Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: What's wrong with the (modern, w...

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: What's wrong with the (modern, w...: 

Lex Anteinternet: What's wrong with the (modern, western) world, part 3. Our lost connection with animals.

ICELANDIC MILKMAID ON HER MORNING ROUND

This is a fine, sturdy pony standing so stockily for his photograph, and he can make light of his burden of buxom beauty with her heavy can of milk. She cares not for saddle or stirrups, for most of these island people are born to horseback, and her everyday costume amply serves the purpose of a riding-habit for this strapping Viking's daughter, with her long tresses shining in the breeze.  

(Original caption, of interest here I wouldn't call this young lady "buxom" or "strapping", but just healthy.  This might say something about how standards have changed over time.)

The other day, I posted this in a footnote on a completely different topic.

Lex Anteinternet: What's wrong with the (modern, western) world, par...:   

4.  One of the odder examples of this, very widespread, is the change in our relationship with animals.

Our species is one of those which has a symbiotic relationship with other ones.  We like to think that this is unique to us, but it isn't.  Many other examples of exist of birds, mammals and even fish that live in very close relationships with other species.  When this occurred with us, we do not know, but we do know that its ancient.  Dogs and modern wolves both evolved from a preexisting wolf species starting some 25,000 to 40,000 years ago, according to the best evidence we currently have. That likely means it was longer ago than that.

Cats, in contrast, self domesticated some 7,000 or so years ago, according to our best estimates.

Cat eating a shellfish, depiction from an Egyptian tomb.

We have a proclivity for both domesticating animals, and accepting self domestication of animals, the truth being that such events are likely part and parcel of each other. Dogs descend from some opportunistic wolves that started hanging around us as we killed things they liked to eat.  Cats from wildcats that came on as we're dirty.  Both evolved thereafter in ways we like, becoming companions as well as servants.  But not just them, horses, pigs, sheep, cattle. . .the list is long.

As we've moved from the natural to the unnatural, we've forgotten that all domestic animals, no matter how cute and cuddly they are, are animals and were originally our servants. And as real children have become less common in WASP culture, the natural instinct to have an infant to take care of, or even adore, has transferred itself upon these unwilling subjects, making them "fur babies".

It's interesting in this context to watch the difference between people who really work with animals, and those who do not.  Just recently, for example, our four-year-old nephew stayed the night due to the snow, and was baffled why our hunting dog, who is a type of working dog but very much a companion, stayed the night indoors.  The ranch dogs do not. . . ever.  The ranch cats, friendly though they are, don't either.

I started this thread back in February, when the entire news on "transgenderism" really hit the fan, so to speak.  Since that time there's been the filing of the sorority lawsuit in Laramie, a host of transgender mass shooting, and an absolutely freakish campaign by Budweiser in which a guy trying to channel a girl of the 1960s is sponsoring Bud Light.  Anyhow, this thread was to tie into it somehow, but now a lot of time has gone by, and working seven days out of seven, etc., I've really forgotten what my brilliant point here was to be, more or less.

But I'll go on anyhow.

This photograph shows a young woman at work, doing something that counted, and doing it in a way that was very close to nature.

So does this one:

Mid Week At Work: Mail Carrier, 1915, Los Angeles

And also this one:

Rural Nurse, Virginia. 1919.

And this one:

LOC Caption:   Sarah Crutcher, 12-year-old girl herding cattle. Route 4, c/o S.O. Crutcher. She was out of school (#49 Comanche County) only 2 weeks this year and that was to herd 100 head of cattle for her father, a prosperous farmer. She said: "I didn't like it either." She is doing well in school. Is in Grade 8.] Location: [Lawton, Oklahoma]

I think one of the interesting things about this photographs is, contrary to the modern image of what women wore when doing livestock work in the early 20th and late 19th Centuries, she's dressed in completely typical female attire for the time. She's riding wearing a fairly long skirt and a woman's hat that is typical for the period.

The point here?

Well this.  

We've gotten to the point where we don't deal with animals as they really are, daily.  We also are at the point where a large percentage of the original WASP demographic of the nation (more on this shortly) has lost most of the values it originally had, and replaced them with very weak tea instead.  And we've so removed ourselves from a state of nature, that most people don't have a grasp on what nature really is.

It's hard not to know the reality of the world if you live in it.

This past week, the Wyoming Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case in Casper in which the plaintiffs claim they suffered emotional distress as their two pet dogs were caught in snares which they claim were improperly placed on public lands by a trapper.  Apparently, in a companion criminal case, the trapper was exonerated.  The state land is very close to the city, which is a problem, but it's still state land, and still unincorporated.

Losing dogs is a tragedy, but emotional distress?  This has never been allowed in the common law, as the law always held that the law is, basically, for people.  If you can claim emotional distress due to the loss of a pet, why not anything?

