by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin In the July 2 letter titled, “The real problem for bears in Concord” the writer makes excellent points regarding our contribution to “problem bears” in that bears are lured to backyards while food and garbage is left unsecured. Along with this point, the contributor implies bear hounding has no significant impact on bear numbers throughout the state. While the percentage of bears harvested by hounds is lower compared to other bear hunting methods, it may be time for New Hampshire to reevaluate the relevance of this practice while continuing to manage wildlife populations. […]
by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin On a warm summer morning as soft light begins to filter through branches of towering white pines, a bear and two cubs quietly saunter through an open field foraging for insects, nuts, and berries. A slow pace is necessary to handle the heat – temperatures are on the rise. Occasionally the cubs mimic their mother, standing on their hind legs to look over the land. The sow lifts her nose, catching a scent in the air, all along watching for danger – she is there to protect her young. Soon six baying hounds will […]
by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin Across the United States, fish and wildlife agencies face mounting opposition as hunting policies and practices are called into question. People are pleading for more wildlife protection over the traditional consumptive uses to manage wildlife population. Although Americans generally support wildlife management, practices that give hunters an unfair advantage over an animal are not aligned with present-day public values. As a result, decisions made by fish and wildlife agencies are contested more frequently, with the public interest that agencies are charged with representing being overlooked. Researchers have discovered changes in societal values – […]
by CHRISTINE SCHADLERAppeared in the Keene Sentinel, January 2022 A RECENT NEWS STORY reported the rescue of two radio-collared hounds that had chased a coyote onto an icy Androscoggin River. The coyote, caught in open water, “did not survive.” The owner of these dogs apparently lost contact with — and control of — the dogs, a common occurrence with coyote or bear hounding. The dogs were fortunate, this time. You might wonder why dogs are trained to chase down and destroy other dogs — coyotes are also members of the dog family — so here are some interesting facts: New […]
by Amanda Gokee, New Hampshire Bulletin Many of the state’s fish begin their lives not in a mountain stream but in a small white box in New Hampton at one of the state’s six fish hatcheries, where young fish are bred and raised before being released in the wild. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon are grown at these hatcheries and then delivered to the state’s waterways, some arriving by truck and others by helicopter so when people come to fish, they have a chance at getting a good catch. Originally a response to overfishing, this century-old approach has […]
Published in the Concord Monitor I am writing in support of HB 1308, an act to prohibit capture, possession, and propagation of hares and rabbits for hunting dog training and field trials. I have worked as a wildlife biologist for several natural resource agencies and was a professor of wildlife ecology at UNH for 31 years and fully support managed hunting of hares. I have fond memories of participating in such hunts. Decades ago, beagle clubs imported scores of live hares from Atlantic Canada to stock private club lands. That practice no longer occurs. Instead, beagle clubs rely on the […]
Published in the Manchester Ink LinkJan 2, 2022 Did you know that New Hampshire beagle clubs are allowed to capture wild snowshoe hares for training hunting dogs? After capture, they are transported to unfamiliar terrain, kept in fenced-in enclosures, and used in competitions called “field trials.” During these trials, beagles are released in packs to track the hares. Although the object is not to kill the snowshoe hares, the hares naturally believe they are in danger while being chased. For a hare, fear itself can be fatal. This practice violates the right of snowshoe hares to live in their natural […]
Published in the Eagle TimesMay 8, 2021 Are New Hampshire legislators trying to fool us? SB 129, now under consideration by the NH House of Representatives, is ironically and misleadingly, officially described as “designed to minimize environmental impacts to endangered or threatened species habitats.” Sounds good doesn’t it? Yet, this developer-inspired bill would actually decrease the protection of such habitats. Currently, developers must show in their permit applications that their plans “will not result in adverse impacts” on threatened or endangered species of animals. But, SB 129 proposes that developers’ plans “not appreciably jeopardize the continued existence of such species […]
