Defenders of Wildlife: Corporations sponsor wolf-killing “derbies”

[large thumbnail url=”defenders-of-wildlife-corporations-sponsor-wolf-killing-derbies” filename=”news” year=”2010″ month=”01″ day=”29″] [thumbnail icon url=”defenders-of-wildlife-corporations-sponsor-wolf-killing-derbies” filename=”news” year=”2010″ month=”01″ day=”29″] Defenders of Wildlife has started a new campaign targeting those who supported the Idaho predator derbies, in which each wolf killed earned the hunting team three points towards winning prizes.

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.

Urge corporate sponsors of these brutal wolf-killing competitions to withdraw their support right now. Sign our petition today.

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.

Urge Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse to withdraw their support for wolf-killing derbies. Sign our petition now.

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.

Don’t let the health of our Western lands — and the wildlife they support — be sacrificed to appease anti-wolf hatred. Take action now and let Cabela’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse know that wolves are an essential part of the American West.

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.

For the Wild Ones,

 

 

Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

Making a Difference for Wildlife