Hunting Ain't Easy

Leading the Call for Wolf Mgmt Plan Updates

Complaining isn't working, but advocacy will. It's time to lead... It is time to call upon the California Dept of Fish & Wildlife, and the Fish & Game Commission to refresh the 10-year old Wolf Mgmt. Plan, establish a practical and sustainable roadmap to delisting and long-term management of wolves. It is time to identify the risks that subsidized wolves present to human communities, the economy of California and all taxpayers, and to ecosystems wherever wolves live. It is time for the CDFW to present a realistic report on the health of our mule deer, elk and antelope herds in CA, and how do those herds support 3 unmanaged apex predators sustainably? 

https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cawolfplan

HOWL with us. HOWL as one. When we HOWL - our voices are amplified, our message is heard and we can be effective. When we HOWL we can lead dialogue and create positive outcomes that value entire ecosystems, human communities, and wildlife.

Sign on to the HOWL letter today. Take Action here --> https://www.howlforwildlife.org/take_action 

Sign on to the HOWL letter today. Take Action. Call upon the Commission and CDFW to proactively lead California out of this crisis. https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cawolfplan 

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#greywolf #wolf #wolves #california #wildlifemanagement #wildlifeconservation #conservation #ecosystems #predatorhunting #predatormanagement #elk #muledeer #tuleelk #antelope #hunting #sustainability #wildharvest #californiahunting #howlforwildlife 

What world are we in??? Progress with Calif. Bear Legislation, use of hounds!

AB1038 brings hounds back to the bear woods in CA, and it gives the Commission and Dept the tools needed for effective black bear management, increased harvest where warranted and more effective conflict reduction. 

This is a nationwide call to action - because a win in California is a win for everyone! Time to step in and help here... this will be a long campaign where we are approaching the 2nd gate, of about 7 if we are to take this all the way. 

Every inch of progress is a win, and gets us closer to the next steps for improved wildlife management in California. 

Take Action: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cabearab1038 

Join the HOWL Pack: https://www.howlforwildlife.org/memberships 

Share this BLOG about bears. https://www.howlforwildlife.org/why_california_needs_better_bear_management

 

#bearhunting #blackbear #wildlifemanagement #conservation #californiahunting #blacktaildeer #muledeer #elk #rockymountainelk #bears #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #ecosystems #sustainable #wildharvest #hunting #deerhunting #elkhunting #predatormanagement #predators 

Headwaters Retreat - X6A Zone Habitat Project Update

Get involved and help us WIN - let's bring back the use of HOUNDS

- for bears, support AB 1038

- for mountain lions, support SB 818 

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Headwaters Retreat - follow along and let me know if you want to reserve some time at the camp! 

AirBnb Link: http://airbnb.com/h/headwaters-retreat

Headwaters Retreat - Facebook 

Headwaters Retreat - Instagram

 

Ep 54: F&G Commission is considering coyote regulations, and what you can do?

Welcome to Hunting Ain't Easy... listen, share & take action here! . https://www.howlforwildlife.org/cacoyote 

The backstory on this issue is shared via Chriss Bowles (California Bowmen Hunters) and Charles & Mike (HOWL). Bottom line is that bad optics and complete lack of context has some folks at the F&G Commission thinking that coyote (nongame species) need special regulations developed for hunting.  Whooaaaaa nooooo they do not. Not when we have limited resources, limited time, limited staff and there's huge pressing issues such as bear, deer, elk, bobcat and wolf management plan updates! 

Mad thanks to the Bowmen Hunters in California. They're involved at the front lines right alongside HOWL for Wildlife! 

Even if you're not in California you can HELP us get in front of this issue. We need to stop it, right in its tracks... there's other work to do.  Take Action. Share the podcast and the Action to your community. Advocacy works, and your voice is needed. 

HOWL Pack Membership 

California Bowmen Hunters - check them out

HOWL Action Center 

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#coyote #hunting #california #predatorhunting #predatormanagement #ranching #livestock #depredation #predatorcontrol #coyotehunting #conservation #wildlifemanagement #wildlifeconservation #wildlife #advocacy #howlforwildlife #woolgrowers #cattle #sheep #californiacattle #lamb 

Jan 28th Virtual Townhall: Wolves & Lessons for California

Join HOWL for this Virtual Townhall Event: Wolves, Lessons for California 

HOWL for Wildlife welcomes Justin Webb (Executive Director of the Foundation for Wildlife Management) and Jessi Johnson (Government Affairs Director, Wyoming Wildlife Federation.)

Wolves are on the cusp of exponential population growth in California. The known wolf population nearly doubled in California in 2024 and is now reaching past 70 animals, with 9 packs acknowledged and several additional "areas of wolf activity" identified. California could trend towards 300+ wolves in CA by 2027. Wolf numbers may grow faster than management practices and policies can evolve, and a wildlife and ecosystem crisis could be the result. 

This Townhall will be a forum to learn from experts who know their way around wolf issues - including policy and practices of management. This is the beginning of several deep dives into one of the most contentious and complex wildlife issues we have in California, and really throughout North America. 

Our goal at HOWL is to build deeper education into this topic, and broaden support for successful adaptive management which supports both wild and human ecosystems. The wolf management plans for California are nearly 10 years old and need to be updated. Wolf numbers may soon warrant a delisting from "endangered status", or at least down-listing in California. Plan updates and ESA/CESA changes will surely take 1-2 years to complete, during which time the wolf population in CA could grow 3-5x from current numbers. The time to start discussions that lead to plan updates is now. 