Now, that sounds cruel, and I understand grieving over the loss of an animal.  I've done it myself.  That is, in fact, one of the things about owning pets.  Normally, you outlive them, and if you are normal, you'll miss them when they die.

It's a part of life.

But emotional distress has been reserved, in the common law, for the loss of humans, based, in the end, for what we feel with the loss of a loved human being.  Not an animal, no matter how loved.

And of course, up until recently, there was no such concept as a legally recognized animal for "emotional support".  Support they did provide, but the bond was in a naturalistic way, not one for which the law afforded protection.

Have we lost something here?

I think we have, and it's connected with real work and real animals.

We'll explore What's Wrong With The World more in this series of threads, but here's one.  Being connected with animals in a real sense, and not in the sanitary removed from nature sense, helped keep us real.  

We've lost that.

It's hard to be obsessively focused on yourself, including your reproductive self, if you're around animals as animals, particularly great big ones that can hurt you.

And I'll bet the thought "I'm a girl, but I want to be a boy" didn't much cross the minds of Icelandic pony riding milkmaids, Oklahoman girl cowpunchers, or Los Angeles mounted mail carriers.

Related Threads:

What's wrong with the (modern, western) world, part 1. A thought on community

What's wrong with the (modern, western) world, part 2. Care, lack of care, and an existential lack of focus.

Lex Anteinternet: Wednesday, April 11, 1973. Vore Buffalo Jump.

Lex Anteinternet: Wednesday, April 11, 1973. Vore Buffalo Jump.: 

Wednesday, April 11, 1973. Vore Buffalo Jump.

Today In Wyoming's History: April 11: 1973  Vore Buffalo Jump added to the National Register of Historic Places.

I'm sorry to say, I've never been there.

I suppose it's worth noting that aboriginal natives in North America, contrary to the way that this is sometimes supposed, took game animals in mass, when the opportunity presented itself.  This means that, at least as to these instances, the "use everything" story so often repeated in regard to native taking of game animals is incorrect.

This was limited, however, by the fact that the opportunity didn't present itself everyday, and the human population itself was limited.  Indeed, the "hunted to extinction" story so often repeated about ancient human populations in North America is, I suspect, over done.

Rawlins Town Hall to Discuss Wildlife Losses, Now Virtual Due to Winter Weather

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2023
CONTACT: Ivy McGowan-Castleberry 
Ivy.Castleberry@wyo.gov

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Due to severe winter weather expected across much of the State today and tomorrow, Governor Gordon has determined to move forward with a virtual-only Rawlins town hall instead of both in-person and virtually. 

The Zoom webinar can accommodate 500 guests and will begin at 4 pm on April 4, 2023, as previously scheduled. 

When:
Tuesday, Apr 4, 2023
4-5:30 pm

Where:
Virtually 
Join Zoom Webinar
Webinar ID: 835 5355 0566
Passcode: 045552

Governor Convenes Pinedale Town Hall to Discuss Wildlife Losses

 

Governor Convenes Pinedale Town Hall to Discuss Wildlife Losses

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – This winter has been one of the hardest winters Wyoming has experienced in recent history. According to temperatures recorded at the Pinedale airport, the 30-year average for days of temperatures below zero is approximately 39 days. This year, there were 62 days below-zero temperatures. Compounding the winter conditions has been an unusually large  amount of snow, with many areas currently at 125-150% of the average snowpack. These factors have severely impacted Wyoming wildlife, and concerns from the public have grown as antelope, and deer carcasses have become substantially visible.

In response to the growing concerns Governor Gordon heard from constituents and legislators, the Governor called for a town hall meeting to provide an opportunity to hear directly from citizens in areas most impacted and to discuss solutions that work for Wyoming wildlife. The town hall was held at the Pinedale library and was open to the public through Zoom.

Joining Governor Gordon and Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) Director Brian Nesvik was Dr. Kevin Montieth, a professor at the University of Wyoming’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. Dr. Monteith shared with the audience that in addition to tougher than usual winter conditions, antelope have been hit hard by a rare bacterial pneumonia, which appears to be spreading. 

Dr. Monteith further explained that some solutions that have been called for, such as feeding antelope and mule deer, are not good solutions because, unlike elk, the digestive systems of these animals cannot quickly adjust to hay. Monteith explained to an audience of more than 200 that the best solution to help Wyoming wildlife is protecting and enhancing the animals’ habitat and protecting migration routes so animals can more easily seek forage. Access to their natural foods over the summer and fall allows the animals to enter winter with higher body fat content, helping them survive winter when shrubs and sagebrush brush are scarce. 

