agency: U.S. Forest Service) and UDSA Forest Service Chief(Tom Tidwell)
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-torture-of-wolves-in-our-forests
Photos of live, trapped wolf prompt threats to Missoula-based group
A photo downloaded from an online trapping forum shows an Idaho trapper posing in front of a wolf that was caught in a foot-hold trap and then allegedly shot at by bystanders. Missoula-based anti-trapping group members say they received death threats after posting the photo on their Facebook page. PHOTO COURTESY EARTH ISLAND JOURNAL.
HELENA — A Missoula-based anti-trapping organization said it received a threatening email this month after the group posted graphic photos on the Internet of a live Idaho wolf caught in a foot-hold trap.
Anja Heister, executive director of Footloose Montana, on March 22 posted a series of photos gleaned from an online trapping forum called Trapperman.com on her personal and Footloose Montana Facebook sites.
Heister said she opened Footloose Montana’s email inbox on Monday and found what she believed to be a death threat directed at family members of the organization:
“I would like to donate (sic) a gun to your childs (sic) head to make sure you can watch it die slowly so I can have my picture taken with it’s (sic) bleeding dying screaming for mercy body. YOU WILL BE THE TARGET NEXT BITCHES!” the message read.
Heister said the email was in response to the group posting photos of a northern Idaho trapper’s March 18 wolf kill, which was detailed on the online trapping forum.
The photos show trapper Josh Bransford, a fire management officer for the Nez Perce National Forest, kneeling and smiling for the camera as a wolf he caught in a foot-hold trap stands behind him in a ring of blood-soaked snow. Another photo shows a close-up of the wolf’s paw caught in the trap. A third photo shows the trapper posing with his catch.
Heister said Footloose Montana, which is actively campaigning to ban trapping in Montana, has received plenty of hostile emails and phone calls since 2007 but never anything that rose to this level.
“It has a cumulative effect on your psyche,” Heister said. “I’m not easily scared, but when I read this I got really concerned.”
Heister said she reported the threatening email to local and federal law enforcement officials. Missoula Police Sgt. Travis Welch confirmed the department received the report of the malicious email and that it was assigned to an investigator, but he declined to comment further.
In an online blog on Earth Island Journal’s website, writer James William Gibson recounted what Bransford — who goes by the handle “Pinching” — wrote about the photos. Bransford’s post has since been removed.
“I got a call on Sunday morning from a FS (Forest Service) cop that I know. You got one up here,” the post said, and then continued, “there was a crowd forming. Several guys had stopped and taken a shot at him already,” the post read, according to Gibson.
According to Bransford the wolf was a 100-pound male with “no rub spots” making an “good wall hanger.”
Bransford did not return calls or emails seeking comment Thursday.
As of late Thursday the photos posted on Footloose Montana’s Facebook page had received nearly 900 comments. Online commenters on both the Earth Island Journal and the Footloose Montana Facebook page expressed outrage over the photos. Many viewers were angry Bransford posed for a portrait with the wounded wolf before killing it.
Dave Linkhart, spokesman for the National Trappers Association, said there’s nothing wrong with a trapper posing with his catch before killing the animal.
“You pose with a successful catch just like you do with a successful hunt,” Linkhart said. “People make the problem of attributing human feelings and emotions to these animals.”
Linkhart claimed trapped animals don’t suffer, so taking the time to shoot a photograph does not cross ethical boundaries.
“If you look at the trap — across the pad of the foot like that — if you were to release the animal it would walk away like nothing happened,” Linkhart said.
Editor: Here’s what my former professor had to say about this (and Linkhart’s ridiculous comment above):
Marc Bekoff is a former professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and fellow of the Animal Behavior Society who has studied the social behavior of wolves and coyotes, among other animals.
“That wolf was suffering immeasurably. Not only physically by having his foot locked in a trap, but also being shot at,” said Bekoff, the author of several books on animal psychology and emotion. “This was not hunting. This was having an animal having its foot smashed in trap and then shooting at it with bullets. This wolf was tortured.”
Linkhart said if the wolf was shot at, that isn’t the trapper’s fault.
“Somebody else came up there and shot that animal first. That is illegal. What the trapper has done here is not,” Linkhart said. “The problem was not the trap. It was the illegal activity of the hunters who shot at that wolf.”
