Pete Thomas Outdoors

Palos Verdes diver surprised by gray whales in kelp; swims down and strokes the calf

Daniel Joline said his recent encounter with a mother and baby gray whale in the kelp off the Palos Verdes Peninsula was so bizarre and surprising that it almost seemed unreal.

Joline was spearfishing with a friend when he peered down and spotted the whales swimming slowly through the amber forest. The moment Joline realized what they were, he forgot all about the hunt and swam down and gently stroked the whale calf.

 
"Out of the corner of my eye I see this big mass moving towards me,” he told KPCC. “At first, my brain was like, 'OK, it's a seal,' but then it just kept getting bigger and bigger, so I went, 'Oh, it's a shark.' And it kept getting bigger, and I was like, 'OK. This is a whale!"

The once-in-a-lifetime encounter occurred Friday and footage is being widely shared this week.

Many on whale-themed social media pages were harshly critical of Joline for touching the baby whale, implying that it was illegal harassment.

Joline countered that in no way did his actions harass or alter the behavior of either whale.

“There are some people who don't quite read the regulations, but decide to become white knights on the internet,” Joline stated via email.

Gray whale mothers and calves are bringing up the rear of the annual northbound migration from Baja California nursing grounds to Arctic feeding grounds.

In Baja's lagoons, whale watchers on small boats often caress newborn gray whales, but in those cases the whales initiate the contact. It's also worth noting that there have been cases in the past where divers have been injured after getting between whales and calves.

As cow-calf pairs migrate past California, they often stay close to shore, where there is less danger of being attacked by killer whales.

Said Joline in the KPCC story: “You almost don’t believe it’s real, because just out of nowhere these whales appear, and a minute later they’re gone.”

–Images are video screen grabs

Famous stray dog Shaggy 'surprisingly' healthy, awaiting bath

Shaggy is weary and underweight, but said to be doing well

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

After Shaggy the stray dog was captured last Thursday, after eluding capture for eight months in Michigan, many people wrote emails and social media comments asking about his health.

Remarkably, after sleeping in ditches and wherever he could find cover, much of the time during severely cold winter months, Shaggy has been given a clean bill.

“He’s in surprisingly good shape,” said Melissa Borden, who runs a care facility for feral dogs called The Devoted Barn. “He’s about 30 pounds underweight, and his fur is matted, but he has no frostbite and no heart worms or tic-borne disease.”

Shaggy has not yet had a bath, or a haircut

Shaggy's only known medical issue is cherry-eye, which affects his eyelid. But it’s not serious, or painful, and will eventually be surgically repaired.

The Newfoundland became famous after he began to appear in Grand Rapids neighborhoods, but was a master at avoiding capture. He outran net guns and was never slowed by tranquilizers, attaining legendary status and earning other nicknames, such as "Bigfoot" and Bear Dog."

The capture effort was stepped up as Michigan fell under winter’s deep freeze, and it finally succeed at a suburban home owned by Jim and Kim Stubbert, who had been feeding Shaggy and even built a shelter for him in their yard.

Shaggy before his capture; photo courtesy of Steve Zaagman/WZZM

On Thursday, with Borden supervising, Shaggy allowed Kim Stubbert to slip a collar around his neck, whereupon he freaked out for only a few moments, before lying down in submission.

[Related] Shaggy the abandoned dog finally captured

Now Shaggy, who is about 2 years old, is trying to get accustomed to living with 13 other feral dogs at The Devoted Barn, which rehabilitates animals in the hope of finding homes for them.

“He’s still playing invisible to us,” Borden said, adding that Shaggy sleeps in a large kennel with other dogs but is allowed several hours a day in a large play room. “But yesterday he ate peanut butter from my hand.”

Shaggy has not yet enjoyed the warm bath some readers wondered about. He’s not quite ready for such a forced and possibly traumatic event, Borden said.

In fact, Shaggy's fur is so matted that he’s going to have to be shaved, making his name sound a bit peculiar. "His coat is basically one big mat," Borden said.

He gets along well with the other dogs, Borden assured, explaining that feral dogs do not quarrel like domesticated dogs, and that they typically accept their place in the pecking order of the pack.

Borden said one of the benefits of having such a famous dog in her care is that he has brought lots of attention to The Devoted Barn, and to the plight of feral dogs, which are mostly abandoned pets.

