And also Damas. Thinking about what are the next exotiucs the Feds are going after . Opinions???

It's not the Fed that I'm worried about.

X2

x3 blackbuck, axis and auodad. I gather y'all have some real turds in your legislature.

The Federal government is the force behind the permit system.

USFWS (i.e. the feds) isn't necessarily the 'bad guy' here. They are really just acting on laws passed by congress and judicial opinions that they have to abide by. As others alluded to, I'm more worried about our legislature, and how the anti's can twist some poorly written laws in their favor.

BINGO!
Well said.

Correct me if i am wrong,but it's not the fault of the usfw agency. it was a (left leaning judge) the u.s. federal court system that took AWAY the exemption from the endangered spiecs act.When the exdangered act came along Texas cattleman who were stocking exotics to raise and hunt wanted to continue it. It was allowed by the exemption. Now that we have more left leaning judges they only see it in the scope of what their activation is.It was a win ,win situation the way it was. now every one 's losing,animals,ranchershunters,consures.For what.Why should we,as preivate property owners have to suffer because THE WORLD,AND THEIR GOVERMENYS can't control their resorces?Hell now when all of this gets said and done whats going to be left of these three species. Now do you think for one minute that the 110 orxy's that were sponsered by what ever group that started this hole mess is going to make it in lands that already have killed them off. THEY HAVE NO VALUE for them over there..What will happen is the countries that have these animals will fail at sometime then all hell will break out and then the killing and destruction will start all over again.It's just poor decisions on OUR judicial system.

Your absolutely correct with the last 4 sentences you wrote; however, the beginning of your argument is off base. I agree with the other posters who pointed out that the problem isn't the feds, and it isn't with the judge either. Judges don't have that much latitude to decide a case one way or another. They interpret the law based on the argument brought into the court room and in this case FOA found some loopholes in the poorly worded ESA exemption clauses. Why is a judge called "activist" when the ruling goes against what you think is right? That "left leaning activist judges" label is getting old real quick. If you want to fight for the 3 species then we have to bring a case in court showing how the breeding/hunting ranches in Texas are the best possible hope for the species. And by the way, ranchers can still breed and conduct hunts as a management tool with the new permitting system.

There is no way blackbuck, axis and auodad will ever be regulated. There are too many free range animals for any agency to oversee. The reason the 3 species have fallen into the regulation issue is that they are exclusively being bred on high fenced ranches. Auodad and axis are also not endangered in their native habitat; therefore, are not subject to the ESA. Blackbuck are listed as threatened and I believe they are covered by the ESA exemption. In theory they could fall under the new regulations eventually but hunting for them on private low fenced areas where they exist should continue.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/26/texas-...telope-species/


Heres some more info.

What animals are next? Bison, Nilgai? Zebra? Beisa oryx? Fringe eared oryx? These are the ones that are most likely, I think.

I should have put a caveat regarding this statement. I could almost see the invasive nature of them having established a large free range population resulting in higher cost to residents and non-resident hunters via some sort of "tag tax"/or higher costing special exotic permit. Almost in the opposite manner as to what has happened with Oryx, Dama and addax.

Just say for instance some jackwad state reps get together and make a case that the high number of non native animals increase cost to Texas Department of Wildlife therefore you get the privelage of hunting them for an increased cost.

It's just an idea.

Sorry if I don't share the same views of many of y'all, but I am currently in the permitting process with the usfws. They have been very responsive so far, and really seem like they want to help to the extent they can with the laws and workload. I do not run a 'put & take' outfit, and truly do want to see our animals do well, but have a limit to the number our ranch can carry. Hopefully I can manage to that under the permit system, otherwise, I'll sell off my herd. I'm frankly not 'afraid' of what the usfws is 'up to', but am very concerned about what the anti's are pushing. People easily forget, but the USFWS was on the defendant side of the lawsuit that started this mess with the 'three species'.

What concerns me is two fold 1) there are a number of species that could come under attack within the current ESA process (nubian ibex, blackbuck, aoudad, nilgai, to name a few) - usfws doesn't drive this, 3rd parties force the issue, 2) The current CBW and Cull & Take process is under attack - the 'anti's' are arguing that only zoos should be able to apply.

Where it goes, I don't know, but I half-heartedly hope they go after a species that's much more common. The '3 species' got a lot of attention, but realistically little monetary support, because they weren't owned by that many ranchers. The system is fundamentally broken in that it considers 'native' and 'exotic' populations in the same regulations, and this needs to be fixed. I completely recognize that many of the animals on Texas ranches need protections in their native range, but there HAS to be segregation between the native populations and introduced populations within our legal structure.

I have to agree with Txnrog. I believe he is right about the USFW. I too am in the process with getting the permits for our scimitar oryx herd. So far our experiences with the permit process has gone pretty smooth. It is the crap the the anti's keep wanting to push on us that makes me worry more than what USFW does.

I think (hope) most realize the enemy isn't USFW - they are only doing the job they are told to do by the courts and do truly have the best interest of the wildlife at heart. It isn't because of them that thousands of the 3 species are falling all over the state (not to mention the country).

It's because of so called "Friends of Animals" that would truly rather see a species totally extinct outside of it's home range than managed and thriving somewhere else.

With friends like that...

Earl