Reach Tribune Capital Bureau Chief John S. Adams at 442-9493, or jadams@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @TribLowdown.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120330/NEWS01/203300316/Photos-live-trapped-wolf-prompt-threats-Missoula-based-grou
Editor: I have spoken with Bransford’s USFS Supervisor Ralph Rau. The concern I expressed has not to do with the legality of trapping the animal but with Bransford’s failure to adhere to ethical trapping practices when he arrived at the trap site. These call for the immediate and “humane” dispatch of the trapped animal. I fail to see how posing for a photo opportunity complies with these guidelines. I’d like Linkhart to explain how it does? Further, contrary to what Linkhart says, hunters pose with their kills post-mortem. Why couldn’t bransford have made the least attempt to minimize the massive suffering of this animal? It is on these grounds that I am requesting that he lose his hunting and trapping privileges and also be subject to prosecution for cruelty to animals. If you share my views, please contact those people listed above and express your concerns about the actions of a federal employee and how he is treating animals.
As soon as I get the time, I’m coming for your punk ass….
The guy did nothing wrong, hebroke no laws. You radical animal environmentalists only look at one side of the picture. Huntes and trapers are humane people whether you believe it or not. Just because you do not hunt or trap and disapprove of it does not make you god. I have been a hunter all my life and have taught my children that if they do not have a kill shot then do not take it, taught them to have respect for the animal. Trappers are the same whether you believe it or not. They a designated time to run the trapes after they are set and they do exactly that. Two of my older brothers are trappers and hunters. They do everything they can to make sure the animals do not suffer needlessly. Depsite your so called radical beliefes, your facts are not straight and I hate nothing more than to listen to ignorant spill of radical animal enviromentlists who only have tunnel vision . Grow up.
Humans torturing innocent animals is clear testament to how far we still need to go to spiritually evolve. Humans who have no empathy for animals are “natural born killers” (and would not necessarily limit themselves to animals since their lack of empathy often extends to humans).
The world would be a more humane and safer place were this type of human being locked away (perhaps in a paw trap?) so that the rest of us could live happily and without fear of the psychopath who cares not in the least for other living beings.
Betty, the only way a trapper can do “everything they can to make sure an animal doesn’t suffer needlessly” is not to set any traps in the first place. Trapping isn’t a reasonable way of making a living – it simply doesn’t generate enough revenue and unless you want to try and convince me you eat beaver, martin, mink, fox, skunk, racoon, etc… then it isn’t for food. This means trapping is a hobby and any hobby that requires you to cause the pain and suffering of another creature is an abomination.
My belief is that people that cause this sort of suffering reap what they sow. Karma is a bitch.
Arvid, we also used to have human sacrifice, slavery and of course we routinely brutalized and raped each other with absolutely no repercussions. Since then we’ve learned NOT to do these things. Things evolve, people learn. We used to believe that if we wiped out all the predators it would be a paradise for humans to kill all the deer we wanted. Since that time we’ve learned that predators like wolves play a crucial role in keeping ecosystems healthy and vibrant.
In addition, thousands of years ago we didn’t have modern textiles so we needed fur. We didn’t have central heating, or cars or gun powder or guns or bullets or compound bows. We didn’t have stainless steal or electronic calls and we didn’t hunt with impunity. We were not always at the top of the food chain.
You sure you still want to have this argument with me, because I think it makes you look pretty ignorant to suggest that because we used to do it we should continue to do it. Wrong is wrong. What Josh Bransford did was ethically wrong. The world knows it. That’s why he’s infamous for being such an ugly excuse for a human.
Why do people write “I have nothing against hunting as long as it is done humanly?”
Why do you need to kill an animal to have fun? Why do you need to end something’s life to find pleasure? And how can you humanly shoot with a rifle an innocent being that is not even aware of you, your weapon, your intentions and/or the mere reality that it is being hunted for fun? How can you really humanly kill? Is that even possible?
I know this may sound crazy, but just think about it from the animal’s perspective. They don’t give a crap about humans or what they do. They stay away from us (for obvious reasons) and want nothing to do with us (again, for obvious reasons). So why do we need to go out of our way to kill such oblivious creatures?
Is your enjoyment and pleasure really worth more than a life? I don’t know, it is really beyond me how people can defend this coward cruelty. Using a shotgun or rifle to destroy an animal that has at most sharp paws and fangs.
I believe there is a humane way to hunt…with your bare hands. But then again men would loose to virtually any animal other than insects, so if you can’t “win” easy, why do it at all, right?