Governor Gordon and Director Nesvik heard many suggestions, including limiting hunting quotas and seasons this year. Director Nesvik explained that this is an ongoing evaluation, and the WGFD continually monitor all the factors, taking them into account in future decisions. “We are experiencing one of the toughest winters for big game in Wyoming’s recent history,” noted Director Nesvik. We have difficult decisions to make, and I appreciate everyone who came to our town hall. Rest assured; those tough decisions will be made in consideration of biology and the advice we hear from concerned citizens.”

Concluding the town hall, Governor Gordon stated, “I thank all who came to the town hall in person or virtually. Wyoming people care deeply about our wildlife. That was clearly shown today. I greatly appreciate all the suggestions, questions and comments they shared today. Wyoming folks are not shy. I am committed to working with our citizens to provide healthy wildlife populations for generations to come.” 

A Zoom recording of the town hall can be viewed here. 

### 

Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, March 30, 1943. Kenny Sailors

Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, March 30, 1943. The Martyrdom of Sister ...: 

Sailors in 1950.

Today In Wyoming's History: March 30: 1943  Led by legendary UW basketball player Kenny Sailors, UW beat Georgetown 46 to 34 in Madison Square Gardens.  Sailors would enter the Marine Corps as an officer at the conclusion of that year.  UW would suspend basketball due to the war after that year.  Sailors eventually became a hunting guide in  Alaska, but returned to Wyoming in his old age, where he still lives, following the death of his wife.

Note: that item was originally penned, Sailors was in fact alive.  However, he subsequently passed on January 30, 2016, in Laramie, Wyoming.  Sailors remains a Wyoming basketball legend.

Lex Anteinternet: Monday, March 29, 1943 Meat and fat rationing commences in the U.S.

Lex Anteinternet: Monday, March 29, 1943 Meat and fat rationing com...: 

Monday, March 29, 1943 Meat and fat rationing commences in the U.S.

On this day in 1943, rationing in the US of meats, fat and cheese commenced, with Americans limited to two pounds per week of meat.

Poultry was not affected by the order.

This must have been a matter of interest in my family, engaged in the meat packing industry as they then were.

Contrary to popular memory, not everything the US did during the war met with universal approval back home, and this was one such example.  Cheating and black marketing was pretty common, and there were very widespread efforts to avoid rationing.  Farmers and ranchers helped people to avoid the system by direct sales to consumers, something the government intervened to stop and only recently has seen a large-scale return.

While wholesale inclusion of a prior item in a new one is bad form, here's something we earlier ran which is a topic that needs repeating here:

Lex Anteinternet: So you're living in Wyoming (or the West in genera...So what about World War Two?

Some time ago I looked at this in the context of World War One, but what about World War Two?

Lex Anteinternet: So you're living in Wyoming (or the West in genera...: what would that have been like? Advertisement for the Remington Model 8 semi automatic rifle, introduced by Remington from the John Bro...

 Wisconsin deer camp, 1943, the year meat rationing began.

Indeed, a person's reasons to go hunting during World War Two, besides all the regular reasons (a connection with our primal, and truer, selves, being out in nature, doing something real) were perhaps stronger during the Second World War than they were in the First.  During WWII the government rationed meat.  During World War One it did not, although it sure put the social pressure on to conserve meat.

Indeed, the first appeals of any kind to conserve food in the United States came from the British in 1941, at which time the United States was not yet in the war. The British specifically appealed to Americans to conserve meat so that it could go to English fighting men.  In the spring of 1942 rationing of all sorts of things began to come in as the Federal government worried about shortages developing in various areas.  Meat and cheese was added to the ration list on March 29, 1943.  As Sarah Sundin reports on her blog:

On March 29, 1943, meats and cheeses were added to rationing. Rationed meats included beef, pork, veal, lamb, and tinned meats and fish. Poultry, eggs, fresh milk—and Spam—were not rationed. Cheese rationing started with hard cheeses, since they were more easily shipped overseas. However, on June 2, 1943, rationing was expanded to cream and cottage cheeses, and to canned evaporated and condensed milk.

So in 1943 Americans found themselves subject to rationing on meat.  As noted, poultry was exempt, so a Sunday chicken dinner was presumably not in danger, but almost every other kind of common meat was rationed.  So, a good reason to go out in the field.

But World War Two was distinctly different in all sorts of ways from World War One, so hunting by that time was also different in many ways, and it was frankly impacted by the war in different ways.

For one thing, by 1941 automobiles had become a staple of American life.  It's amazing to think of the degree to which this is true, as it happened so rapidly.  By the late 1930s almost every American family had a car.  Added to that, pickup trucks had come in between the wars in the early versions of what we have today, and they were obviously a vehicle that was highly suited to hunting, although early cars, because of the way they were configured and because they were often more utilitarian than current ones, were well suited as a rule.  What was absent were 4x4s, which we've discussed earlier.

