Coffee and Provocation

The Camera Trap Codger has (so far) been defeated in his quest to build a squirrel-proof owl box. Check out the blog for fantastic shots of cougar, grey fox, ext. but the progessive story of owl-box armament is amusing in its own right.

Praire Mary has a terrific piece on the difference between black and white churches, and offers some insight as well into the difference between churches in the North and the South as well. As always, very well written and insightful. Check it out.

Want to read the stupidest article ever on the stupidest pet owner ever? Check out this piece on an overweight Chihuahua and what these morons spent to try to get it to lose weight. Unbelievable. How about serve it less and walk it more?

Hunter Education is now being offered in West Virginia Schools. This is a terrific idea, because such a course would reasonably include not only the history of U.S. wildlife management, but population dynamics, concepts like sustainability, eco-system integration, fire-arms safety and responsibility, and the rise of zoonotic diseases. Read more about it. Excellent. Hope it's being done right.

California Wolverines? Yep, it looks like that. A California camera trap took a shot of a wolverine in California. The last confirmd wolverine in the Sierras was shot in 1922.

Wal-Mart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have given $1 million to Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited to help protect more than 10,785 acres of habitat for birds in North and South Dakota.

A very good piece on veterinary conflicts of interest is up at Pet Connection. For another excellent piece by Christie Keith, read this one about the political assumptions people often make about those of us who think PETA are ninnies, guns are not necessarily evil, and hunting dogs should actually be used to hunt. . Does that make us right-wing authoritarians? Think again. Common sense, in turns out, is radical challenge to ideologues both political parties.

And finally, an old classic from Peter Sellers:


.
.