I wish people would think about the consequences of this non-sport (because it absolutely is not a sport). Whenever an animal is killed, there are puppies that will starve.
Anyway, I digress…I only have 1 question for the hunting community (that may help me average out a number), how tiny are your dicks? I think we should average about 2-3 inches, but then again, I am sure “hunters” would inflate those numbers as they typically do with anything they talk about.
This is outrageous behavior that needs to be stopped. I am so upset and saddened for the wild animal suffering while this man mugs for the camera before killing a trapped helpless wolf.
If whomever can help has one ounce of compassion please relieve Mr. (and I use the term loosely) Bransford of duty for cruelty to an animal who has no recourse but to take what he is dishing out. Trapping of animals is cruel enough without unethical behavior to finish off the job. Keeping him on is injustice to all living creatures and society as a whole. Imagine the pain this animal endured? Imagine the fear as each bullet struck its body? Imagine Mr. Bransford going about his day after torturing this animal as if this is just another day at the office? He enjoyed himself by the looks of his smile with blood of his deeds staining his gloves! If he goes unpunished then the entire outfit is guilty for condoning such depraved behavior. He sickens me. Please have a heart and HELP! Thank you to the person who brought this vulgar act to light.
In my opinion it is a mistake to protect or otherwise enhance wolf populations in the lower 48 states. They do plenty of damage and if left unchecked can quickly expand their packs in all directions-they are movers. Trouble is when they encounter human endeavor such as herd raising and management they can really take a swipe out of someone’s calf crop. Not too mention all the deer and elk calves they can snaffle. No one missed the wolves when the old timers eradicated them from the plains, hill and mountain pastures of the west so why be so concerned about bringing them back? Our ancestors on every continent where wolves occurred had a heck of a time with them. They are and always have been an enemy of humanity. I sure dont want them on my place and if I ever get a chance to plug one Im gonna do it.
Admin, attempting to link man vs. wolf, with man vs. man scenarios, like human sacrifice, rape and slavery is a bit of a stretch, isnt it? From our earliest days of familial/tribal civilization involving agriculture and animal husbandry the wolf has never been a welcome visitor at anyone’s door. I understand that most of the folks commenting so vehemently their anger and disgust at the young man in the photo are probably city folk who are far both by distance and generations from depending on the land for survival–and that a visit from a wolf can mean financial ruin and an insecure future. People put way too much emotion into this wolf love thing—they arent worth it, believe me. If you’ve ever been on the other end of the damage these apex predators can cause I promise you, you’re thoughts will change about them.
The picture of Josh Bransford of the Red River Ranger district on Nez Perce National Forest with an obvious suffering animal is in very poor taste.The animal should have been shot and killed instantly to avoid being tortured!!! Not kept alive in a foot trap with the public randomly shooting it for fun!!! Should put the people in a foot trap and be randomly shot at and not missing like they did to this poor wolf!!!
Its PART OF life when we have to kill or be killed or kill or be hungry or kill or get a disease,O.K. SO BE IT then kill them if that’s actually the case..but there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO CAUSE PERPETUATE AND CELEBRATE TORTURE AND SUFFERING! There is no reason for anyone to torture or prolong any living beings pain. HAVE you ever heard of MERCY!!! It is disgusting and wrong and a SIN, remember that word you evil bastards. You my friends are the vermin we should be exterminating if you cannot find the value in LIFE AND THE RIGHT OF EVERY ONE OF GODS CREATURES TO HAVE LIFE AND NOT BE TORTURED. I BELIEVE EVEN A WOLF WOULD HAVE MORE MERCY ON YOU IF IT CAUGHT A HOLD OF YOU! FIRE THEM put them in jail and take away all hunting privileges now!
Mr. Nemo you are carrying frigths about wolves that come from Europe Middle Ages.People here lived in harmony whith nature for thousans of years.We invade their hunting grounds,kill their food and expect them to become vegetarian or what?Grow up and get wiser.
A friend of mine trapped with the native for 6 years,he saw tracks but never a wolf.And when coyotes replace the wolf?These guys come and feed in your garbages.I even saw one righ in a park in Los Angeles.Wake up!
As this was originally posted in March of 2012, I would like to know what is being done NOW~is this pratice still continuing or have the corrected it? Regardless of when it happened I do think this is a horrible treatment of this animal. Will reserve additional comments until I know the current pratices?
