This doesn't feel right to me. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2017/Engross/HB0271.pdf Thoughts?
Privatizing Sage Grouse?
- Thread starter jtm307
- Start date
Lots of regulations proposed, that should be fun for WY game and fish to keep track of. To me it kinda reeks of both put and take hunting (people love it for gross trout, why not birds?) and also an attempt to artificially propagate birds to avoid the issues with population numbers.
teamhoyt
Well-known member
Effin stupid crap, this is the kind of shit politicians think their elected for?
BuzzH
Well-known member
BHA, along with the Wyoming Sportsmen's Alliance is opposing this bill...dumbest idea I've ever seen.
Not 100% sure Mead will sign it if it hits his desk.
Not 100% sure Mead will sign it if it hits his desk.
I remember this bill when I was working in WY.
Bad ideas never die, they just get reintroduced. Fight it like hell, and remind the legislature that it's chit like this that gets the enviros lawsuit wins on endangered species stuff.
Bad ideas never die, they just get reintroduced. Fight it like hell, and remind the legislature that it's chit like this that gets the enviros lawsuit wins on endangered species stuff.
RobG
Well-known member
Don't sound too good to me. Stocking things to increase harvest just knocks down the wild populations since they can't replenish themselves at the same rate.
shootbrownelk
Well-known member
Buzz, isn't this sage grouse breeding in captivity bill the one that Oil Man True is pushing for? Chris Madsen is totally against it, along with the Wyoming wildlife federation and others. G&F probably has their hands tied on this one. Oil money talks in Wyoming and our Legislators listen.
BuzzH
Well-known member
I haven't heard of a single sportsmen's or conservation group that is in favor of this. BTW, the WWF is one of the 8 groups in the Wyoming Sportsmen's Alliance.
Its one of those bills that could sound like a good idea to the uninformed, until you look at the complexities and science behind raising sage grouse like a put and take pheasant. Just doesn't work.
This bill was brought up at a meeting a few of us had with Governor Mead a couple weeks back...he's not impressed. Our Governor has worked very hard to get some pro-active sage grouse management to happen and has buy-in from a very diverse group of stake holders. We all feel this has the potential to under-mine and minimize the work that has, and is currently being done.
Sending the message that if we can commercially raise sage grouse, we then don't need to work on the big picture of protecting habitat, enhancing habitat, etc. is really counter productive to ensuring long term sustainability of sage grouse.
RobG
Well-known member
For what it is worth, when I was growing up these birds were the least desirable table fare of all the options. That makes the idea suspect from the start. Are they promoting this as more hunting opportunity?
I can guess what they would be, but can someone lay out the arguments against the stocking of sage grouse?
I can guess what they would be, but can someone lay out the arguments against the stocking of sage grouse?
BuzzH
Well-known member
RobG, nobody is promoting this as a way to increase hunting opportunity.
Here is the comment WYSA sent:
WYSA does not support HB0271 because we recognize the hard work and dedication Wyoming and its citizens have contributed to the conservation and management of the Greater sage-grouse. Wyoming has been at the forefront of Greater sage-grouse conservation, from the formation and work completed by the Sage Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT) to the eight local working groups and members who have dedicated countless hours, energy, and resources toward the effort. These conservation efforts do not include sage grouse bird farms because it has been proven that they do not work and could actually be detrimental to recovery efforts.
If this bill passes, it will cost the state wildlife agency time and money that it does not have to allocate toward a farming process that has proven to be unsuccessful. The bill will allow the taking of 1,000 eggs from birds that typically lay between four to 12 eggs per year; this alone is not sound science when it comes to wildlife conservation and management.
Such a breeding farm would essentially remove precious numbers of Greater sage-grouse off their native landscape and not replace them. HB0271 will give the green light to a farming practice that has no success rate and will kill 1,000 birds, a keystone species to our sage brush steppe and one that is already sensitive when it comes to its numbers needed to survive.
Efforts to raise sage-grouse in captivity over a long period of time have resulted in failure. The current research and wildlife expert opinions have shown that the appropriate captive rearing techniques are not in place to successfully implement such game bird farms for sage grouse. Problems with captivity include potential for cross species and disease transfer, stress related to predation, financial impacts on (the Wyoming Game and Fish Department) and state, and it’s extremely labor-intensive. WYSA believes that private game bird farms are not the answer to maintain or increase sage grouse populations, but conservation of core sage grouse habitats is.
Here is the comment WYSA sent:
WYSA does not support HB0271 because we recognize the hard work and dedication Wyoming and its citizens have contributed to the conservation and management of the Greater sage-grouse. Wyoming has been at the forefront of Greater sage-grouse conservation, from the formation and work completed by the Sage Grouse Implementation Team (SGIT) to the eight local working groups and members who have dedicated countless hours, energy, and resources toward the effort. These conservation efforts do not include sage grouse bird farms because it has been proven that they do not work and could actually be detrimental to recovery efforts.
If this bill passes, it will cost the state wildlife agency time and money that it does not have to allocate toward a farming process that has proven to be unsuccessful. The bill will allow the taking of 1,000 eggs from birds that typically lay between four to 12 eggs per year; this alone is not sound science when it comes to wildlife conservation and management.
Such a breeding farm would essentially remove precious numbers of Greater sage-grouse off their native landscape and not replace them. HB0271 will give the green light to a farming practice that has no success rate and will kill 1,000 birds, a keystone species to our sage brush steppe and one that is already sensitive when it comes to its numbers needed to survive.
Efforts to raise sage-grouse in captivity over a long period of time have resulted in failure. The current research and wildlife expert opinions have shown that the appropriate captive rearing techniques are not in place to successfully implement such game bird farms for sage grouse. Problems with captivity include potential for cross species and disease transfer, stress related to predation, financial impacts on (the Wyoming Game and Fish Department) and state, and it’s extremely labor-intensive. WYSA believes that private game bird farms are not the answer to maintain or increase sage grouse populations, but conservation of core sage grouse habitats is.
RobG
Well-known member
Thanks Buzz, I see the angle now and the issues. Good letter.
