The Outdoor Pressroom

Berkeley, Calif. cops shoot, kill lion in business district

Berkeley (CA) police officers shot and killed a 100-pound mountain lion just before sunrise this morning not far from popular restaurants and shops on the city's north side. The incident occurred on Shattuck Avenue near Chez Panisse, Peet’s Coffee and other popular businesses. SF Examiner.

After 5 years, lost fly rod returned to angler

Billings Gazette outdoors writer Brett French relates the amazing tale of Chubbuck, Idaho's Steve Marshburn, who lost his $1,000 Sage XP flyrod and engraved Abel No. 1 reel in Montana’s Hebgen Lake while float-tube fishing there in spring 2005. After years of Internet searching, Marshburn was finally tracked down by Vic Redinger, 84, a retired Billings homebuilder, whose wife snagged and retrieved the outfit in July 2005.

SF-MTA violates its own policy, accepts pro-gun ad

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has apparently violated its own policy prohibiting advertising that "promotes the use of firearms" by running an ad for the Second Amendment Foundation's 25th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference to be held in the City by the Bay Sept. 24-26. Regular OP readers may recall that the MTA recently used altered posters for the movie, "The Other Guys," replacing the pistols held by the characters with pepper spray and clenched fists. PR Newswire.

Montana groups petition to hunt wolves, save elk

The Ravalli County (Mont.) Fish and Wildlife Association and president Tony Jones have formally requested permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hunt wolves under the terms of the Endangered Species Act's 10(j) rule to save elk herds in the Bitterroot Valley, and the Montana Bowhunters Association, Montana Wildlife Association and 10 sportsmen's clubs signed on in support of the petition. The Ravalli Republic.

Defenders to end wolf-kill compensation for ranchers

The environmental activist organization Defenders of Wildlife has announced it will cease its program compensating ranchers in five states for verified livestock losses from wolf depredation on Sept. 10. Instead, the group, which is also targeting selected races in the 2010 general election as the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, said it will continue programs aimed at preventing wolf predation. The Bellingham Herald.

Canadian crime-fighting: 007 impersonator arrested

Police in Vancouver, BC arrested a man leaving a costume party dressed as a secret agent Sunday night after a passerby saw what looked like a handgun in a holster strapped to his leg and alerted authorities. The James Bond wannabe was taken into custody, though his Walther PPK wasn't real. He was later released. The Victoria Times-Colonist.

Record 339 archers in Duluth urban deer hunt

A record 339 hunters have registered to participate in the sixth annual Duluth, Minn. archery hunt, which begins Sept. 18, in an effort to help control the urban deer population. Bowhunters are required to take an antlerless deer before shooting a buck. Last year, a record 586 deer were killed, 84 percent of them antlerless. Sam Cook in the Duluth News-Tribune.

Measure would put NYC in coon-trapping biz

After a summer-long, city-wide raccoon invasion of sorts, a bill introduced today would require the City of New York to trap the troublesome critters anywhere in the five boroughs simply at the request of the public. In past months, dozens of raccoons captured in Central Park tested positive for rabies, prompting the city to conduct an aggressive trapping and vaccination program. NY Daily News.

Calif. law prohibits clawed-cat discrimination

A law prohibiting California landlords from giving preferential treatment to tenants with declawed or "debarked" pets or phrasing advertising for their rental properties in a way that would discourage tenants with pets that aren't declawed or devocalized from applying for tenancy has made its way through the State Assembly and Senate, and now awaits Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature. Really. LA Times.

Neighbors fight SF's only gun store's re-opening

San Francisco neighborhood groups have launched a campaign to deny a zoning permit to allow the reopening of the city's lone firearms retailer, High Bridge Arms, Inc., near Mission and Valencia, claiming it would rather see a more "family friendly" business in the location. Northwest Bernal Alliance member Jaime Ross said he'd "rather have something the neighborhood could enjoy—a laundry or wine and cheese shop." SF Appeal & SF Chronicle.

Seward, AK cops shoot at bear, hit bystander

A pellet from a shotgun round fired by Seward, Alaska police at a running black bear Thursday night pierced the animal, ricocheted and hit a bystander in the abdomen, resulting in a bruise but not breaking his skin. The bear was successfully dispatched with a second round, police said. Anchorage Daily News.

Montana outfitters sue to block I-161 from ballot

The Montana Outfitters and Guides Association has filed a lawsuit to block a voter initiative from appearing on the Nov. 2 ballot aimed at ending the issuance of set-aside nonresident big-game and deer combination hunting licenses for outfitters. The suit, filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court Thursday, alleges "a statewide pattern of deceptive practices in the gathering of signatures" for the initiative. Billings Gazette.

No NRA endorsement for Reid

Despite his efforts to obtain the land and funds for the $61 million Clark County Shooting Park and support for pro-gun legislation as Senate majority leader, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid failed to receive the NRA endorsement he anticipated. The NRA-ILA's Chris Cox said Friday that Reid’s push to confirm Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan proved the deciding factor. Wall Street Journal Washington Wire blog.

EPA: Lead bullet ban outside of jurisdiction

The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday denied a petition by five environmental-activist organizations to ban lead in traditional hunting ammunition, on grounds that the issue is not within the agency's jurisdiction and authority. However, the agency will continue to review another part of the petition, which relates to lead fishing sinkers. Tulsa World and Via AP.

Trailcam image leads to arrest of multiple offenders

A photo found on an Albee, Mich. homeowner's trail camera he installed after multiple home break-ins proved responsible for the arrest of two Genesee County men believed to have committed as many as 75 burglaries and home invasions in 8 counties. “Without that (camera), this case might not have broke,” said Saginaw County Sheriff William L. Federspiel. “For $300, what an investment.” The Saginaw News.