Capital One Rejects Hunting Photo for Image Card

“Express Yourself. Personalize your card with an image of your choice.”

That is the claim made by Capital One for anyone who wants to have a personal photo put on a Capital One credit card. You can even design it yourself online with a photo you upload.

But you can’t use a hunting photo. Capital One considers them unacceptable.
That’s what Lou Hinger of Hamburg, N.J., found out when she tried to design a credit card using a photo of her husband Frank, dressed in hunting gear, posing with a deer he had taken last hunting season.

Hinger received an e-mail from Capital One that said, in part:

“Sorry, we were unable to approve the image you submitted. We will not approve any images that contain the following: “Violence, hatred, or cruelty to humans or animals, profanity obscenities or any type of death imagery.”

“We are livid,” says Hinger, “as we are God-serving Americans who hunt to feed our family. In these economic times our family is fed by hunting, and it’s horrible to be associated with words like ‘hatred or violence.’

“I tried to call for an explanation twice; no one will get on the phone. Also, their terms are vague. However, someone took the time to specifically write that response pertaining to our image.

“Every American hunter should know about this,” Hinger continued. “Capital One says, ‘Express yourself’ in the image card. Hunting is the most important way my husband expresses himself.”

Whether Capital One has done anything illegal is questionable, but whether the company has just insulted 14.9 million law-abiding American hunters is not.  That’s outrageous.

For those NRA members who are interested, Mike Marcellin, Managing Director in NRA’s Office of the Treasurer, points out that, “NRA credit cards also offer the feature of allowing cardholders to personalize their cards with pictures—including hunting trophies.”  The card companies do ask that no blood be visible on the photo, however, so take a minute in any good photo-editing program and clean it up first. With these cards, you also support the NRA with each purchase. To learn more, please visit www.nraaccounts.com/nra/.

Senators Battle Environmentalists Seeking to Ban Lead in Ammunition, Fishing Tackle

As environmentalists battle to ban the use of lead in ammunition and fishing tackle out of concern for wildlife and their habitats, several U.S. lawmakers have rushed to defend the tools of hunters and fishermen with a new bill to shield such items from regulation.

Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont, and John Thune, R-S.D., co-chairmen of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, unveiled this week legislation to clarify the longstanding exemption of ammunition and its components under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which allows the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate "chemical substances" under certain circumstances.

Citing tax revenue as justification, the lawmakers say a ban would lead to higher excise taxes on more expensive bullets that would price out many hunters and fisherman.

"Hunting, shooting and fishing are more than just pastimes in Montana – they're part of our outdoor heritage," Tester said. "They're Montana values that we pass on to our kids and grandkids. And I'll fight for those values whenever Washington D.C.'s rules get in the way of commons sense."

"Outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing, not only provide recreational opportunities, but also greatly contribute to South Dakota's economy," Thune said. "The EPA's overreaching regulations in other areas are already negatively affecting jobs and businesses across the country, and I am committed to ensuring that ammunition and tackle do not become subject to arbitrary regulation."

A coalition of conservation groups is suing the Environmental Protection Agency to force a ban. They call the lawmakers' legislation "misguided" at best.

"I think it's sad," said Adam Keats, senior counsel for the Center for Biological Diversity who is the lead attorney on the EPA lawsuit. "It's a pathetic move by elected officials who are ignoring facts, science and putting the health of the people in this country in harm's way just to appeal to a very well-heeled, wealthy lobby: the gun lobby."

"I think the bill is ridiculous," said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate with the center, which is leading the coalition of green activists. "I think it's a waste of taxpayer money. It's trying to prolong the inevitable. Lead is going to go away."

The coalition filed a lawsuit in November after the EPA rejected its petition last summer that argued the use of lead in ammo and tackle is poisoning the nation's lakes, ponds and forests. The EPA said it lacked the authority to regulate lead in ammunition and added that shells and cartridges are excluded from the definition of "chemical substances" in the toxic act.