This meant that it was much, much easier for hunters to go hunting in a fashion that was less of an expedition.  It became possible to pack up a car or pickup truck and travel early in the morning to a hunting location and be back that night, in other words.

Or at least it had been until World War Two. With the war came not only food rationing, but gasoline rationing as well.  And not only gasoline rationing, but rationing that pertained to things related to automobiles as well

Indeed, the first thing to be rationed by the United States Government during World War Two was tires.  Tires were rationed on December 11, 1941.  This was due to anticipated shortages in rubber, which was a product that had been certainly in use during World War One, but not to the extent it was during World War Two.  And tire rationing mattered.

People today are used to modern radial tires which are infinitely better, and longer lasting, than old bias ply tires were.  People who drove before the 1980s and even on into the 80s were used to constantly having flat tires.  I hear occasionally people lament the passing of bias ply tires for trucks, but I do not.  Modern tires are much better and longer lasting.  Back when we used bias ply tires it seemed like we were constantly buying tires and constantly  having flat tires.  Those tires would have been pretty similar to the tires of World War Two.  Except by all accounts tires for civilians declined remarkably in quality during the war due to material shortages.

Gasoline rationing followed, and it was so strict that all forms of automobile racing, which had carried on unabated during World War One, were banned during World War Two.  Sight seeing was also banned.  So, rather obviously, the use of automobiles was fairly curtailed during the Second World War.

So, where as cars and trucks had brought mobility to all sorts of folks between the wars in a brand new way, rationing cut back on it, including for hunters, during the war.

Which doesn't mean that you couldn't go out, but it did mean that you had to save your gasoline ration if you were going far and generally plan wisely.

Ammunition was also hard to come by during the war.

It wasn't due to rationing, but something else that was simply a common fact of life during World War Two.  Industry turned to fulfilling contracts for the war effort and stopped making things for civilians consumption.

Indeed, I've hit on this a bit before in a different fashion, that being how technology advanced considerably between the wars but that the Great Depression followed by the Second World War kept that technology, more specifically domestic technology, from getting to a lot of homes. Automobiles, in spite of the Depression, where the exception really.  While I haven't dealt with it specifically, the material demands of the Second World War were so vast that industries simply could not make things for the service and the civilian market. 

Some whole classes of products, such as automobiles, simply stopped being available for civilians.  Ammunition was like that.  With the services consuming vast quantities of small arms ammunition, ammunition for civilians became very hard to come by.  People who might expect to get by with a box of shotgun shells for a day's hunt and to often make due with half of that.  Brass cases were substituted for steel before that was common in the U.S., which was a problem for reloaders. 

So, in short, the need and desire was likely there, but getting components were more difficult. And being able to get out was as well, which impacted a person to a greater or lesser extent depending where they were.

And, as previously noted, game populations are considerably higher today than they were then.

New Zealanders entered the Tunisian city of Gabès.

Hitler rejected the recommendations of the German Army to place V-2 rockets on mobile launchers and opted instead for them to have permanent launching installations at Peenemünde.

Life issued a special issue on the USSR.

Nevada joined those states, such as Wyoming, which would no longer recognize Common Law Marriage.

Chapter 122 - Marriage

NRS 122.010 - What constitutes marriage; no common-law marriages after March 29, 1943.

1. Marriage, so far as its validity in law is concerned, is a civil contract, to which the consent of the parties capable in law of contracting is essential. Consent alone will not constitute marriage; it must be followed by solemnization as authorized and provided by this chapter.

2. The provisions of subsection 1 requiring solemnization shall not invalidate any marriage contract in effect prior to March 29, 1943, to which the consent only of the parties capable in law of contracting the contract was essential.

John Major, British Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, was born, as was English comedian Eric Idle.

Salmon Season Suspended.

From UPI:

March 13 (UPI) -- The recreational and commercial salmon fishing season has been canceled along the coasts of Oregon and California, through the middle of May, due to dwindling numbers of Chinook salmon in the states' largest rivers following years of drought.

Not good.  Not good at all. Even with all this years rain and snow. 

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Last Rou...

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The Last Rou...: 

Game and Fish begins implementation of 2023 legislative changes

 

3/9/2023 9:38:46 PM

CHEYENNE - The 2023 Wyoming Legislature passed several bills that will make changes to Wyoming Game and Fish Department laws and regulations. The following is a summary of the notable Game and Fish-related bills that passed, how they will impact the public and the next steps for implementation. Game and Fish will continue to provide updates as these changes move through the regulation process. 

Hunting of predatory animals–amendments (HB0104)

Hunters will be allowed to hunt predatory animals on public or state land at night with the use of artificial light, including thermal and infrared imaging. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has been granted the authority to establish rules and regulations regarding the creation of zones, areas, seasons and methods for the taking of predatory animals with the use of artificial light on public or state land. Game and Fish will provide updates as these changes move through the regulation process. 

