Fin,
Outstanding and spot on as usual. SB 348 is another attempt to take our license dollars and give them to a group who has a hand out. While I have sympathy for their problems, as we are tied to the same lack of management on the wolf issue, they need to stop their assault on hunters and anglers.
SB 348 is a direct subsidy to the livestock industry, and it forces hunters to fund a federal program. When FWP can't afford to fly to do spring counts in all areas, and wardens and biologists haven't had raises in 3 years, and we lose quality folks because the Sheriff's department or the Oil and Gas industry pays better, I believe that this bill is just another bite at the apple the legislature has coveted, and held in contempt for so long.
SB 390 was amended heavily to create a voluntary donation to pay wildlife services to go shoot coyotes. It will be interesting to see how much money that donation generates. It will be more interesting to see how Wildlife Services justifies the use of that money. If it goes towards trapping skunks, etc at freezeout, then fine. If it goes to WS so they can fly and kill coyotes for sheep producers, who exactly does that help?
I spent 4 years working on wildlife control issues in WY on their Animal Damage Management Board. Maybe that made me jaded here, but I have a hard time believing WS will do much of anything when it comes to meaningful or needed predator work for wildlife.