I hope the U.S. Forest Service has fired him and charged him with cruelty to animals. Wouldn’t this be considered poaching because when I lived in Idaho it was illegal to hunt the wolves and I am pretty sure that using traps like that wouldn’t be legal. This man needs to be punished severely, we could start with confiscating his guns, the vehicle he used to get to the area , permanently take away his right to hunt any animal to start with. Then place him in a cage with a few hungry wolves one being an alpha male and see how he feels as they rip him apart. What I can’t believe is he had the audacity to post pictures of his action. What an idiot.
Make the phone calls! This is just HORRIBLE, , And a disgrace. , This man should be made an example of and be Fired!!
Trapping and bait-hunting is for cowards.
Shoot your game on the hunt if you are a ‘man’.
Otherwise you’re just a boy with some toys.
Killing is one thing which I do not agree with BUT…. Torture is quite different. What will he do next, I wonder??? THEY HAVE FAMILIES TO FEED TOO!!! Find a new hobby that won’t hurt anything, PLEASE. These animals haven’t been saved for YOUR entertainment, sicko!!!
Arvid^
I doubt seriously weather you have been affected by the wolf as your fear-centric claims suggest.
I have had close encounters with wolves, and even seen them exhibit stalking behavior on me, but that is no reason to suggest they should be hunted.
You suggest that native culture would advocate killing them, and I have not seen any evidence of this, and that the opposite is true, that the majority of wolf hunting is done not by subsistence hunters, but by trophy hunters with no more connection to the land than an average town dweller, and often by the more privileged, male, and white.
In fact the Alaska version of wolf control was open to arial teams in private aircraft, certainly not a hunt open to any who would simply wish for a chance to subsistence hunt.
The arguments for wolf control are always made by those who believe (or have been told ) they will benefit from less wolves, but I doubt anyone has any experience that justifies killing them for life or property.
Last I heard, ranchers and landowners could call fish and wildlife, and protect their property livestock and lives in any case of danger.
Wolf hunting is a solution to a problem that never existed, and could never be done based on any native tradition, or pro-wildlife policy.
IF WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS WE MUST TAKE ACTION TO HAVE THIS ENTITY PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. THIS INHUMANITY MAKES US ALL LESS THAN HUMAN.
Whatever reason or definition you’re comfortable using to define “wolf hunting” is fine with me. And I’m curious as to who qualifies as “native”–but, for the last say, ohhhh. five or six thousand years mankind has trying to keep wolves out of our business–I guess, by your call, the natives of eastern Asia, across the top, central Asia, Asia Minor, Europe, Scandanavia and on down to France, Spain Italy and good pasture country of the Alps were just in love with the wolves that came and destroyed their livestock–which is why they are hunted. They are a scourge to us. We kill them at every opportunity because that is what we’ve done for the past 50 centuries. One or two 21st century wolf lovers with internet connections doesnt stack up against the probably millions of humans who have gone before us who had to deal with wolves on the wolfs terms and come up short, but determined to always defend their herds at whatever cost. It wasnt til the last few hundred years with the invention of the accurate high powered rifle and sometime before that, effective traps, that mankind starting winning the war on wolves. You sure dont hunt those things for anything else-cant eat’em, we kill them because they are bad.
What kind of a “man” tortures an animal the way Bransford is doing, and then proudly posts it on the ‘net? Even worse, what kind of a loser sticks up for this kind of cruelty? Pathetic, sick losers….what goes around will come around some day, I hope. It would be justice for anyone who sets traps that wound animals and then gloat about their “manly” hunting prowess after they toy with the animals and then shoot them.
I think anyone who behaves this way is just trying to overcompensate for the fact that they have a 2″ penis.
arvid nemo – your a no nonsense fool@! YOU CALL THIS WOLF HUNTING! THIS IS A CRIMINAL BRUTAL MURDER DONE BY A SERIAL KILLER THAT HE IS!
GOD HELP US FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU HURTING OUR ANIMALS AND OUR EGO-SYSTEM ON THIS PLANET.
SHAME ON YOU! THIS IS EVIL!!!
Some people have more empathy for hunted animals than other people. Me? If I was the guy, I’d have hurried to put the poor beast out of it misery. On the other hand, a different man might have an inch or so less empathy for hunted animals. He might have been in slightly less of a hurry than I’d have been, say 5 minutes. Just long enough to get someone to take a picture before he turned and killed it and ended its misery. I can’t expect everyone to have my level of empathy regarding every situation. There are a lot of unanswered “What ifs” in this story. Demonizing the guy without having a little more information isn’t exactly ‘Cricket”. Plus, it’s counterproductive to your expressed desire that this program of killing wolves simply cease. Long-term consciousness raising isn’t gained by inciting base instinctual, short lived, group emotional behaviors.
