[Cross-posted, with permission, from ThePrairieBlog.com]

There is an AP story about the 2013 North Dakota Moose and Elk License Proclamation on the Grand Forks Herald’s website today that is very confusing to me. The story is basically a short version of the press release sent out by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department this past Monday. It says that there will be just 111 moose licenses available in North Dakota this year, 32 fewer than last year.

The story says “Game and Fish Department officials say the drop in moose tags is due in part to a downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state.”

The GFD press release quotes Randy Kreil, Game and Fish Department wildlife chief, saying “a downward population trend in the northeastern portion of the state is of great concern. Unit M1C will remain closed, and in addition, unit M4, which encompasses the Turtle Mountains, is also closed this year.”

Well, what the press release doesn’t say is that Unit M1C has  been closed for at least four years (maybe longer—I couldn’t find the 2009 proclamation, but subsequent ones show the unit was closed in 2010 and has not re-opened).

What the press release also doesn’t say is that the Department has only been issuing seven tags in Unit M4 the last three years, so the drop in licenses in that unit (primarily the Turtle Mountains) only accounts for 7 of the 32 fewer tags being issued this year. What about the other 25?

Let’s review the Moose Proclamation for the past four years.

In 2010, there were a total of 173 moose tags issued. Of those, more than half, 90 of them, were in Units M10 and M11, an area basically described as everything in Northwest North Dakota north of Lake Sakakawea and west of U.S. Highway 83. You can see the map hereby scrolling down to the bottom of the proclamation. Looks a lot like the map of the Bakken Oil Field, doesn’t it?

In 2011, the Department issued 160 tags, a drop of 13. The total for Units M10 and M11 that year was 77, a drop of–you guessed it–13. All the other units remained the same as the previous year.

In 2012, the total number of tags was 143, a drop of 17. That year, the Department merged Unit M11 into Unit M10, (you can see the map here, again if you scroll all the way down to the bottom) and even made it larger by extending the southern boundary down to Highway 200, and they issued a total of 70 tags for the new unit, M10. That’s 7 fewer than the previous year. The other drop (10) was in Unit M8, east of the Turtle Mountains.

This year, the number of total tags is down to 111, 32 less than last year. That’s a huge drop, almost 25 per cent, in just one year. Of that number, 50 are in Unit M10, which is 20 fewer than last year. (Here’s the map—it’s basically the same as the 2012 version.) That’s a drop in that unit of more than 25 per cent in one year.

To review, then:

The total number of moose tags issued in North Dakota has dropped from 173 to 111 since 2010, a drop of 36 per cent over four years, and the total number of tags in Unit M10—which just happens to be almost the exact land area as the Bakken Oil Formation—has dropped from 90 to 50—almost in half, in the same period of time.

And if you go back and look at the press release that has accompanied the proclamation each of those years, you will find pretty much the same statement from Game and Fish: “Game and Fish Department officials say the drop in moose tags is due in part to a downward population trend in the northeastern part of the state.”

You could look it up. You could go back and Google and find all those press releases. Or you could just trust me. Because I did it.

WTF?

Do they think we’re stupid? Don’t they think that someone like me might actually do the math?

Then there’s this: If you listen to Randy Kreil on this week’s Game and Fish Dept.webcast,  he says, about 3 minutes into the webcast, the drop in moose licenses is “primarily in the north and west part of the state.”

He said that the same day as the press release went out, which said, as I quoted it earlier,  “Randy Kreil, Game and Fish Department wildlife chief, said a downward population trend in the northeastern portion of the state is of great concern. Unit M1C will remain closed, and in addition, unit M4, which encompasses the Turtle Mountains, is also closed this year.” Here’s the whole press release. Do you think maybe they ought to have “great concern” about the moose population in the Oil Patch?

And why two different, conflicting stories on the same day? Could it possibly be that Game and Fish Director Terry Steinwand and Jack Dalrymple, or his chief of staff, Ron Rauschenberger, have to approve the press releases before they go out, but they just weren’t in the room when Randy made the video with Game and Fish PR flack Tom Jensen? Do ya suppose?

Dammit, Randy Kreil is a good guy. As long as I’ve known him, he’s been a straight shooter. But there’s just something going on at Game and Fish that we simply cannot tolerate any more. They are supposed to be on OUR side.

