This had me laughing my you know what off makes me want to go out and buy a dozer.

Fairbanks man accused of threatening Census worker with bulldozer
by Chris Freiberg / cfreiberg@newsminer.com
FAIRBANKS — A Fairbanks man has been accused of threatening a U.S. Census worker with a bulldozer.

On Wednesday, the Fairbanks District Attorney’s office filed one count of fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor, against 50-year-old Carey William Bliss.

The Census worker, only identified by his initials in charging documents, went to Bliss’ Tall Spruce Road home June 2 looking for information from Bliss.

Bliss reportedly was uncooperative and grabbed Census forms from the worker, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

Bliss then said, “I know how to get you off my property,” went to a bulldozer in his yard and started it, court documents allege.

The worker then got in his car and backed out of Bliss’ driveway as Bliss followed him in the bulldozer, stopping at the end of the driveway.

Ruben Del Valle, a spokesman for the Census Bureau in Alaska, said that while there have been reports of violence toward Census workers in other parts of the country, it was the first such incident he had heard about in Alaska, home to Noorvik, the first U.S. city to be counted in this year’s Census.

Census workers receive training on how to deal with such situations, which they then report to supervisors, he said.

While Bliss marked his property with “No trespassing” signs, according to charging documents, Del Valle said courts repeatedly have found that Census workers are not violating any laws if they are only going to a door seeking information.

Bliss has no prior criminal record and was not arrested in connection in the case. Court records do not list a lawyer for him or any upcoming court dates.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner – Fairbanks man accused of threatening Census worker with bulldozer

This one would make Bill & Jimmy proud. Like they don’t already have enough,  the federal land managers can’t manage what they have. Their idea of resource management is lock it from the public but make them, the public,  pay the feds to be the  guardian so they can  protect the land from us. I wonder what the reaction would be if a few million acres of New York or Massachusetts was locked up. I rate the  1906 Antiquities Act about the same as the ESA they both accomplish absolutely nothing  but a way to control more land.

House Committee Wants to See Full “Monument Memo”

6/23/10

A key U.S. House Committee that oversees natural resource issues voted for a resolution calling for the disclosure of all pages from an Obama Administration memo that examined the setting aside of millions of acres of federal lands as new “National Monuments.” Parts of the memo were circulated earlier in the year and raised concerns among many sportsmen groups that hunting, currently allowed on these areas, could be prohibited on any lands receiving the designations.

On June 16, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee passed House Resolution 1406, sponsored by Representative Doc Hastings (WA), the ranking Republican on the committee. The resolution calls on the Secretary of the Interior to release all documents related to the memo in question within 14 days of the legislation’s passage.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) previously reported on this memo in March.  The memo identifies approximately 13 million acres in nine western states for “National Monument” designation under the 1906 Antiquities Act.  The Act allows the President to make these designations without Congressional approval or local input.

A Monument designation does not automatically limit hunting or other uses.  However, experience has shown that this designation can have a negative impact on access and conservation efforts.  For example, President Carter created millions of acres of National Park Service Monuments in Alaska which immediately closed the areas to sport hunting.  It took a subsequent act of Congress to undo many of these hunting closures.

The memo caused a firestorm of controversy, leading numerous Representatives to seek additional documents from the Obama Administration despite repeated statements from Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar that the piece was only intended for planning purposes and that a public process would take place before any designations.

Though the resolution cleared a committee, it remains unclear if the full House will take the issue up for vote.

The USSA continues to maintain that any change in public land use should only occur after open discussion with stakeholders allowing them to voice their concerns.

Here is my original source: http://www.ussportsmen.org/Page.aspx?pid=2470&frcrld=1

We live in an area with a large population of both brown bears and black bears but this week truly has been Bear Country out here. Things started last Monday; one of our neighbors who was at his vacation cabin on the lake went for an early morning workout in his kayak. While paddling around the lake he heard something crashing through the woods. He didn’t have to wait long before a cow moose and her calf of the year came barreling out of the trees and hit the water. Before they swim half way across the lake here comes a newly emancipated brown bear hot on the trail. John sat in his kayak without a camera or camcorder and watched a once in a lifetime scene. The cow swimming across the lake, her calf in tow, while the brown bear less than a minute behind. As John watched the cow made it across and hit the woods, not even waiting for her calf that was just a few seconds behind her. The bear was gaining fast when the calf made it to the shore and high tailed it to its mom. The last John saw of anything the bear had got across and was headed to where the two moose had gone into trees. John waited around but didn’t hear if the bear got his breakfast or not. It was a young bear so the calf had chance even if it was a slim one.