I am horrified at the torture of these animals. What gives anyone the right to torture them? Just because we walk on two legs and hunt at the grocery store, doesn’t mean what this man did was okay. I believe in hunting but not like this. If you have to hunt it should be for feeding your family. NOT trophy hunting. That is wrong too. BUT What this man did was outright cruel and horrific. Maybe someone should do to him what he did to that wolf. Then see who feels so good about himself! I am absolutely horrified… That’s not true hunting. That is a cowards way of hunting. Where is the challenge? Where is the food to feed his family, if he has one?
I say we hunt at the grocery store since that is where we all buy our meats for the most part. And that just because we walk on two legs doesn’t mean we are any better. We are all a form of animal. This man is worse than the wolf! This makes me so angry to see such horrific torture…
Rickey, “empathy” wouldn’t be subjecting an animal to the torture of a trap to begin with. It isn’t a humane way to kill an animal as is clearly evidenced by the large circle of blood around the suffering wolf. Bransford’s “idiot smile” isn’t indicative of someone with much intelligence, let alone empathy, either. Nor was his posting of the image in public forums (though I’m glad he did since it has raised the profile of this barbaric activity considerably).
What is the latest update on ‘Butch’ the Butcher? I noticed that this is a topic that did the rounds early last year (2012) already, and first wanted to hear if he has been fired yet or is he still working for the park?
I am just disgusted at the lack of heart that this Man has. Take that stupid smile off your face. You are a disgrace.
It’s not evil. It’s just the way it is. I, for one, am grateful for Bransford and men like him. Conjecturing about “torture” and evil is silly. As is shrieking about how you interpret his facial expressions and looks. He looks like a normal dude which is probably a lot more than you can say for the wolf huggers. You know, wolves were done for in the lower 48 for a long time until those government idiots gave into pressure to reintroduce them in some areas. That was a boneheaded thing to do. It’s our obligation as westerners, ranchers, loggers and stockmen to kill wolves on sight. Even kill the half breed ones that those dumb idiots are breeding. The only good wolf is a dead wolf.
Yes, anytime a man uses his superior cunning, intellect and technology to outsmart Mr. Wolf and removing said wolf from a breeding population is a victory for the earth and for mankind. It’s a win-win.
Arvid, you are a complete and utter idiot and have now clearly demonstrated you know less than nothing about wolves. Unlike you, I have spent the last 30 years studying wolves as well as raising them. I also come from a cattle ranching family. Not all of us are us uneducated and dogmatic as you are. Even former government wolf killer Aldo Leopold realized that a landscape without wolves is destined to die an agonizing death – or as he put it “deer may live in deathly fear of wolves but mountains live in deathly fear of deer.”
It isn’t our “obligation” to rid the world of wolves, but to manage our own impact on every part of the environment such that it can continue to exist as anything other than the barren wasteland that people with your mentality and intellect would allow it to become. Should you, god forbid, have offspring, they won’t be thanking you, but people like me that work to ensure that ecosystems function as they should without all the damage caused by people that understand nothing of nature or the laws that govern the way that ecosystems function.
As for your completely ridiculous remarks about the reintroduction I have news for you, the reintroduction was the best thing that could have happened for people that wanted wolves “managed”. That’s because had we not done the reintroduction, wolves would have had full protection under ESA and even today they would not have been delisted. Instead, as a result of the reintroduction, they were classified as “experimental, non-essential” which gave broad latitude for wolf management actions.
You ought to spend more time learning about a topic before forming an opinion on the matter. As it stands all you are stating is opinion (and a stupid one at that) whereas I have stated facts on wolves and what they mean for the environment. My only opinion stated above is that Bransford looks like an idiot, but then his actions also seem to bear that out…
Only if you have absolutely zero knowledge about how the natural world works, which, based upon your comments describes you perfectly.