Yes, you read that right: there are two sides now. There’s the oil industry and its lackeys—Jack Dalrymple, Lynn Helms, and, I fear now, Terry Steinwand, who, you will recall, sat on an unfavorable report done by his own scientists for almost a year because his bosses didn’t want us to read bad news about how the oil industry is impacting our wildlife—and then there are the rest of us North Dakotans, who are just watching our way of life disappear, and we’re helpless to do anything about it, because those who are supposed to be looking out for the good of the state and its people are on the wrong side.

That 2010 report, you will recall, dealt mostly with mule deer, elk, and several other species, but conveniently left out the industry’s impact on moose. Well, I’m no scientist, but the simple Google research I just did this morning paints a pretty clear picture of a big problem with our moose population.

And speaking of elk, the next to last sentence in the AP story this morning reads like this:  “The cutback in the number of elk licenses continues a reduction program that began in 2010 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. “

Would somebody explain to me what that sentence even means?

Earlier this week I wrote about the problem with Bighorn Sheep being run down by oil trucks. I hadn’t really intended for this to become a hunting blog, but if I get time one of these days, I’m going to take a look at elk licenses. Anyone want to guess what I’m going to find?

Comments (13)

STaylor said:

I think climate change is part of the cause, too I'm sorry I don't have the link, but I had just heard a report in recent weeks (I'm almost positive it was on NPR, but it might have been a printed article) about how the moose population has been declining nation-wide, but in Minnesota it has declined drastically in the last year— and it was a ridiculously scary amount— something like a 40% difference! So while I do not doubt for a second that the influx of oil has affected our moose population (and other wildlife), it does appear that there is something else (something bigger, cumulative) that is majorly affecting moose and causing them to die to the point where some scientists think they could be in danger of dying off completely. They hinted at climate change being the culprit. Oil production is a huge contributor to climate change; like I said, I agree they need to take some of the blame. But someone needs to get on this ASAP and figure out what the hell is causing this to happen. Isn't Game and Fish one of those agencies that should be doing that sort of thing?!

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March 13, 2013
Votes: +4

treehugger said:

... Didn't Lynn Helms just appoint a new deputy director at Game and Fish (Duane Dekrey) who had no qualifications at all for the job other than being an out of work former republican legislator? Sounds more like Terry Steinwand just got a political minder installed in the next door office. Professional field staffers in the NDGF know what is going on but will not talk about oil to the public for fear of their jobs. Oil is a forbidden word in all public discourse. Just like elk and bighorn sheep the moose population fluctuates because of the weather. At least that is what we are told. If Mr. Helms says so it must be true.

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March 13, 2013
Votes: +3

Big Running said:

... Jim, Your just scratching the surface about whats going on over at the NDGF. Its too bad that Terry is such a weak sister. When you talk to him he makes it clear that the oil industry has precedence to be there and that there is nothing we could do to stop it. He is right about the mineral estate being the dominant estate but the NDGF could still inject themselves into this issue alot more. With dead bighorns showing up on the roads the NDGF recently moved some sheep to more remote areas. Fact is, there are alot more dead sheep than we'll know about, ever. The Wild Sheep Foundation (FNAWS) is auctioning off a SD sheep tag this year, not a ND one like they typically have. My guess is, the FNAWS is moving their efforts to SD where Bighorns can't be ran over by oil tankers. Lots more is going to be coming down the pipe about ND wildlife. Sharptails will be the next indicator species to talk a population hit

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March 14, 2013
Votes: +0

Jim Fuglie said:

Update Randy Kreil responded to my blog with this e-mail: It was simply an oversight when we sent out the press release. It’s clear we were not clear and that the webcast comments did not match up with the news release. What we should have said in the news release is that in addition to the decline in the northeast we also are concerned about what we believe is a declining population trend in the northwest. We did not have an actual moose aerial survey block in this area until this year when we established one because we did not have a source for any real hard data. We intend to fly it every year to get a better handle on the actual trend. I am as much to blame as anyone if not more for this confusion because I reviewed the news release before it went out and did not catch the omission. It was a bad mistake and I will take the hit for it because I deserve it. The webcast came out just prior to the news release and I should have made sure they were exactly the same. There is nothing to hide here but simply an oversight. I have been telling people all week about a suspected decline in moose in the northwest and our decision to reduce licenses.