About one o’clock Tuesday morning our lab, Bear cut loose barking, he barks at everything that moves so I didn’t think much about it. I needed to go out anyway so I did my thing as I headed to the back door something up the hill around our caches went crashing. I looked up just in time to see a medium sized brown bear dragging a box of bait I had been using for black bear at one of my bait stations into the weeds. I walked back to the house and got my rifle by the time I got to where I could get a clean shot the bear saw me and headed south. I manage to put a round in the weeds where he went in I was hoping that would keep him going. It didn’t our lab played tag with him for a couple of hours before things got quit so we could get back to sleep. That morning I went out to see what all he trashed I was lucky he had only dumped one plastic tote of bait. Between what I could see of the bear earlier that morning and some of his tracks I of his I found where he came through the garden I figured he was a fairly small bear, maybe 7 – 71/2 foot range. We’re hoping it was the same bear John watched from his kayak the morning before. I it was the calf probably survived if it isn’t that means we probably has two young dumb bears. I decided to spend the night up in one of our caches in case he came back, he did, but I had also left our dog out and Bear kept the bear back in the brush. Last night was the first night he hasn’t stopped by to aggravate the dog hopefully he has given up and is looking somewhere else for easier pickin’.

I don’t know how many if any of you are trappers but this is what happens to those who are conned into compromising with those who want to destroy their way of life. In Canada it is called the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards Association or (AIHTS). Here in the US it is pawned of as Best Management Practice, garbage by any other name is still garbage. The whole thing was started by animal rights nut cases going through the  EU with the “standards” to be set by the International Standards Organization. The idea was to standardize traps to the EU’s and ISO cookie cutter idea of “humane”.  A  move that would cost the average trapper more than his line produce.These are people who have never set a trap in their life and want to tell someone who makes a living doing it how they think it should be done. Any country that didn’t comply would be banned from selling furs in all EU countries.  Millions of dollars have been and are being pumped into all the state fish & game  agency’s as well as those in the Canadian Province’s. Most of the US and Canadian F&G’s were more than willing to belly up to the trough more jobs for them, more money for them.  Why should they care about cost to trappers?    There is a paper put out by the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare titled Trapped by Bad Science this is a must read for everyone who traps. Or for that matter anyone who wants to know the animal rights crowds real agenda.  The paper shows what they are really after and it has little to do with humane trap standards. Their agenda is to put trappers out of business by setting standards that would require all North American trappers to  completely replace their traps with new ones that meet the ISO cookie cutter specifications. These are people who have never set a trap in their life yet  feel qualified to tell someone who makes a living trapping  how it want it done.  As if that is not enough they use the EU to bully country’s that won’t comply by controlling a large part of the fur ie;  banning sales to  EU countries  from buying from non-compliant countries.  Millions of dollars were and are being pumped into US state fish & wildlife  agency’s as well as their counter parts in Canada. Most of the US and Canadian F&W’s  agencies are more than willing to belly up to the trough, more jobs, more money.  Why should they care about cost to trappers, after they trap by choice they could always get another job.

This petition was put out by some Canadian trappers, this is just the beginning. It is only a matter of time before more money rolls in to help the trapper finance the purchase of new compliant traps. I have no doubt this will happen, but at what cost? Back to the days of the  of Hudson Bay Co. or J. J. Astor and the company trappers who works all season to pay off last seasons grub stake? No thanks that’s not the life for me.