Arvid, with all due respect as another human being, I am appalled at your attitude toward this subject! Sorry but you sound like a fool!! You claim wolves are scourge to us, do you have any background on that? Do you own a pet dog or have you ever? Because guess where dogs came from?? Wolves WERE welcomed to our camps and caves, because they would help protect the humans that fed them!! Do a bit of research before you spout off about the animals, ANY animals!!! You also are not taking into account the fact that we have and always will be invaders in the world, and it does not make it ok to treat this world like crap!!! We are ruining our only place to reside at this time by being way too laid back about how we treat our surroundings!! We are top predators now, but it is because we think we are more intelligent than our prey……not necessarily true. We are very good at intruding and wrecking most things we touch because we FORGET our place and what we owe back to the Earth we live on!!!!! We should listen more to the natives who lived here first. They managed to live in harmony with everything because they had beliefs that reminded them to respect everything and appreciate everything that they had and received every day!!! We take so much for granted these days, and this has gone on for so long…………. I want to present something to you about your thinking, ok? If a man comes onto my property and takes some stuff from me and maybe it happens several times…… would it be ok you think for me to start trapping any and all men because of a few made a mistake of messing with me???? Or would the smarter thing to do, be, take some safeguards against it happening again, without harming everyone around???? Everything we do makes a large impact on our planet. No one like mosquitoes, and yet if we make ALL of them go away, kill everyone of them, it would screw up the system!!!! They are here for a reason, they keep something in check, they serve a purpose, even if we don’t see it!!!! The problem is we all get so caught up in everyday living that we forget A LOT!! I just don’t know how to fix this. How do you make society wake up and see the light??? I wish we ALL could make every day the most important and serve our planet. It is the most important thing to us, as we have no where else to go. Our lives cannot exist without somewhere to live.
I dont think so…..humanity has a long history with wolves and we’re better off without them…anyone who says “wolves are needed in the natural world or the landscape will die blah blah blah” is trying to fool you. But, talk is harmless. Wolves are not. Kill them. Kill them all. Finish the job our ancestors started by eradicating this scourge.
Arvid is clearly a diehard redneck without empathy for living creatures beyond humans. Look around you, moron – HUMANS are the scourge on the this planet, destroying its natural environments right and left. Regardless of what you believe in terms of wolves being around or not, it doesn’t justify ENJOYING their torture and death. That’s where you cross the line and become, basically, a sociopath. If its proven they need to be gone due to HUMAN encroachment and HUMAN mistakes, then there is no justification for not doing it humanely and without suffering to the wolf. Anything beyond that is morally wrong, end of story. People like you should be eradicated…shortsighted, unevolved cavemen who perpetuate nonsense to justify cruelty.
I would love to use this guys nuts as fish bait preff with them still attached to F-Cking goofball piece of SHAT!
I cannot express the sorrow I have for animals whose only crime was wandering freely one last time. It breaks my heart. What hunters fail at is EMPATHY. What you cannot get into their dull minds is that ALL ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS because–and, it should be very simple, but simple fools have simple minds–humans ARE animals! Hunters have their minds set on their ‘superiority’ which often gets them into heated arguments with those of us who, much to their chagrin, actually are. They have a whole monolog memorized in order to ‘out smart’ vegetarians, animal lovers, tree huggers… and anti-trappers and hunters. They will spew this same line of complete and utter nonsense for as long as you want to keep them. Hunters firmly believe the old, old, old adage: MIGHT MAKES RIGHT, giving them ‘dominion’ over all animals and thus the right to abuse, torture and kill them as they see fit. We humans have no such rights.
Animals have the same feelings as humans. And, they are much better than hunters at empathy.
Kelly Carter is just showing her ignorance by projecting her anger and frustration with herself and her parents onto me. She even knows less about me than she does nature-I’ve spent my life with aninals-raised thousands of them for generations on land that has been in my family over one hundred years. Believe me, I know empathy. I know animals. I know how nature works. Kelly Carter just knows how to spew venomous bile about “eradicating” humans. Shes a sick one. A real sick one. tsk tsk tsk. People like you should be pitied, but institutionalized nonetheless. Ahh well, she’ll keep blathering and I’ll keep my rifle in my pickup in case, as I frequently do, see a coyote, or perhaps some day I hope never comes, see a wolf.
Debra, with all due respect you don’t know what you’re talking about–wolves have never been welcome to humans—for thousands of years after the dawn of civilization people worked together to defend their fragile and valuable herds and flocks from the wolf. Do you think the sheep and cattle raisers in Europe and Asia welcomed wolves into their pasture? No, they most certainly did not. Wolves are entirely incompatible with human behavior. That is a fact. I think you’re trying to make up facts to support your contention that wolves are just warm fuzzy lovable creatures that have been wrongly maligned for no good reason. Ha!! You need to look at the world the way it really is and not how you think it should be.