Mountain lion pursuit seasons (SF0178) 

Wyoming residents may be allowed to participate in a pursuit-only season for mountain lions with dogs in areas where mountain lion hunting is permitted. The take of mountain lions during a pursuit season is illegal and subject to misdemeanor charges and fines. Game and Fish will provide updates as these changes move through the regulation process. 

Nonresident hunting license-application fees (HB0200)

Forty percent of nonresident deer, elk and antelope licenses are placed in the pool for the special draw. This bill increases the fees for those who apply for the special draw.  

The special draw fee for elk, deer and antelope will increase to the following: 

• Nonresident elk special fee: $1,258 
• Nonresident deer special fee: $826
• Nonresident antelope special fee: $874

This bill also will increase the nonresident fees for some of Wyoming’s most coveted licenses to the following: 

• Nonresident bighorn sheep license: $3,000
• Nonresident mountain goat license: $2,750
• Nonresident moose license: $2,750
• Nonresident grizzly bear license: $7,500
• Nonresident wild bison license: $6,000

Nonresidents who wish to enter the special draw for antelope, deer and elk are responsible for paying the special draw fee in addition to the license and application fee. This bill has no effect on the allocation or number of resident licenses. This bill goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Shed antlers and horns conservation stamp requirement for nonresidents (HB0276)

This bill establishes shed antlers and horns on public land as property of the state and requires nonresidents to obtain a conservation stamp prior to the collection of shed antlers and horns on designated lands. A conservation stamp will not be required for residents of Wyoming or any person under 15 years of age. Nonresidents will not be required to obtain a conservation stamp this year. Game and Fish will provide updates as these changes move through the regulation process.

Collection of antlers or horns by residents and nonresidents (HB0123)

Wyoming residents will have the opportunity to collect shed antlers on designated lands seven days before the start of the nonresident season. Currently, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission regulation prohibits anyone from collecting shed antlers or horns from public lands west of the Continental Divide, excluding the Great Divide Basin and some land west of Laramie, from Jan. 1 through 6 a.m on May 1. This bill goes into effect on July 1, 2023.

State shooting complex task force (SF0169)

This bill creates a 12-member task force that will oversee the creation of a state shooting, archery and education complex. Directors from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State Parks and Cultural Resources and the Department of Tourism or their designee will be members along with other representatives of the Wyoming Legislature, a conservation group, a shooting sports group and the firearms manufacturing industry. 

Defining aircraft for the purposes of hunting prohibitions (SF0033)

This bill provides a clear definition of aircraft in W.S. 23-3-306 which states the use of aircraft, automobiles, motorized and snow vehicles and artificial light for hunting or fishing purposes are  not allowed. The definition of aircraft has been updated to include any machine or device capable of atmospheric flight including but not limited to an airplane, helicopter, glider, dirigible or unmanned aerial vehicle. This bill goes into effect July 1.

Unlawful trespass signage-taking of wildlife (HB0147)

Prohibits anyone from knowingly and without authorization to place signs that restrict access to public land. This bill goes into effect July 1. 

Prohibit travel across private land for hunting purposes (SF056)

This bill prohibits anyone from entering, traveling through or returning across private property to take wildlife, hunt, fish or collect antlers or horns without the permission of the owner or the person in charge of the property. This bill goes into effect July 1.

 — WGFD  — 

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season Ends, the 2023 Season Begins.

Lex Anteinternet: Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season Ends, the 2023 S...: 

Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season Ends, the 2023 Season Begins.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season: So on to 2023!

I decided to go ice fishing today.

My daughter is the real ice fishing aficionado in our family.  I had some experience with it as a boy, but oddly enough, my father didn't really engage in much ice fishing.  He was a dedicated fisherman, so that's surprising.  Indeed, he probably was slightly more of a fisherman than a hunter, and I in contrast I am definitely more of a hunter than a fisherman.  I know that his father did both, as we all do, but I don't know how that scale balanced.  I've really only heard about my father's father in regard to bird hunting, although I know that he fished the streams as well, like we all do.

Anyhow, back when I was young, in the 70s, I recall ice fishing at Alcova, which I'd be a bit afraid to do today, but it wasn't very often.  I also recall people parking their trucks on the ice, which I'd never do today.  My father chopped a hole in the ice with a spade, which I don't recall anyone doing since that time.  

It was fun.

We have a hand auger.  Much better than a spade.  And little ice fishing poles, which isn't what my father used.

I didn't make it out last year.  I hunted geese until the end of January, not terribly successfully, and it warmed up too much to ice fish.

Not this year.