Published in the Union LeaderMay 4, 2021 Senate Bill 129 will sell out threatened and endangered wild animals in New Hampshire to wealthy developers if it passes. It will be disastrous for the survival of these species. The House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee heard SB 129 on April 28. The sign-in sheets show that 147 people opposed the bill, and only 13 supported it. The citizens of New Hampshire do not want this bill. The legislators voted 10-8 to pass the bill regardless of the strong opposition. This bill came about because of a backlog in the […]
Published in The Cabinet PressApril 16, 2021 Snowshoe hares are essential to many other species’ survival, including lynx, bobcat, and great horned owls. They also help with the development of the forest by what they eat. Because of this influence over other plants and animals, they are considered a keystone species. Every single one of these animals is important for a healthy ecosystem. It would make sense that our Fish and Game Department (NHFG) would not allow a frivolous use of a NH keystone species. Unfortunately, that is not the case. NHFG implemented rule Fis 806.05 in 2007, enabling beagle […]
by Weldon BosworthPublished in the New Hampshire Union LeaderApril 8, 2021 THE New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the Fish and Game Commission are stewards of our public trust wildlife and are responsible by law for managing them such that all species have healthy, stable populations. For the most part, Fish and Game has done a commendable job. Populations of most major game species, including whitetail deer, bear and turkey, are stable or increasing and over the years have provided a sustainable opportunity for hunters to “harvest” wild game. However, Fish and Game and the commission have done a […]
Published in News – Fosters.com – Dover, NHJan 31, 2019 New Hampshire House Bill 442 prohibits coyote hunting from April through August to coincide with coyote pup rearing. This bill is needed because we learn over time through experience and research, and many of us have learned we’ve misrepresented coyotes as “vermin” and our current strategies are actually counterproductive — making our own lives more difficult than they need to be! We need to reset wildlife management policies. We’ve learned the following: The great majority of coyotes don’t prey on livestock and pose little risk to people. Coyotes are an […]
Published in the Concord MonitorDec 1, 2018 The season for trapping fishers begins today and continues until Dec. 31.. Hunters can shoot fishers from today through the end of January. Fishers have never had it easy in New Hampshire. The value of their fur has driven them to such scarcity in New Hampshire that on several occasions their season has been closed. Over the last two decades there has again been a steady decline in the number of fishers trapped. In fact, the number of fishers trapped has declined from about 1,200 fishers in 1997 to only 44 fishers in […]
Published in the Concord MonitorNov 25, 2018 Each year in New Hampshire thousands of animals are killed for their fur. Cruel practices used include leg-hold traps, bludgeoning and drowning to death by fur trappers and electrocution in fur farming. New Hampshire has one fur farm in Lyndeborough and over 500 fur trappers. Whether used as a full-length coat or simple trim, fur represents pain and suffering. Enduring the excruciating pain of a trap or a lifetime of agony in a tiny cage, the animals suffer immensely. Unable to eat, keep warm or defend themselves against predators, many animals caught in […]
Published in the Concord MonitorNov 18, 2018 The Eastern coyote, essentially a shy dog that is 9 percent wolf and looks like a medium-sized German shepherd, is an integral part of the ecosystem and beneficial to humans. These clever, intelligent omnivores help control small mammal populations and, as scavengers, help keep our communities clean of carrion. They eat animals that harbor Lyme disease. According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, “the great majority of them don’t prey on livestock” and “pose little risk to people.” But some people need a dog to kick around. For this, they have the coyote, […]
Published in the Conway Daily SunOct 2, 2018 From Oct. 1-Dec. 31, hunters and their dogs will go to 64 different locations around New Hampshire that have been stocked with a total of 11,535 adult, farm-raised, non-native red-necked pheasants and “hunt” them. This is essentially a “canned hunt” as these farm-raised birds have no survival skills. Hunters are told when and where the birds are stocked, and they begin showing up and shooting as soon as the birds are taking their first flights of freedom.There is no challenge to hunting these birds. Some hunters kick the birds to get them […]
