Wolves & Public Land Use
Today, we are lucky to have wolves in Washington state; wolves had been hunted to extinction by settlers in the 1930s. It was only in 2008 that the first wolf pack returned to this land. Wolves are vital to the ecosystem of which they live, working to maintain balance and prosperity. On an individual level, wolves are devoted parents and family members. A pack of wolves typically consists of a breeding pair, their older children, and new pups.
Ever since their return, wolves have been threatened by humans, and the pressure is mounting to eradicate them from our state once more. Pressures from the industry that grows and kills cows for human consumption (the “beef” industry), hunters who kill deer and believe that wolves are decreasing deer populations, and encroachment of human presence on wolf habitat prevent wolves from thriving in Washington.
If we don’t act now, wolves will continue to be killed on behalf of animal agriculture industries. Every year, wolves are hunted down and killed by the state at the behest of ranchers. If a wolf injures or kills a cow, the rancher may push for a retaliatory killing of a wolf in return, which the state often obliges.
Sign our petition to demonstrate that animals who live in the wild matter, and that we want them here alongside us. Like all animals, wolves are their own unique individuals, we shouldn’t be killing them so humans can eat more cows. Join us in our efforts to protect these devoted pack members and keep their families together, free from human-caused harm.
Beavers & “Nuisance” Wildlife
No animal should be classified according to perceptions of convenience by humans. Washington state currently classifies beavers as “nuisance wildlife,” and while efforts are sometimes made to relocate a beaver that a human doesn’t like, beavers are still allowed to be killed just for existing.
It is difficult to know how many beavers are killed in Washington, because people don’t need to report when they kill them. Beavers are valued so little that people don’t need a permit to kill “nuisance” beavers, and there are no “bag limits” during beaver “season,” meaning trappers can kill as many beavers as they like. Many beavers who are killed die by drowning in underwater traps. Despite their importance, beavers still suffer as casualties of human interests.
Beavers are a keystone species and are a vital part of healthy ecosystems. Beavers, who partner for life, are curious and industrious individuals. In addition to the uniqueness of each individual, beavers are family-driven. Parents play with their babies in carefully constructed dens and older children may stay home with the parents to help raise the next generation.
Efforts should be made to see beavers for who they are, not whether they are a convenience or inconvenience to people. Sign our petition to show that no animal should be labeled as “nuisance wildlife,” and that the wellbeing of each individual should be considered in wildlife policy. Join our efforts and learn how to support beavers and all Washington wildlife.
Bears & Human-Wildlife Conflict
Washington state wildlife conservation (management), and western conservation at large, perceives animals who live in nature not as individuals, rather, as a single unit – a species – and are “managed” as such. This means that the wellbeing and vitality of each individual animal, no matter their personality, needs, or desires, is erased.
Bears are no exception to this outlook. Because only population numbers matter to wildlife officials, individual animals and their safety and comfort are not taken into consideration, even mother bears with their babies. Cubs are orphaned when the state kills a mother bear because of her proximity to humans. The state believes there are enough bears in Washington, thus killing an individual bear, whether or not she has cubs, is seen as nonconsequential – but to who? Orphaned cubs cannot survive on their own, so one killing turns into two or three or four.
Bears are often killed when they come into “conflict” with humans, even though it is human actions that result in these conflicts. While bear injuries to a human are rare, and fatalities exceptionally so, wariness over bears results in conflicts ending up lethal for the bears. Even if an injury to a human is a light scratch, or sometimes there is no injury at all, the acting bear will be killed (sometimes even the wrong bear is killed). Bears are seen as expendable and an inconvenience even as we humans take up more and more of their habitat.
Washington does little to make sure that humans and bears can peacefully coexist, preferring to kill a bear over making extended efforts to provide education to the general public on how to live alongside one another. As long as animals are seen as mere numbers and their individual importance is not considered, the idea of killing them will remain an easy concept to swallow. Sign our petition stating that all animals matter on the Washington landscape, and that each individual is worth more than the sum of their species. Join us to learn how to protect bears and other animals who share the land.
Mountain Goats & Trophy Hunting
Wild animals are not trophies, but Washington state treats them as such. Mountain goats are one of the animals in nature who are killed for trophy sport. Mountain goats, who are actually related to antelopes and not goats, embody the spirit of the North Cascade mountains and can traverse where very few others can, including humans. In the summer months they live high above the rest of the world (above 5,000!). Even with their highly specialized adaptations, these goats are severely at risk of disappearing from the landscape. Despite this, hunting them for sport remains permissible.
The state has hunting guidelines in place that it claims will protect goats from decline due to hunting, even though goat population counts remain faulty. However, these guidelines really are treated as just a guide and are often ignored. Hunting continues to contribute to mountain goat decline even as their numbers are facing additional pressures from climate change and habitat encroachment by humans. The individual importance of each goat to their population as a whole is ignored.
To bolster mountain goat populations, rather than address hunting and habitat loss, the state prefers to rely on translocation of goats from one area to another. Goats who are moved frequently do not survive relocation. Moving goats disrupts social structures and stresses the goats, who wake up disoriented in a place they have never known, far away from their homes.
Join us today in efforts to pressure Washington state to stop allowing hunting of fragile wildlife populations. With such small numbers, mountain goats need time to recover and live free from hunting pressure.
Harlequin Ducks & Consumptive Use
Harlequin ducks are known for their beautiful plumage and daring lives on turbulent water. These ducks rely on two different types of critical habitat; marine waters and rivers. Harlequins are specially skilled at diving in harsh whitewater rivers and in crashing surf along Washington’s rocky shorelines. However, hunting, hiking, and other recreational activities, all considered “consumptive uses” of nature, and pollution are threatening these daredevils.
Unlike other ducks who migrate north and south, harlequins migrate east and west. They also prefer water to air, with less flying than other ducks. It’s unknown why these ducks choose to do things so differently. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining in Washington, largely due to habitat loss and human disturbances to nests. Harlequin ducks, who like to socialize in groups that consist of breeding pairs, new babies, and nonbreeding pairs, are also known to become fond of specific areas, becoming attached to favored rivers and other bodies of water.
Despite alarming drops in numbers, harlequin ducks are still allowed to be killed as trophies in Washington. After shooting into a group of ducks, a hunter may wound or kill 20% to 40% more ducks than they are able to find on the ground. It’s estimated that these numbers are even higher for ducks who dive into choppy waters, like harlequins. This means that the state doesn’t actually know how many ducks are killed by hunters.
The high degree of injury that occurs during hunting ducks is unethical, and coupled with the disappearance of viable habitat, demonstrates the need to pressure Washington to stop issuing hunting permits on harlequins and to critically review recreation-induced pressure on their habitat. Join us to learn how to implement compassionate wildlife conservation in our state.