In fact, today, going out by myself, as my daughter lives in Laramie now, I found myself flagged down going in, after I passed the snow plow.  A really nice fellow I know, having called him as a witness on the Reservation, and a city councilman, formally one of my kid's religious education teachers, informed me the road was drifted in.  I thanked them and pulled off

The dog wasn't pleased.

The dog believes that he's integral to fishing, and that without him, the endeavor will fail.  He's very serious about his hunting occupation, and fishing is of course fish hunting.

I pulled off to let him wee. .. okay and I needed to wee too.  After that, in spite of being warned, I drove down the road toward the lake.

Oh man, was it ever drifted in.

I went back down the road and met a fisherman from Douglas near the highway.  He was waiting for me for a road report.  He'd driven a long ways and had a lot of poles, a true ice fisherman.  I gave the road report to him. He decided to try Alcova.  I decided to try a different high mountain lake.

And yes, I'm not going to mention it.

Before I left for that one, I received a call from my son's girlfriend. She's a dedicated fly fisherman, a rare quality in a girlfriend and one to be seriously admired.  My pickup, which my son is driving, she related, had been rear ended in a Laramie blizzard.  I have his truck right now as it's having a complete mechanical breakdown.

Turns out it wasn't bad.

Couldn't make that other high mountain lake either.  It was also drifted in. 

Oh well.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season

Lex Anteinternet: The 2022 Season: 

The 2022 Season

The 2022 hunting season has ended.

In 2022, when I wrote about the 2021 season, I started off with this:

 It wasn't a great one, for a variety of reasons.

And that statement was true once again for 2022, but for different reasons, a lot of which had nothing much to do with the hunting season itself.

That's because 2022 has been the year of the field of Medicine, or age, or perhaps lifestyle, or whatever, catching up with me.

Self portrait, and a bad one, turkey hunting.  I was wearing a coat under this coat, and frankly I don't look like I was feeling particularly well when this photo was taken.

In the Spring I wasn't feeling well, which after much delay and finally responding to a demand from Long Suffering Spouse, caused me to go into the doctor's office, which lead in turn to a prescription for some medicine.  I'll spare you the details, but like most medicines and me, I didn't really respond terribly well to them physically. They did their job, but they also made me a bit ill, and made me ill just in time for Spring Turkey Season.  I hunted turkeys, as I always do, and I did see some, but I never got up on them (I tend to stalk them, rather than lure them in).  I did get a turkey call, which I'd never had before, but that failed to bring any in.  

A couple of weeks later, by which times things had warmed up enough to wear my Park Service dress campaign hat, the replacement for my long serving but now lost M1911 campaign hat.  I miss the old hat.

I also had the joy, and I won't detail it, of being pretty sick while hunting.  Something I rarely have experienced.

It was fun anyhow, but not something for a subsistence hunter to write home about.

That takes us to fishing season, and here too, for one reason or another, I just didn't get out over the summer as much as usual.  Indeed, "didn't get out as much as usual" was the theme of the year.

I fished the river several times, and one of the mountain streams I fish.  I attempted to take my daughter and her boyfriend down a significant local canyon, where I'm sure there are big fish, but we failed at that.  I hadn't scouted the route, and ours was pretty impassable.

I did try something I have not for several years, however, which was fishing from a kayak.

The doctor's visit mentioned earlier lead to a colonoscopy, which I wasn't too quick to get set up.  That ended up getting scheduled for early Fall.  And that lead to a major surgery in October.

The North American Retriever getting a cool drink from a mountain stream while blue grouse hunting.

Prior to that, I got out for blue grouse, but failed to see a single one.  I never made it out sage chicken hunting.  I didn't draw antelope, but my son did, and I went out with him.  None of us drew limited deer, but my daughter and I went out opening morning and nearly got a couple of really good deer in a general deer area until some fool blasted right by us in a truck, scaring them off.  We went back out a couple of weeks later and my son got a nice deer in a very distant area.  So at least that was a partial success.  

I went out for antelope with my son, and he was successful.

I drew an elk tag, but I only got out twice, once before surgery, and once after.

Surgery put me out of action in a major way for well over a month.  When I got back on my feet, only waterfowl was open.  

It's been a pretty good waterfowl season, however.  The weather has been right for it (lousy) and lots of waterfowl have been in the area.  I've shot more geese this year than I ever have before.

I thought about closing this entry out with a quote from Kristin Lavransdottir about Lavran, when he last rode away, or the video clip from No Country For Old Men at the ending with the sheriff protagonist is recalling his father.  Instead, I'm just going to note that I still don't really feel up to speed, but I'm putting in for everything.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Landing. Out of state shed antler bill signed into law.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Landing. (Vo...: 

Governor Gordon to Hold Public Bill Signing Thursday, March 2

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon will hold a formal bill signing ceremony Thursday, March 2 beginning at 1:30 pm in the Governor's Ceremonial Conference Room in the State Capitol Building. The ceremony is open to the public.