Published in the Conway Daily SunAug 9, 2018 N.H. Fish and Game has been in the news a lot lately. Because of that, some in the media are supporting hunting and opposing those of us who work for the protection of wild animals. Many N.H. residents are not opposed to fair chase hunting to put food on the table. The problem is that fair chase hunting is a rare experience in today’s hunting. Hunters are their own worst enemy. They bait and sit in a tree stand, waiting for an animal to be enticed to a pile of junk food […]
by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin In the July 2 letter titled, “The real problem for bears in Concord” the writer makes excellent points regarding our contribution to “problem bears” in that bears are lured to backyards while food and garbage is left unsecured. Along with this point, the contributor implies bear hounding has no significant impact on bear numbers throughout the state. While the percentage of bears harvested by hounds is lower compared to other bear hunting methods, it may be time for New Hampshire to reevaluate the relevance of this practice while continuing to manage wildlife populations. […]
by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin On a warm summer morning as soft light begins to filter through branches of towering white pines, a bear and two cubs quietly saunter through an open field foraging for insects, nuts, and berries. A slow pace is necessary to handle the heat – temperatures are on the rise. Occasionally the cubs mimic their mother, standing on their hind legs to look over the land. The sow lifts her nose, catching a scent in the air, all along watching for danger – she is there to protect her young. Soon six baying hounds will […]
by DONNA DI CASPARRO, New Hampshire Bulletin Across the United States, fish and wildlife agencies face mounting opposition as hunting policies and practices are called into question. People are pleading for more wildlife protection over the traditional consumptive uses to manage wildlife population. Although Americans generally support wildlife management, practices that give hunters an unfair advantage over an animal are not aligned with present-day public values. As a result, decisions made by fish and wildlife agencies are contested more frequently, with the public interest that agencies are charged with representing being overlooked. Researchers have discovered changes in societal values – […]
by Amanda Gokee, New Hampshire Bulletin Many of the state’s fish begin their lives not in a mountain stream but in a small white box in New Hampton at one of the state’s six fish hatcheries, where young fish are bred and raised before being released in the wild. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and landlocked salmon are grown at these hatcheries and then delivered to the state’s waterways, some arriving by truck and others by helicopter so when people come to fish, they have a chance at getting a good catch. Originally a response to overfishing, this century-old approach has […]
Published in the Concord Monitor I am writing in support of HB 1308, an act to prohibit capture, possession, and propagation of hares and rabbits for hunting dog training and field trials. I have worked as a wildlife biologist for several natural resource agencies and was a professor of wildlife ecology at UNH for 31 years and fully support managed hunting of hares. I have fond memories of participating in such hunts. Decades ago, beagle clubs imported scores of live hares from Atlantic Canada to stock private club lands. That practice no longer occurs. Instead, beagle clubs rely on the […]
Published in the Union LeaderMay 4, 2021 Senate Bill 129 will sell out threatened and endangered wild animals in New Hampshire to wealthy developers if it passes. It will be disastrous for the survival of these species. The House Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee heard SB 129 on April 28. The sign-in sheets show that 147 people opposed the bill, and only 13 supported it. The citizens of New Hampshire do not want this bill. The legislators voted 10-8 to pass the bill regardless of the strong opposition. This bill came about because of a backlog in the […]
Published in the Conway Daily SunOct 2, 2018 From Oct. 1-Dec. 31, hunters and their dogs will go to 64 different locations around New Hampshire that have been stocked with a total of 11,535 adult, farm-raised, non-native red-necked pheasants and “hunt” them. This is essentially a “canned hunt” as these farm-raised birds have no survival skills. Hunters are told when and where the birds are stocked, and they begin showing up and shooting as soon as the birds are taking their first flights of freedom.There is no challenge to hunting these birds. Some hunters kick the birds to get them […]