Arvid…with all due respect, I’m not sure if you are ignorant or stupid.
Wolves have been around for a million years and were well established in North America before there were any humans. You say ” wolves are incompatible with human behavior”, huh ?? Is it not human behavior that threatens so many creatures on earth ?
There have been 2 deaths attributed to wolves since 1900, but about 20 people are killed by cows yearly!!!???
Honestly, I hope this scumbag and his supporters get a visit from karma. I hope they pay dearly.
Seek therapy IMMEDIATELY! I am part Comanche and your actions are sickening. Karma.
I meant to say Wolves are incompatible with human endeavor, Stierle. And Im neither “ignorant or stupid”–the reality of the situation proves that it is the wolf lovers who are ignorant, stupid and dumber than a box of rocks.
Don’t know how anyone can glorify torture, in any form. Be it animal or human. And it’s funny, that person in the pic above looks perfectly normal. Something obviously not wired right in his brain. What’s the saying that most serial killers practice on animals before they make the next step up to people?
Avrid: Everything has a purpose. Even the wolves. You seem to have a blind hate for them. And you seem ok with torturing them. I hate flies. I can’t tell you how I hate flies. But I don’t torture them. You need to curtail the wolf population? Fine. Kill them humanely. The wolves are doing what comes natural to them. Kill to eat. Nothing, about what that man did is natural.
I will first state that I do trap, hunt and fish. Having said that, I feel I must weigh in on this topic. Having read all the replies to this article I have come to the conclusion that most people who think they know what is best for the wolves truely do not know a thing. That includes those that are pro wolves and those that are anti wolves. Both sides can point to studies and reports that support each of their cases. Let me be straight here Im not claiming to know any more than anyone else. This is just one mans opinion on the subject.
I have lived and hunted in idaho since 1994. In that time I have heard alot of crazy things talked about on both sides of the hunting and trapping subject. It seems to me that it brings out the most emotional responses in people that truely have no connection to the land. Yes I know your going to say you dont need a connection to the land to feel empathy to the animals that myself and others like me trap and/or hunt. For pro wolf crowd out there I have some questions for you:
first how many of you are meat eaters or vegans?
second and this is just for the meat eaters how many of you eat beef, pork, goat, sheep and/or poultry?
how many of you actually know what happens to thoses animals from birth right up til they go on your table and into your stomach?
having asked those questions and hoping that you took the time to actually truthfully answered those questions. I will ask you this: how is what we do to pursue wildlife and different from what you do to eat the meats that you like to eat? In my eyes it is no different except that you in your on enlightened wisdom dont get your hands dirty and bloody. Yes I eat store bought meats when wildmeat is not available. But I do it knowing fully what went into producing that meat I choose to buy. I also do it with the knowledge that I might get sick from eating that meat because a processor had a cleanliness issue. But I also know that those very same problems could happen with the wildmeats I put on my table.
Now on to the question of wolves. I personally wont eat any of the wolves or coyotes that I might trap. I trap them primarily for their pelt and for predator control. Im not saying what I do is right or wrong, but I do try my best to make sure what I do is as humane as I can make it. I dont personally like making any animal suffer any longer than it has too. But there is a trade off I make when it comes to trapping. Once an animal is trapped its going to be uncomfortable till I get there, but im not going to stop to dig out my camera to take a pic of a live animal in my trap. That in my opinion is really the only thing Josh did wrong in this situation. Once arriving on the scene he should have dispatched the wolf then cleared it from the trap circle before taking pictures. But thats my opinion and preference.
I will say this for those of you that think a trap closing on an animals paw is cruel I can tell you from experience that the worse part is the shock of the jaws closing. After that it doesnt really hurt that much. I know this because I have purposefully stuck my hand in every size trap I run and yes that includes my big wolf traps. Once an animal realizes it stuck and not going anywhere most all of them will calm down and quit struggling. They only get excited when you show up to check your trap.
Having said that I have to ask how many of you people have heard about the teacher in alaska who was attacked and killed by a pack of wolves last year? You say that we are animals and cruel for what we do but I have to ask what do you think that teacher thought about those wolves that were killing her? How would you feel if it was someone you knew or your own family members that had been atacked killed and eaten by a pack of wolves? I for one hope that the government tracked down and slaughtered that pack of wolves in its entirety. I say this because once a predator has the taste of human flesh it will continue to go after human flesh. Since the whole pack participated in the kill the whole pack should die.