To: Ontario Government

To: Ontario Government

To: Government of Ontario

To: The Government of Ontario

And to: The Minister of Natural Resources

And to: The Minister of Transportation

And to: The Ontario Fur Managers Federation

WHEREAS the harvesting of wild fur is part of Canada’s heritage dating back to the beginning of Canada;

AND WHEREAS the fur industry market has been at an all time low;

AND WHEREAS Costs to trappers to upgrade their traps in order to meet the standards put in place by the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards Association (AIHTS), Purchase, maintain, license and insure snow mobiles and off road vehicles is at an all time high

AND WHEREAS Many trappers depend on the fur industry as their primary source of income;

AND WHERE AS Trappers are the unofficial guardians of the crown regarding their respective registered trap lines, who’s efforts assist with keeping our forests clean, providing members of the public with accessible trails and access to hunting and fishing locations;

AND WHEREAS many Traplines are littered with public access Snowmobile and ATV trails provided by such organizations as the Ontario Federation of Snow Mobile Clubs and various ATV clubs. Trails for which trappers often provide maintenance at no cost recovery;

NOW THEREFORE the undersigned hereby request that the recipients of this petition establish the necessary changes to the laws of Ontario and or Policies in place with the Ontario Fur Managers Federation to allow for the following benefits to trappers in Ontario:

1. A snow mobile, ATV or other off road vehicle be deemed to be an implement of husbandry while it is in use for trapping related purpose by a licensed trapper on his or her registered trap line;

2. As such any snow mobile, ATV or other off road vehicle used by the licensed trapper for trapping related purposes on his or her registered trap line be exempt from any annual registration renewal;

3. That the Ontario Fur Managers Federation amend the membership liability insurance policy to include Public Liability and Property damage for any and all snow mobiles, ATV’s or other off road vehicles used for trapping related purpose, by a licensed trapper on his or her registered trap line;

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures

Living in Alaska’s backwoods sooner or later you are going to butt heads with a member of the local bear population, that’s a given.  Over the years we’ve had our share, some scary some down right hilarious at least after the fact. Both of these stories are true and none of the name were changed to protect the stupid.

Bears and Taxes

So what has one to do with the other? Be patient I’ll get you there. You see the first summer Jenny and I moved to our homestead we lived in a small back pack tent while all of our gear was being flown in. Our land was almost a mile from the lake the float plane was landing with our stuff. More often than not the air taxi brought loads in faster than we could haul them back to our place. Anything that attracted bears went to the homestead first; what was left on the beach was shoved under a tarp along with a portable radio playing G. Gordon Liddy shows, with the g-man on watch you would think things would be secure from intruders. As I said earlier we were living in a small tent most of the summer. From the time we arrived at our homestead several of the local black bears scoped out food tent, most nights they would check out our perimeter, and that was the extent of things. If one crossed the line a round over the head would convince him to take his business elsewhere. So when our early warning system (our dogs) alerted us to an intruder I naturally assumed it was one of the little black bears. In July its pretty light all night in our part of the country; so I carried a .38 leaving one hand free to swat ‘skeeters. I crawled out of the tent to convince the latest invader pickin’s would be better elsewhere. Have you ever stepped out of your tent in the middle of the night and be eyeball to eyeball with a seven or eight hundred pound brown bear with nothing more than a .38 in your hand; most police departments don’t even use .38’s any more. Situations like that help you to forget the million or so skeeters chewin’ on you. I asked Jenny if she would mind stepping out of the tent and bring the rifle with her while I kept our guest entertained. I don’t know if it was my John Wayne impersonations or the 7mm round over his nose but he decided he didn’t like our hospitality and went on to find other forms of entertainment while we went back to sleep. Still trying to figure the tax connection? Remember I told you some of our things were still on the beach under a tarp? And g-man was on the radio; well this bear was a democrat. The next day we went the lake to pick up a few loads only to find all of our things neatly rearranged over a ¼ mile of beachfront. The radio was nicely folded while a number of boxes had been unpacked and meticulously disorganized; one being several years worth of tax records. Luckily most were still in their zip lock bags without to many teeth marks.