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March 14, 2013
Votes: +0

nimrodent said:

	... I guess the new political commissar/assistant director at NDGF ain't so gud at proof-reeding.
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March 15, 2013
Votes: +0

Chet said:

Not sure whether I should apologize for this... I'm sorry, Jim, but I'm having a hard time believing him. You've said he's a good guy, and I don't doubt that, but I've heard other people in State Government were good people but have caught them doing "not good" things. I suspect it's partly a function of having a mortgage and a family and needing the paycheck, health insurance, etc. Good people sometimes do not-so-good things. The reason I struggle with believing him is that I still remember the excuses we got out of Game & Fish after that oil impact report was suppressed. And every press release I've seen since then talks about reduction in numbers of some species, and usually blames it all on a "harsh winter" or some such thing. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to recognize what's been going on over there for the past several years. I envision a meeting in Steinwand's office after your blog post got circulated, and Steinwand needed someone to take the fall for him and for the agency. The only obvious candidate was Kreil. And he probably likes his job and most of the people he works with and has a mortgage and a boat payment. It'd be hard to blame him if he took the fall for his boss.

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March 15, 2013
Votes: +3

Jim Fuglie said:

	... Say after Chet: "I suspect it's partly a function of having a mortgage and a family and needing the paycheck, health insurance, etc. Good people sometimes do not-so-good things."
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March 15, 2013
Votes: +2

What the Heck said:

	agree with Chet I would also add there are some not so good people in state government who are doing bad things. Once upon a time I was naive enough to believe there is good in everyone. Not true.
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March 15, 2013
Votes: +2

nimrodent said:

	benevolent uncle? Sorry, kids, that state agency is not a benevolent uncle looking out for your best interests. Now, Betteeee Grandeeee is a benevolent aunt, otherwise, why would she want to be in the doctor's office with your wives and daughters and granddaughters and and sisters and nieces and girlfriends and women friends.
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March 16, 2013
Votes: +3

Star said:

... Reading this blog and the newspapers is enough to get a guy to call for a moving truck. What is happening in and to our beloved state? Our legislature has gone completely radical with regard to social issues. Sen. Dwight Cook (R-Dumbass) does not care what the costs are going to be to fight the abortion measures that just were passed providing Gov. Weak-in-the-knees with the cover he needs to sign them. Our roads and infrastructure are falling apart, crime in the western part of the state is out of control, and the knuckledragers in the legislature are willing to spend millions fighting something that is so clearly unconstitutional? I just watched some lady representing the Republican party on CBS say that this "so-called war on women was just a couple of stupid men say some really idiotic things in the past election." Huh? Don't these idiot Republicans see what is going on in state legislatures controlled by the Rabble-Rousing Right-Wing Roundheads and Governors in this country? Broadway Al wants to make it tougher to initiate measures. Even the Fargo Foolem called him out on that. I'll quote some of the measures they said "beg for referral". The above mentioned bills, the reduction in oil tax, the proposed property taxes, and the conservation investments or lack there of. It is time for the common sense people of North Dakota to wake up and vote these absolute power hungry clowns out of office.

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March 17, 2013
Votes: +5

What the Heck said:

	Amen, Star. Unfortunately, the common sense people will pack their moving trucks and migrate to a more progressive state elsewhere. Like Arkansas or Missouri. Our family won't be here in another 10 years if trends continue. Let the greedy and corrupt rely on others for grist to run the mill.
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March 17, 2013
Votes: +1

nimrodent said:

	Bonanza! As a lawyer, I'm staying to partake of the litigation bonanza that is being gifted to us by the 63rd session of the ND legislature. Gonna make the Bakken look like chump change.
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March 18, 2013
Votes: +1

What the Heck said:

	speaking of lawyers... Just where is Stenejhem on all this nonsense? Shouldn't he be the voice of reason for the legislature and urge them to not go down this road? Or will he be busy now farming out the litigation to out of state law firms who may or may not be contributors to the Republican Party coffers. Me thinks the gravy train has left the station.
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March 18, 2013
Votes: +2

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