Now environmentalists find themselves in a skirmish with lawmakers, the EPA and gun rights groups.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms and hunting industry, says a ban on traditional ammunition would imperil the financial health of wildlife conservation, since the 11 percent federal excise tax that manufacturers pay on the sale of ammunition is a primary source of conservation funding.

But environmentalists call that argument a "nonstarter."

"I guarantee that if the EPA were to ban lead ammunition, there would be no difference in the excise tax taken by federal officials," Keats said. "It's not a rational argument. The premise requires you to believe hundreds of thousands of people who are not allowed to use lead ammunition will instead give up hunting."

Miller said the excise tax equally applies to ammunition sold regardless of its composition.

"Sales of copper-based ammunition brings in just as much money for conservationists," he said. "It's a nonissue. That tax would continue."

The foundation also says higher costs associated with alternative ammunition will price everyday consumers out of the market, pointing to the 1 percent market share of alternative ammunition.

"The economic growth of America's firearms and ammunition industry continues to be a bright spot in our country's still-ailing economy," said Lawrence Kean, senior vice president and general counsel to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. "Passing this important legislation will help to ensure that our industry, which is responsible for more than 183,000 well-paying jobs and has an economic impact of more than $27.8 billion annually, continues to shine."

But Keats dismissed that as "cynical lies being perpetrated by these guys."

"It's not about anything they're saying it's about," he said.

Miller said EPA was legally wrong to reject the coalition's petition and believes the agency turned its back on the issue because it was a "hot potato" before the midterm election.

"They fully have the right to regulate lead ammunition," he said, adding that trying to argue against that is "sticking your head in the sand."

NRA - CR Provision Includes Partial Delisting of Recovered Wolf Populations: An Important First Step

    The National Rifle Association today thanked Members of Congress for taking an important step in the right direction for wolf and game species conservation. The continuing resolution FY 2011, scheduled for votes later this week, includes a general provision that delists certain populations of wolves from the Endangered Species Act. Wolf populations in Montana and Idaho as well as portions of Utah, Oregon and Washington would be declared recovered by reinstating the 2009 ruling from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), paving the way for regulated wolf hunting seasons. The NRA would also like to thank the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Boone and Crockett Club, and Safari Club International for joining together in this important effort to place the states in charge of wolf conservation.
    “With recovered populations of wolves across the Northwest, this Congressional action sends an important message to anti-hunting extremists -- politics and legal wrangling are not welcome when it comes to conservation,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action. “Hunters are the true conservationists and wolves simply need to be managed through regulated hunting like so many other species. The partial delisting is a good start and we will be focused on a more comprehensive solution moving forward.”
    Moose, elk and mule deer populations have been decimated in some areas where wolves are prevalent and the regulated hunting of wolves is long-overdue. The Congressional fix included in the continuing resolution would reinstate the 2009 science-based delisting ruling by FWS. This is an important first step in handing full control of wolf management to the states.
    Wolf populations in the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes region are at least five times larger than the original federal recovery goals according to FWS. Although the general provision in the continuing resolution only deals with a part of the area where wolves are recovered, other states may still propose new wolf management plans. Wyoming officials are currently negotiating with FWS in hopes of getting a new wolf management plan approved. NRA will continue to push for the regulated hunting of wolves where populations have recovered.
    America’s rich hunting and conservation heritage depends on wildlife experts and biologists to set guidelines for a particular species. These wildlife experts and biologists have been demanding the regulated hunting of wolves that would result once management responsibility is shifted back to state control. Successful wolf hunting seasons were conducted in Idaho and Montana last year only to be thwarted by anti-hunting extremists in court. “It is time for science and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to prevail once more and we hope that Congress adopts this critical step forward in state-based wolf management,” concluded Cox.

Study: Off feedgrounds, wolves eat bull elk, moose

Research shows wolves choose different prey on feedgrounds, natural winter range.

By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
Date: April 6, 2011

Wolves ate bull elk and cow moose more than other ungulates in northern Jackson Hole last winter, in contrast to the Gros Ventre drainage, where cow and calf elk were the prey of choice, researchers said.

Researchers used volunteers and a combination of VHF- and GPS-tracking collars to examine two wolf packs last year and three packs this year in Buffalo Valley and northern Grand Teton National Park.