When Shaggy arrived, Borden posted on The Devoted Barn’s Facebook page:

“Oh Shaggy, this is your story tell. You have captivated our hearts and frustrated us all at the same time. I listened to you and you told me what you wanted. You picked your people and they listened to you too. You trusted them enough to know this was the right time, the time for your new life to begin. You picked an amazing family.

“Now my promise to you, to keep you safe and protected while giving you the perfect environment for you to flourish into a wonderful dog that's trusting and understanding of love."

The Stubberts, Borden acknowledged, are leading candidates to adopt Shaggy when he’s ready to live a normal dog’s life, perhaps in about six months.

Shaggy the abandoned dog about to be captured–or is he?

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

Folks might recall the saga of an abandoned dog named Shaggy, who has eluded capture in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for six months, despite being seen almost daily in neighborhoods and walking alongside residents out walking their dogs.

We can now report that Shaggy, a large Newfoundland believed to be about 2 years old, is on the verge of being captured in a nearby suburb.

Shaggy, who has outwitted animal-control experts armed with a net gun, and has only become more skittish when tranquilized, has for the past several days been hanging out at a private residence where yet another attempted capture will soon occur.

A reluctant Shaggy investigates the garage; photo by Haley

The dog, whose plight became known nationally and internationally about three weeks ago, for the past several days he has been eating from a dog dish placed just inside the garage of a home in Ada.

He sleeps in a cardboard-and-tarp doghouse beneath a tall pine tree in the yard, which along with his bear-like coat helps him stay warm in sub-freezing temperatures. By day he enjoys playing with the family’s two Airedales.

Shaggy even has a favorite toy.

 

Shaggy standing in the cold; photo via Steve Zaagman/WZZM 13

 

“It’s just this green cylinder toy that makes a noise when he squeezes it,” Haley, one of the home's residents, said in a phone interview. “He’ll chase it and pick it up, but he won’t bring it back.”

But despite Shaggy having finally attained some kind of structure, after having spent night after night in ravines and roaming other neighborhoods, he remains ultra-cautious about people and so far has not allowed anyone to pet him.

Photo via Steve Zaagman/WZZM 13

And nobody has tried, according to Melissa Borden, who owns a rehab facility for feral dogs and is coordinating the effort to catch Shaggy. She explained that any sudden moves by the Stubbarts or their friends toward Shaggy might result in him running away, and not returning.

The plan so far has been to keep feeding Shaggy, moving his dish a little farther inside the garage each day, allowing him to get comfortable inside the garage. The main garage door has been left open.

Then on capture day, the garage door will be closed, and the smaller side door to the garage will be left open. Shaggy’s food will be placed inside the smaller door, and since he’s familiar with the garage, it's hoped he'll venture in, looking for his meal.

 

Once that happens, the door will be pulled closed with a string, and Shaggy, believed to have been a puppy-mill dog, will be driven to The Devoted Barn outside Detroit.

Borden said Thursday that the first capture attempt could be Thursday night or Friday, or on the weekend. “We’re not in a huge rush, and despite the cold we know he’s not going to freeze to death,” Borden said. “So we want to make sure the timing is right.”

Assuming Shaggy is captured by this method, and that’s assuming a lot given Shaggy’s wily elusiveness so far, he will be kept at the evoked Barn until he’s ready to be put up for adoption.



–Images are via the Help Shaggy Facebook page

Elk shot with borrowed crossbow is a world record

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

A massive elk shot by a Wyoming hunter is the largest ever killed with a crossbow, with a rack spanning more than 4 feet in width.

Albert Henderson of Burlington, Wyoming, was informed this week by Safari Club International that the animal he shot during the archery-hunting season last fall is a new world record.

SCI uses specific measurements and a scoring system to determine records. Henderson’s elk was scored at 426.5 points, making it only one of a handful of elk to exceed 400 points.

Henderson, 49, shot the elk from 53 yards on the fifth day of a hunt on public land.

News of the feat is being well-received in hunting circles. But as this story spreads via social media, critics are sure to speak out against the hunter, against hunting in general, and against trophy hunting in particular.

Meanwhile, accolades are being heaped from those who support hunting, including Scott Talbott, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“This is an incredible hunting story and we tip our hats to Mr. Henderson,” Talbott told County 10 News. “Wyoming is home to some of the most impressive wildlife in the world, but not everyone gets to see these animals, let alone hunt them.”

Though Henderson is bound to land squarely in the cross-hairs of critics, it’s worth noting that hunting is not only sanctioned by states, but deemed a necessary tool of wildlife management. Funds generated by tag sales are used for various wildlife-related enhancement programs.