Bears, brakes, and bungee cords

One of my first real Alaska adventures was to drive an John Deere 450 dozer from the lodge where it was stored for the winter and drive it to Danny Thomas’ (Danny Thomas the gold miner not Danny Thomas the actor) mining claims. The trip was about 25+ miles across tundra and swamps. The first trip out was sort of a accident, Danny usually went out by himself. This time the 450 died about 7 or 8 miles out, I was working for the lodge where Danny staged out of while he was coming and going each summer. I drew the short straw and was flown to a small lake a couple of miles from Danny with a backpack load of parts and tools. It was late in the day when we got the dozer running but Danny was anxious to get going again. Danny was also very sociable, a common trait in bush rats, so he ask me if I would like to ride out with him. Sounded good to me it didn’t make any difference that a plane would be out to pick me up or that I had just started my new job. This was an adventure I could always find another job. For the next several miles Danny entertained me with stories of his claim and its history. Seems that his claims was where the mother lode of all mother lodes was located, he just couldn’t find the exact spot, but it was there the guy who sold it to him said so. Danny told me he always spent the night at a trapper friends cabin a few miles from his mining claims, since we were running 9 or 10 hours late because of the break down I assumed we would pull over for the night then stop by their place at a reasonable hour. Not Danny 3 o’clock that morning we pulled into Lawrence’s camp where Lawrence and Mrs. Lawrence were patiently waiting with two of the biggest dogs I had ever seen. The whole time we unloaded Danny was assuring me they were harmless, the dogs were friendly to. We spent the rest of the night on the cabin floor and woke up at the crack of noon to the smell of fresh pancakes fried in bear grease, another first with many more to come over the years. After breakfast Danny and I headed down trail for the last leg of our journey. Lets fast forward a few miles here. Dannys claims were at the mouth of a small creek that ran into the Susitna River. The last mile of the trail started at an area of muskeg then wound through a heavily treed hillside. In Alaska, especially on shaded hillsides ice can hang on until well into June some years. Something else about Danny, he wasn’t big on fixin’ things until they up died. Well at the top of the hill above the claims there was a dip that was ice and this was late May. Like I said before Danny wasn’t big on fixin’ equipment, the grousers on the dozers tracks had been worn slick since the rock was a boulder. So now were a mile from camp with the dozer and a trailer full of the summers supplies sitting on ice, tacks spinning and nobody goin’ any where. An hour later we walked into camp everything else is still at the top of the hill. Danny did keep a well stocked camp I’ll give him that we had all the equipment need to get things unstuck and down to camp. We decided since Danny knew where everything was he would get things organized while I take one of the Hondas back to get some food and sleeping bags. As luck would have it the only thing that would start was an old 3-wheeler, with no brakes and no front wheel drive for climbing hills, oh well I’m off. The first ½ mile was pretty smooth going it was until I hit the steepest most twisted part of the hill before things started down hill. Did I mention Danny was big on was bungee cords, he believed the more the better. This includes bear guns bungeed to the Hondas rack he figured if it fell off the 3-wheeler what was the point of having it in the first place. Back to the story. I was just making it to the top of a steep curve while one of the local grizzlies was coming around the same curve headin’ down, another first for me. So was trying to stop a 3-wheeler without brake on a hill while reaching behind me trying to take 16 bungee’s off a 12ga on the rack behind me. It’s physically impossible to keep a 3-wheeler from rolling down hill while you undo bungee’s and not take your eyes off the grizzly above you. Luckily for me this bear was well fed and had a since of humor. After a short standoff the bear shook his head and headed back up the hill probably thinking what a bear has to put with now days.

Alls well that ends well, I didn’t get bear ate, we got the dozer back to camp,  my boss flew out to pick me up, and I kept my job for 7 more years.

Now if isn’t a bit irony wolves attack their saviors horses, it must have been one of their weak or lame ones. Notice they decided to let the wolves go so they could feed on the local elk instead of shooting them.This is unbelievable sacrifice the elk that feed people not the predator…..sheesh.
Wolf attacks Forest Service horse

Posted: Monday, June 14, 2010 7:19 am |

JACKSON, Wyo. – U.S. Forest Service officials say a wolf attack in northern Wyoming injured one of the agency’s horses, forcing workers to destroy it.

The attack occurred Thursday at the Blackrock Ranger Station on the Buffalo Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Acting District Ranger Ray Spencer says a wolf either spooked the horse and prompted it to run across a cattle guard, or was actually attacking the horse when the horse ran across it.

Federal officials decided not to try to destroy the wolf because the coming elk migration should soon draw wolves to higher elevations.

It is looking like the people of Unimak Island need to take care of Unimaks wolves themselves. If they are becoming a threat it’s time for the locals to take control, they still have 19 days left in the extended season. It is only a matter of time before there is a repeat of the jogger at Chignik who was killed by habituated wolves or Icy Bay where a child was attacked by wolves in the logging camp. Predators are just  that, predators not cutesy little puppies. When one food source is gone they will hunt out another if they can’t find a new one they starve. The people of Unimak can’t wait for the feds and state to punch it out in court, the ball is in their court.