The Governor will sign the following bills:

Enrolled Act #  Bill# Bill Title

HEA0075 HB0099 Property tax refund program.

HEA0076 HB0276 Shed antlers and horns conservation stamp.

HEA0077 HB0123 Collection of antler or horns by residents and nonresidents.

SEA0069 SF0079 Plan of safe care-newborns.

SEA0072 SF0169 State shooting complex task force.

SEA0073 SF0154 Energy authority project financing-refineries.

SEA0074 SF0108 Court reporter fees-district court discretion.

SEA0075 SF0112 Peer support counseling-confidentiality.

March 2, cont:

Lex Anteinternet: Blog Mirror: Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding

Lex Anteinternet: Blog Mirror: Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding:   

Blog Mirror: Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding

 

Using Bird Dogs for Kicksledding

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Landing. Corner Crossing and Chasing Mountain Lions

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Landing. (Vo...: 

The bill that may legalize corner cross, SF56, passed:

ORIGINAL SENATE 

FILE NO. SF0056

ENROLLED ACT NO. 60, SENATE

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

2023 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to game and fish; expanding the prohibition for entering private property without permission for hunting purposes to also prohibit traveling through the private property; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.  W.S. 23‑3‑305(b) is amended to read:

23‑3‑305.  Hunting from highway; entering or traveling through private property without permission; penalty; hunting at night without permission prohibited.

(b)  No person shall enter upon, travel through or return across the private property of any person to take wildlife, hunt, fish, collect antlers or horns, or trap without the permission of the owner or person in charge of the property. Violation of this subsection constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23‑6‑202(a)(v). For purposes of this subsection "travel through or return across" requires physically touching or driving on the surface of the private property.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

Mountain lion chasing season was established, which I think was a poor idea.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Posting public lands.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahe...: 

February 19, 2023

Governor Gordon Takes Action on 8 Bills on Saturday, February 18

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. –  Governor Mark Gordon took action on eight bills on Saturday, February 18. The Governor signed the following bills into law today: 

Enrolled Act # Bill # Bill Title

 

HEA0015 HB0035 Day-care certification requirement amendments

HEA0016 HB0082 Defendant mental illness examinations-amendments

HEA0017 HB0160 Drivers license veterans designation replacing DD form 214

HEA0018 HB0147 Unlawful trespass signage-taking of wildlife

HEA0019 HB0019 State Indian Child Welfare Act task force

SEA0023 SF0078 Apprenticeship and job training promotion in schools

SEA0024 SF0176 Solid waste disposal districts-consolidation

SEA0025 SF0041 Skill based amusement games-authorized locations.

 

With this, posting public land to deter hunters is now illegal.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Posting Public Lands.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahe...: 

House Bill 147 has passed, banning improper posting of public lands in an effort to deter hunters.

ENROLLED ACT NO. 18,  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

2023 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to game and fish; amending the crime of interference with lawful taking of wildlife; prohibiting acts that restrict access to or use of state or federal land as specified; providing an exception; specifying applicability; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 

Section 1.  W.S. 23‑3‑405(a) by creating a new paragraph (iii) and (g) by creating a new paragraph (iii) is amended to read:

23‑3‑405.  Interference with lawful taking of wildlife prohibited; penalties; damages; injunction.

(a)  No person shall with the intent to prevent or hinder the lawful taking of any wildlife:

(iii)  Knowingly and without authorization post or maintain in place signs that restrict access to or use of state or federal land on which the lawful taking of or the process of lawfully taking any wildlife is permitted. For purposes of this subsection, "knowingly" means the person has received prior notice from a peace officer that the sign is located on state or federal land.

(g)  This section shall:

(iii)  Not interfere with any landowner's right to prevent trespass on the landowner's private property.

Section 2.  This act is effective July 1, 2023.

This is a good bill, and I'm glad it passed.

Lex Anteinternet: Neanderthal Crab Bakes.

Lex Anteinternet: Neanderthal Crab Bakes.: 

Neanderthal Crab Bakes.

Neanderthals living 90,000 years ago in a seafront cave, in what’s now Portugal, regularly caught crabs, roasted them on coals and ate the cooked flesh, according to a new study.

From CNN.

No surprise. Why wouldn't they have roast crabs?

Neanderthals eating crabs 90,000 years ago.  Okay, actually, these folks are in Raceland, Louisiana in 1938, but its the same thing, probably right down to the beer.  The messiness of eating crab is shown by the newspapers, and that explains also why those looking in the subject cave can tell Neanderthals ate crabs.

This provides, by the way, one more reason that being a vegetarian is nuts.  You don't toss out diets that we've been acclimated to for eons.

