Pitbull shot in Grand Rapids; its puppies remain missing

Very odd. The missing pups were offspring of the shot dog. My guess is that it was the mother and she was defending her pups and property. It was still alive when police arrived but had to be put down.

There’s no indication that the pups are somehow particularly valuable. Was it worth shooting a dog over?

Murdoc is not really a dog person, but we’ve got a couple and love them. And I’ve never been a fan of the pit bull thing, but unless the dog had done something to warrant it, this is obviously out of line.

I’ve always thought that the way people treat animals says a lot about them.

Via The Outdoor Wire:

Montana Officials Decry Federal Court Decision on Gray Wolves

Montana wildlife officials decried today’s federal court decision that placed the recovered Rocky Mountain gray wolf back on to the federal list of threatened and endangered species…

“If we understand the ruling correctly, Judge Molloy is telling the federal government that because Wyoming still doesn’t have adequate regulatory mechanisms to manage wolves, you can’t delist the wolf in Montana and Idaho.” Maurier said. “We simply can’t manage wildlife successfully in that environment. We must have the ability to manage wildlife, to do our job, to seek a balance among predator and prey. As a practical matter, as wildlife managers, we need the authority to respond to the challenges wolves present every day.”

This means, obviously, no wolf hunting season in Montana.

North Carolina Allows Crossbow Hunting But Requires Concealed Handgun Permit

This is odd to Murdoc:

State law requires that anyone buying or otherwise receiving a crossbow in North Carolina first obtain a pistol permit from the sheriff’s office in their county of residence or hold a valid concealed handgun permit.

From what I understand, this is not related to the new opportunity to hunt with crossbows in North Carolina but has always been a requirement of purchasing or receiving a crossbow.

What do concealed handguns or the permission to carry them have to do with crossbows?

Michael Greaves of Gladwin ordered to pay fines

ST. IGNACE, Mich. (AP) – A Gladwin man found guilty of illegally killing a gray wolf in the Upper Peninsula has been sentenced.

Forty-seven-year-old Michael Greaves was ordered to pay $500 in fines and costs and $1,500 in restitution during his June 15 sentencing in 92nd District Court in St. Ignace. Judge Clayton Graham also suspended Greaves’ hunting privileges for one year.

The wolf was wearing a collar transmitter which alerted US Fish and Wildlife Service officials.

New York Girl Attacked by Coyote in 2nd Strike in 4 Days

Predator Xtreme:

A coyote has attacked a 3-year-old girl playing in her backyard in suburban New York, the second coyote attack on a child in the same suburb within four days…

The latest attack occurred as Rye Police Commissioner William Connors was addressing a group of residents about the last coyote attack.

The previous attack was on a 6-year-old girl playing in her front yard about a mile and a half away from this girl’s home, which is located behind the Rye Nature Center.

The Rye Nature Center has a note on their home page about the attacks which includes:

Proper precautionary measures and responsive behaviors should be reviewed with all family members and caregivers. A few suggestions include:

• Using noise, light and aggressive behavior to scare the animals which are naturally timid.
• Remove all potential food sources by securing garbage and compost, not feeding pets outdoors and keeping bird feeding areas clean.

Oops:

The good news: Andy Thomossan caught a monster fish during North Carolina’s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament–an 883-pound marlin–good for $1.2 million and a tournament record.

The bad news: A hired hand on the boat didn’t have a $30 fishing license when Thomossan landed Moby Marlin on June 14, the fourth day of the week-long event.

via Outdoors Girl.

Alaska:

A man and woman reported that they were hiking Friday evening when the bear emerged from trailside brush and charged the woman, park spokeswoman Kris Fister said in a statement.

The man fired nine rounds from his .45 caliber, semiautomatic pistol at the animal, which then stopped and walked into the brush.

The bear was found dead about 100 feet from the location of the shooting. Park officials are looking into the justification for the shooting.

Best comment on the story:

If you want to see animals but can’t resist the impulse to shoot, go look at them at the zoo.

Spitting cobras track first, predict later

So spitting cobras defend themselves by initially tracking an aggressor’s movements. However, at the instant that an attacker triggers the cobra into spitting, the reptile switches to predicting where the attacker’s eyes will be 200 ms in the future and aims there to be sure that it hits its target.

Always wear eye protection:

A military working dog wears his Doggles, his assigned Personal Protective Equipment to protect his eyes, as a Chinook Helicopter takes off, kicking up dust and debris, during an Air Assault operation Soldiers of Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted, May 11. The Soldiers visited a remote village in the Parwan province to conduct a key leader engagement with village elders.

Doggles are available in a variety of styles.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry shoots coyote that threatened his dog

Perry told The Associated Press on Tuesday he needed just one shot from the laser-sighted pistol he sometimes carries while jogging to take down a coyote that menaced his puppy during a February run near Austin.

Perry said he will carry his .380 Ruger — loaded with hollow-point bullets — when jogging on trails because he is afraid of snakes. He’d also seen coyotes in the undeveloped area.