False Pass residents worried about bold, hungry wolves

Published: June 9th, 2010 01:01 PM
Last Modified: June 10th, 2010 11:17 AM

Residents of False Pass, on the same island as the federal wildlife refuge in which the state wants to shoot wolves it says are depleting a caribou herd, say they’re unnerved by the numbers and boldness of wolves in the area, according to an Alaska Newspapers Inc. story in The Dutch Harbor Fisherman.

Read more here

or here

If he is nothing else Judge Holland is consistent, I can’t recall a single one of Judge Hollands decisions where he ruled  in favor of Alaskans than over predators. Now USFW can fiddle while Rome burns and the wolves of  Unimak feast on new born caribou calves.  The Unimak herd is crashing USFW doesn’t seem to give a damn about  people of Unimak.  The Unimak herd is the only island herd in Alaska and the people of Unimak’s only source of red meat. When will the desk jockeys get it through their heads, ungulates feed people not wolves. The Alaska Board of Game did extend the wolf hunting and trapping seasons so for now at least the locals can do what needs done.

Judge blocks state’s wolf kill on Unimak

UNIMAK ISLAND: Federal agency bound by environment regulations.By MARY PEMBERTONThe Associated PressPublished: June 7th, 2010 11:17 PMLast Modified: June 7th, 2010 11:18 PM

A federal judge on Monday denied the state’s request for a preliminary injunction that would let it kill wolves, a step it said was needed to protect a caribou herd on an Aleutian island that is a subsistence food source for Alaskans there.

U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland said that while sympathetic to the state’s argument, he had to abide by law when ruling against the state’s request to immediately conduct predator control in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge on Unimak Island. “Somebody’s governmental pride will be bruised here and there is no avoiding that,” Holland said, before ruling in favor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”It is the federal agency’s prerogative to decide what they have decided.”

Read more here….

I you have an extra 50 buck’s burning a hole in your pocket you could put it to a good cause. USSA is raffling off a gun a week starting this month and going through May 2011. They are only issuing 1000 tickets so you better hurry if you want a shot at one of the prizes. I’m not a big on national organizations I favor those closer to home. I go more for the grassroots organizations with local control and people involved however this is one I do support USSA puts a lot into big game hunting and our hunting heritage. So if you have it spend this is going to a good cause.

2010-11 52-Gun Raffle

Sportsmen can now purchase tickets for a weekly drawing that could put brand new firearms or bows in their hands while protecting their hunting rights. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation’s 52-Gun Raffle sponsored by Vance’s Shooters Supplies and Buckeye Outdoors.  Click here to see their current ad.

Only 1,000 3-digit tickets (numbered 000-999) will be sold for $50 each. Winning numbers will be determined by the Ohio Lottery’s Pick 3 drawing on Monday nights. Ticket holders can win more than once.

The raffle will begin June 7, 2010.  To purchase tickets, click here to visit our online store or contact the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation at (614) 888-4868. Out of state participants may purchase tickets via the USSA online store only.

Learn more here

This one hit home with me I didn’t know the guide but I have been there, Wrangell Police  haven’t let out many details yet. Although on another forum someone who said they knew the guide heard that they had just taken a brown bear. If this is what happened I can picture the scene. The hunter just had a dream come true, the guide helped him achieve it they are both happier than a couple of kid in a candy store. The next moment one man is dead anothers lifetime dream has turned to a lifetime nightmare. When I read this when it came my heart went out to both of these men and their families.

After you finish the main article scroll through the reader comments, these are very telling. The liberal mindset really come out and their true agenda is brought to daylight. Nobody knows all the details yet neither of these men deserve some of the anti-hunting hatred some of these commenters are spewing out.

Anchorage Daily News / adn.com

Published: June 1st, 2010 05:29 PM
Last Modified: June 1st, 2010 05:29 PM

A hunting guide from Wasilla was shot and killed late Sunday during a guided brown bear hunt near Wrangell, Alaska State Troopers said in a press release Monday night. The shooting appeared to be an accident; troopers say they have no indication of foul play.

Read more…Anchorage Daily News