Lex Anteinternet: Wha't's wrong with the (modern, western) world, pa...Cats and Dogs.

Lex Anteinternet: Wha't's wrong with the (modern, western) world, pa...: 

4.  One of the odder examples of this, very widespread, is the change in our relationship with animals.

Our species is one of those which has a symbiotic relationship with other ones.  We like to think that this is unique to us, but it isn't.  Many other examples of exist of birds, mammals and even fish that live in very close relationships with other species.  When this occurred with us, we do not know, but we do know that its ancient.  Dogs and modern wolves both evolved from a preexisting wolf species starting some 25,000 to 40,000 years ago, according to the best evidence we currently have. That likely means it was longer ago than that.

Cats, in contrast, self domesticated some 7,000 or so years ago, according to our best estimates.

Cat eating a shellfish, depiction from an Egyptian tomb.

We have a proclivity for both domesticating animals, and accepting self domestication of animals, the truth being that such events are likely part and parcel of each other. Dogs descend from some opportunistic wolves that started hanging around us as we killed things they liked to eat.  Cats from wildcats that came on as we're dirty.  Both evolved thereafter in ways we like, becoming companions as well as servants.  But not just them, horses, pigs, sheep, cattle. . .the list is long.

As we've moved from the natural to the unnatural, we've forgotten that all domestic animals, no matter how cute and cuddly they are, are animals and were originally our servants. And as real children have become less common in WASP culture, the natural instinct to have an infant to take care of, or even adore, has transferred itself upon these unwilling subjects, making them "fur babies".

It's interesting in this context to watch the difference between people who really work with animals, and those who do not.  Just recently, for example, our four-year-old nephew stayed the night due to the snow, and was baffled why our hunting dog, who is a type of working dog but very much a companion, stayed the night indoors.  The ranch dogs do not. . . ever.  The ranch cats, friendly though they are, don't either.

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahe...

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. The road ahe...:   

February 10, 2023

The gun 'em down trespass bill, which had passed the House, died in the Senate., not making it out of committee.

Speaking against the bill as voices of reason were conservation groups and a rancher, who noted that he had dozens of trespassers per year and though the bill was a bad idea.  

The person whose thoughts lead to the introduction of the bill, a person who provides church security in Buffalo, admitted that if somebody was dangerous they already did what was necessary to escort a person out, although that really fits into a different category.  It perhaps demonstrates why this bill was unnecessary at best.

Bill would allow ‘physical force’ to ‘terminate’ suspected trespass

Bill would allow ‘physical force’ to ‘terminate’ suspected trespass

 

Governor’s Push to Restore Management of Grizzly Bears to State Clears Key Hurdle

 

Governor’s Push to Restore Management of Grizzly Bears to State Clears Key Hurdle

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – In January of 2022, the State of Wyoming, under Governor Mark Gordon’s leadership, petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) grizzly bear population. Today, the Service has completed its initial review of that petition and found that the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem may warrant removal from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The Service will now initiate a 12-month status review of the GYE grizzly bear. If the removal of the GYE grizzly bear is warranted, management authority will be given to the State of Wyoming.

“This is a positive step and I thank the Service. Wyoming’s petition, filed early last year, shows that – after 46 years, and over $52 million dollars of investment by Wyoming sportsmen and women – the population of the bear is far above long-established recovery goals,” Governor Mark Gordon said. “In addition, Wyoming has an established framework to provide adequate protection and management of the bear in the future. I trust the FWS will continue to use the best scientific evidence, and I hope that Wyoming will soon manage this species as part of our treasured wildlife populations”

Wyoming already has a grizzly bear management plan in place, and it will be amended to recognize the necessary legal requirements to satisfy the Endangered Species Act requirements for post-delisting management.

“Director Nesvik and I will be discussing timelines and next steps with the Fish and Wildlife Service and senior Department of Interior officials in the next several days,” Gordon said.

Today, there is an expanding number of grizzly bears that have grown beyond the edges of the bear’s biological and socially suitable range. With refined population estimates, data shows the population numbers more than 1,000 bears, far beyond all scientific requirements for a recovered, viable population.

“Game and Fish stands ready to manage this population with robust public involvement and the best science at a moment's notice,” said Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik. “Game and Fish has a strong track record of managing grizzly bears during the times they have been delisted in the past,”

-END-

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Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Bills start...

Lex Anteinternet: The 2023 Wyoming Legislative Session. Bills start...: 

HB 126, the gun 'em down trespass provision, passed the House.

HB0147 The, Unlawful trespass signage-taking of wildlife, passed the House.

SF0169 State shooting complex task force, passed the Senate.    This would fund a state facility.

Trophy Hunters

 

Large number of animal skulls found in Neanderthal cave