After RSVP you'll receive an email with an link to the HOWL membership page and to the CDFW Gray Wolf information page. This is a members only event, please join HOWL for Wildlife.  

We look forward to sharing this conversation with you, and look forward to working as a community for the success of wild ecosystems!

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#wolves #wolf #graywolf #hunting #california #conservation #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildlifemanagement #livestock #ranching #elkhunting #bearhunting #muledeer #deerhunting #howl #howlpack #wolfpack #howlforwildlife #colorado #oregon #washington 

Ep 52: Wolves in California - with California Wolf Watch

Join HOWL's Jan 28th "Wolf Lessons Learned" Townhall featuring Justin Webb (Foundation for Wildlife Mgmt) and Jess Johnson (Wyoming Wildlife Federation)....  MEMBERS ONLY so join today! 

Wolves are here, and they're not going away. Planting flags of extreme support, or extreme opposition, only guarantees a long fight, unresolved conflict, and more work for lawyers.  So... how do we bring stakeholders together to build effective, sustainable and adaptive mechanisms which can drive success for everyone?? We need to start talking, working together, finding shared goals and building towards those objectives. 

Is California on the way to an ecosystem crisis, with more wolves than native and wild habitat can support? 

Does the 9-10 year old Wolf Mgmt Plan need an update, before we are in crisis mode? 

Listen in to this first of several discussions about the complex and too-often, too-emotional topic of wolves.  John Marchwick (California Wolf Watch) and I have a productive discussion, minus the hyperbole and hysterics. 

HOWL For Wildlife - JOIN

California Wolf Watch - Facebook 

CDFW / California Dept of Fish & Wildlife - Wolf Mgmt. 

HOWL for Wildlife - Instagram 

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#California #wolves #wolf #whaleback #hunting #wildlife #conservation #endangeredspeciesact #wolfrecovery #wildlifemanagement #predator #predatormanagement #wildlifeconservation #elk #muledeer #howlforwildlife 

 

Ep 51: Malcolm Brooks "A mountain lion attacked my nephews..."

Please... Listen and Share 

Malcolm Brooks is the uncle of Taylen and Wyatt Brooks, the young men who were enjoying a day of shed hunting, scouting and outdoors recreation when they were attacked by a mountain lion. Malcolm shares the story of the attack, and wildlife management policies gone wrong here in California, in a newly published New York Times Magazine article (Jan 2025). 

NYT Magazine Article

Malcolm Brooks - Substack

HOWL for Wildlife - Join the Pack 

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#mountainlion #predators #hunting #california #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #predatorhunting #wildlifemanagement #predatormanagement #coexist #livingwithlions #mountainlionfoundation #cdfw #fishandwildlife #advocacy #malcolmbrooks #colorado #antihunting 

Rally & Support! CDFW Bringing New Hunts, More Tags

Use these links to follow along: 

- WATERFOWL Recommendations

- BIG GAME Hunt Recommendations

- Email Support and feedback by end of day 12/9: fgc@fgc.ca.gov

- HOWL for Wildlife... JOIN THE PACK! 

- Message me on IG for Q&A - HuntingAintEasy 

Quick summary... CDFW is bringing regulations update package for Commission review and discussion (and decision!). It all adds up to more hunting opportunity, science-based wildlife mgmt decisions. Let's rally some support for this work, while we lean into the other hot topics that are coming up in 2025. 

 

CWD "Emergency Regulations!" in California

This conversation is in regards to the 6/19 Commission meeting.  Join the meeting via ZOOM if you can... hunters' voices are NEEDED in this forum. 

Short notice but dig in and listen if you can. The Commission is proposing "Emergency Regulations" in response to 2 detections of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in CA. 

I want the Commission and Dept. to treat other known and pre-existing "existential threats" to deer herd success with equal response. Where is the concern for deer herds being decimated by unmanaged apex predators statewide?  

And IF this is a crisis... why are we only focusing on the few zones where we know CWD exists? What about the rest of the state? 

Finally, the Dept is proposing "mandatory testing" without any indication of penalty for non-compliance and without significant resources in place to support the hunter sample turn-ins.  The dept is not ready to execute a good plan, and the Commission should be taking a higher level view of overall deer herd health, success and start implementing policy across the entire ecosystem. 

CWD Proposal Document 

Commission Meeting Agenda for 6/19  w/Zoom link

Complete set of Meeting Documents 

 

Call To Action: Calif. Bear Conservation Plan COMMENTS

This is an opportunity to proactively influence a management plan document that will impact bear hunting and ecosystem management for the next 10+ years!  The Calif. Dept of Fish & Wildlife has provided a (draft) 2024 Black Bear Conservation Plan for public review and input. 

Here at HOWL we have developed no less than 78 comments, questions and recommendations for this plan. 

In this episode of @huntingainteasy I break down the core issues related to the Black Bear Conservation Plan and call upon you for fast-action to add your voice, add your HOWL so that the CDFW knows how passionate our community is about Black Bear Conservation and the use of hunting as tool which benefits bears, ungulates and humans! 

Listen. Share. Take ACTION at www.howlforwildlife.org  starting Wednesday 6/12! 

Resources and links: 

HOWL @ IG

HOWL for Wildlife website 

CDFW Black Bear Conservation Plan 

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#california #bearhunting #blackbear #conservation #predatorhunting #predatormanagement #bearconservation #wildlifemanagement #deerhunting #elkhunting #muledeer #blacktaildeer #bear