As for trapping wolves I have to say they are a very cunning animal. Wary in the extreme. Extremely tough and powerful. If you manage to trap one they can tear a trap apart if its not well built. They can pull trap stakes out of the ground and walk off with the whole set up. In short they can be hard to trap. But as demonstrated by josh you can trap them. I would love to see one of you anti trapping people try to release one if you found it in a trap. The wolf would likely attack you. That is the nature of the wolf.
The nature of man is to kill to live. Yes we have the ability to live without killing but truthfully what do you think would be happening if we didnt have the rule of law that we have now. We as a species would eat ourselves out of food then once the food supply disappeared we would die off to more sustainable population levels. Much like happens in nature population levels rise and fall with food availability. In time of plenty population levels rise and famine causes population decreases.
The wolves have not had time to balance with the new environs they have been introduced to. So it is a time of plentifull game for them to eat. Their population is expanding rapidly. They are killing off game faster than man. Soon enough they will start in to a famine period and nature will do what man cannot or will not. Alot more wolves will die from starvation and disease than what men will kill for sport. I for one would like to see wolves managed so that this doesnt happen. They are here now because a few decided it would be a good idea. Now its up to us to manage them so they survive as a resource open to those who would use it for whatever. You say traps are cruel and I say they are a tool just like any other to help man manage the other species on this planet.
those of you that have talked about mans management of other species as being bad. Well the truth is we are the current dominate species but soon enough man will be replaced as the dominate species and it will be up to the next dominate species to manage the planet and likely man will be a subspecies to be managed along with the rest for food and pleasure and profit. Such is what nature is about.
all intelligent replies from what ever side you are on are welcome.
I’m sorry, but as a trapper trapping an animal is not cruel. Those who have no field experience as trappers have no idea what they are talking about, only a perceived image of what they believe to be true. We have done extensive research on the River Otter and used foothold traps to relocate them in states void from them due to development. There is nothing wrong with them.
I will say one thing, if this wolf was wounded by someone tampering with a legally set trap, then that is a rotten shame for the wolf and a federal offense to tamper with someones legally made trap set. The photo with the blood due to it being wounded is not right, and even as a trapper I must scold this man for taking a picture with it whilst wounded. It deserved to be dispatched quickly.
Trapperman, really? Not cruel? So death by exposure isn’t a cruel death? Death as the result of an infection caused by a limb freezing or being literally chewed off isn’t a a cruel death? Being held, exposed, without a means of escape, while suffering from exposure, dehydration and starvation isn’t a cruel death? What planet are you on that you think being held in a trap until you are slaughtered isn’t cruel?
Let me ask you this: would you want your child to be caught, held and killed in this way? Perhaps you’d be the first to step up and take this challenge? (no reward now, since it’s officially closed when no one stepped up after six months, but then maybe you want to simply prove your point and show the sincerity of your convictions?)
http://wolfguy.quora.com/Trappers-Put-Up-or-Shut-Up
Maybe you can explain to this dog’s owner just how trapping isn’t cruel? http://www.wildearthguardians.org/images/content/pagebuilder/Zoey_dog_trapped_by_Federal_agent.jpg
Or this one?
http://www.trapfreeoregon.org/trapaccdog11.jpg
Or maybe this one?
http://furtrimisatrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/dog_in_conibear_trap.jpg
Really, I gave you the chance to post your opinion here. Now show me how you defend it!
I really don’t want to see the wolf population go extinct they are beautiful and incredible animals I hope they make those losers pay for what they are doing to those innocent animals skinning them and worse, see if they will like it that happened to them those… Grrr
All I have to say is HOW DARE YOU DO YOU HAVE NO SOUL.
Trapperman, Betty Michael and all other pro trapping sadists. I have one question and a challenge. What makes you better than an animal and what delusional self talk do you do to convince yourself that it’s OK to kill? I would like to see YOU in a leg hold trap, left in the cold, bleeding and unable to escape for a couple of days and then have a fearsom creature approach you with a gun. Have them squat in front of you with a smug smile and take a selfie. Then tell me it’s not cruel. You are arrogant and yes, very cruel. You have NO RIGHT to inflict that kind of suffering on another living being.
This is sadistic!