County Fair dress review wimmrs am idetumd here" left to right are Ernm
Wyatt, Debbie Ryan, Zeta Nuckolls, Davanne Noyce, Pare Flested and Julle
here are to top livestock judgers at the Crook County Fair. Shown left to right are~.
• Brendon McCullough, Jutie Dillinger, Stacy Dockery; back row - Ron Dyer, Valerie
Dillinger.
I awat~ during the Crook Coeaty Fair were these de~ whmem. Left to
row - Tla Seeley, Chris Dawson, Wamey Streag; back row - Karen Gri~,
techniques for assessing the can make intelligent de-
population status and man- cisions about how the cat
agement of the bobcat, should be managed."
"The bobcat has become a The bobcat was not always
AJ~nerica's small- very controversial cat," ex- such a controversial cat. A
cat, the bob- plains Cluadia Kandrew, re- small animal, weighing up to
subject of a source specialist with NWF. 25 pounds, the stealthy bob-
cospon- "Because its pelt has be- cat is found in nearly all of
Wild- come so valuable, the fur the lower 48 states. It is
and the En- industry would like to see capable, of idlling an animal
Scientific more of the cat~ being trap- ten times its own weight,
(ESSA), October ped. But some biologists such as an antelope or deer.
t 18, at the Smith- question how long the bobcat Although the bobcat's
center in population could sustain usual fare is mice, rats,
Va. heavy trapping. We hope at squirrels, birds, and rabbits,
experts will the conference to come up it may attack farm animala.
with some answers, so we This tendency led seme
AUGUST 23, 1979
THE SUNDANCE TIMES PAGE 11
Jpai~ horse judging team members shown in ~emt are, left to right, C~a4s I}awsmt, Jmmlee
Brlmmer, Jeff Neimau, Wamey Strong. Left to right in back me eeninr heine judging team
members Jerry Rathbtm, T.J. Wyatt, Kdsty MeKenney, Jennifer Adams.
l~ne top home economics judgers during the Crook County Fair me pictured here. Left to
fight are; front - Nikki W'flson, Tawny McCullough, Khristy McKeney; back - Zeta Nuckoils,
Davanne Noyce.
states to classify the cat as a
varmit, with a bounty on its
scalp.
Then, in 1975, an inter-
national treaty, the Conven-
tion on International Trade
and Endangered Species
{CITES), banned all com-
mercial trade in the furs of
big spotted cats. With their
old supply cut off, the once-
scorned bobcat pelt, which is
tan to reddish brown, looked
quite attractive to European
furriers. Prices soared, one
per sold for as much as $400
and in the 1976-77 trapping
season, more than 100,000
bobcats were taken.
Some biologists began to
worry about the bobcat pop-
ulation, but information was
scarce. In 1977, ESSA,
which was established to di-
rect U.S. compliance with
CITES, proposed that all ex-
ports of bobcat fur be ban-
ned. In the face of loud
protests from some state and
game agencies, ESSA back-
ed~down, but did place the
cat on Appendix II of CITES.
This means ESSA must re-
view the bobcat population
and management status for
each state before exports of
pelts are allowed.
Some states have gone so
far as to ban bobcat hunting
and trapping altogether, but
many officials argue that this
is a mistake. "Most of our
bobcat information is derived
from hunting and trapping,"
Chet McCord of the Mass-
achusetts fisheries and wild-
life division recently told the
National Wildlife magazine.
"Without this information,
we can't manage the ani-
mals."
But Maurice Hornocker, of
Idaho, one of the country's
best-known wildlife bio-
logists, does not entirely
agree. "Trapping informa-
tion has its place," he ex-
plained to National Wildlife,
"but too r~ny states use it
as a crutch, an easy way to
manage bobcats without do-
ing the necessary in-depth
studies.
Kendrew hopes the re-
search conference can help
settle , these erguments.
Among the issues to be dis-
cussed at the conference are
survey techniques, harvest
reports, pelt trade and utili-
zation, factors affecting har-
vest level, response of pop-
ulation to harvest, and the
relationship of l~bitat~
studies to census techniques.
VA- MAY ! HEI~ YOU?
Q-If a vetenm leaves
his National Service Li~ In.
suranee dividend un deposit
or credit with the Veterans
Administration, at what rate
will it accure interest?
A--As of Jan. 1, 1979, the
NSLI interest rate is 5aA
percent~
Q-Is tutmial mdstunve
the saute under the educa-
tional assistance program
and the vocational rehabih't-
at/on program?
A..No. Tutorial assistance
is limited to $69 per ~th
for a, maximum of $828.
Under the vocational reha-
bilitation program, the ex~
tent of assistance needed is
determined on an individual
basis by the VA, school staff
and the veteran. Payment is
based on the amount of time
the veteran needs and the
background and quali-
fications of the tutor.
Must a member of the
armed forces accept the
$20,000 Servicemen's Group
Life Insurance coverage?
A--No. A serviceperson
may elect (in writing) to-be
covered for a lesser amount
or not to be covered at all.
And A bout All
The Farmer's biggest
turnover is his spring
plowing.
-Post, Syracuse.
Needed
Autos have built-in di-
rectional signals~ But
what we need is another
one showing undecided.
-News, Tifton, Ga.
By Far~
By far the most costly
surplu~ the taxpayer has
to pay forin this country is
the surplus of govern-
ment.
-Journal, Atlanta.
Could Be
Fun is like insurance--
the older you are the more
it costs.
-Spot!jgbt~ San Diego.