Volunteers collected data on the species type, age and sex of the animals.

The crews also looked at the bone marrow of the ungulates wolves killed to determine body condition.

The study area is primarily inhabited by the Pacific Creek, Phantom Springs and Huckleberry wolf packs, although some of those packs have been known to range widely in winter.

From January to March, field crews from the park and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documented 47 wolf-kill carcasses: 26 elk (55.3 percent), 18 moose (38.3 percent) and three deer (6.4 percent).

Of the documented elk kills, wolves took down 14 bulls (53.8 percent), seven cows (26.9 percent) and two calves (7.7 percent). Researchers were not able to determine the age and sex of three animals (11.5 percent).

Of the moose killed, researchers documented nine cows (50 percent), four bulls (22 percent) and 3 calves (17 percent). One moose killed was an adult of unknown sex (5.6 percent), and one was an unknown sex and age (5.6 percent).

Of the three deer killed, one was a doe, one an adult of unknown sex and one a yearling of unknown sex.

The results are similar to 2010 results, when researchers focused on the same areas. The findings, however, contrast with earlier data that showed wolves near feedgrounds in the Gros Ventre tend to eat more elk cows and calves. The packs for the current study were selected specifically because their home ranges don’t contain large numbers of wintering elk, researchers said.

The reason for the discrepancy is wolves tend to focus predation efforts on what is available and what is vulnerable, said Mike Jimenez, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wolf recovery project leader. Jimenez cautioned the results are preliminary; researchers plan to gather more data before results are analyzed.

While cow and calf elk dominate feedgrounds, on native winter range in the northern part of Jackson Hole, bull elk and moose are more abundant.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department set up a small emergency feedground in Buffalo Valley this winter, but subject wolves “didn’t go into that area very much,” Jimenez said.

“It’s what you would expect,” Jimenez said. “What you start to see is there are small pockets of animals. The bulk is [bull] elk and moose.”

Most of the ungulates killed by the wolves were in fairly good shape based on bone marrow samples from last year and this year, Jimenez said. The samples give an indication of the animal’s body condition because bone marrow is one of the last fat reserves tapped when an animal is undernourished, he said.

Still, bone marrow isn’t the only indication of body condition, and high-quality bone marrow doesn’t mean a given ungulate is healthy. Previous studies have shown moose, especially, are contending with several challenges.

“[Researchers] describe moose as being in marginal physical condition ... related to less-than-optimal habitat quality,” Jimenez said.
Add parasites such as the carotid artery worm to the mix, and north Jackson Hole moose are compromised, Jimenez said.

March, April and May are typically the toughest months of the year for moose, and this year’s deep snowpack likely has added to the challenge.

“Whenever there’s a heavy snowfall ... animals have trouble moving around, Jimenez said. “They’re using more energy.”

If heavy snowfall is accompanied by a surface crust, the already compromised moose can become easier targets for wolves.

“Wolves can cruise on top of that crust,” Jimenez said. “You see predation rates go up.

“Moose are available, and some are going to be more vulnerable than others,” Jimenez continued. “Wolves ... key into those things.”

Elk, on the other hand, are generally “not in terrible condition,” said John Stephenson, a wildlife biologist for Grand Teton National Park.

This winter’s heavy snowpack highlights the need for more data before making any firm conclusions, said Steve Cain, senior wildlife biologist for Grand Teton.

“The distribution of elk on the landscape varies,” he said. “Many, many more have gone to the feedgrounds because the snow is so deep.”

“This particular winter, the number of elk on the landscape within the home ranges of the packs in the study is less than what would be there on a more normal year,” Cain continued. “If any one of these packs had a percentage of elk in their diet, you would expect it to be less in a winter like this.”

The study is interesting because wolves are a relatively new influence on the landscape, said Cain, who explained the park’s portion of the study was funded through donations to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.

“We’re always interested in how a major carnivore is being integrated back into the ecosystem function in the park, filling a role that has been vacant for 70 or more years,” Cain said. “If a wolf doesn’t have a feedground in their home range, what do they eat?”