Henderson and his group had spent five days scouting for elk in the Shoshone National Forest. He shot the male elk, which was near several females and rubbing its antlers against a tree, with a crossbow he had borrowed from a friend.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports that Henderson had become a celebrated hunter long before the record was approved.

“The mount has spent the past several months shuttled between sportsmen’s stores and banquets,” the Star-Tribune’s Christine Peterson wrote. “And it may soon find a spot on the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 2016 tour.”

Said Henderson, 49: “It’s pretty rare to see elk like that anywhere in the state, and probably more rare in general [hunting] areas. Usually in general areas, you have a few less elk and a few more people. That’s why you go out and work so hard for that chance.”

He plans to eventually display the shoulder-antler mount in his home, if he can find a large enough space.

Sierra Nevada red fox sighting first in Yosemite in nearly 100 years

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

The first sightings of a Sierra Nevada red fox in nearly 100 years inside Yosemite National Park were confirmed Wednesday by park officials.

The furry critter was photographed as it roamed through snow in the northern portion of the California wilderness park twice by motion-sensitive trail-cameras: the first time in mid-December, and most recently on January 4.

Biologists discovered the footage during a recent backpacking expedition to check on the cameras.

The Sierra Nevada red fox is one of the rarest animals in North America, with a population of only about 50 animals, so any sighting is considered extraordinary.

Don Neubacher, park superintendent, said in a news release that his staff was “thrilled to hear about the sighting of one of the most rare and elusive animals in the Sierra Nevada.”

Sarah Stock, a park biologist, added: “Confirmation of the Sierra Nevada red fox in Yosemite National Park’s vast alpine wilderness provides an opportunity to join research partners in helping to protect this imperiled animal. We’re excited to work across our boundaries to join efforts with other researchers that will ultimately give these foxes the best chances at recovery.”

The animals are vulnerable to extinction because of their tiny population size. Among the many threats they've faced over the years include logging, off-road and snowmobile use, livestock grazing, competition from non-native fox species, and now climate change.

It could be that the population is much lower than 50.

Biologists from various agencies have been monitoring a tiny population of red foxes, first documented by the U.S. Forest Service in 2010, in wilderness north of the park.

Before that population was discovered, the last previous sighting was 20 years ago.

Yosemite said it will use strategically-placed trail cameras to try to obtain more sightings information, and will place “hair snare stations” in the hope of obtaining hair samples for genetic studies.

–Sierra Nevada red fox image is via Yosemite National Park trail-cam

Whale strikes boat off Maui, as seen from below the surface

Earlier this month a humpback whale bumped into a boat full of whale watchers off Maui, before rejoining its calf and swimming off.

The event was videotaped from above and below the surface, via pole cam, and finally some of the underwater footage has become available, courtesy of Ultimate Whale Watch.

Its 25-foot inflatable boat was bumped, presumably inadvertently, by the mother whale as the vessel was drifting with its engine turned off. The calf swam toward the bow of the boat before the incident. Also, a male "escort" whale was nearby, perhaps agitating and confusing the mom.

The boat was said to be at a safe distance when the whale suddenly turned around and swam toward the boat. Passengers were told to get their cameras ready and apparently they captured some vivid footage.

In the accompanying video clip, via a passenger named Collette, the mother whale’s eye is visible just before she bumps the boat.

Shortly afterward, the mother and calf can be seen swimming away. The whale seemed to be OK after this unusual incident.

Ultimate Whale Watch has been criticized by some for turning off its engines, making it difficult for whales to know the boat is nearby, and for allowing passengers to lean over and peer into the water with masks.

Lee James, the company's owner, said Thursday via email:

"We are getting whales hanging around within a few feet and sometimes rubbing the boat almost daily.  I could not find any research or study showing that they are getting more comfortable with vessels, [but] it has been an observation that over the past two migrations that they have become less apprehensive and more interactive with our vessels."

–Images are video screen grabs

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Eva Shockey responds to criticism after killing 510-pound bear

Eva Shockey with 510-pound bear; photo via Facebook

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

Eva Shockey knew she was placing herself in the crosshairs of anti-hunters before she posted a photo of herself posing with a 510-pound black bear she killed last week to her Facebook page.

The famous co-host of “Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures” told Field and Stream:

“My dad warned me before I even got involved with the show that I was going to have to deal with anti-hunters. I'm a huge target for them because I'm a smiley young woman, and I'm different than who they're used to dealing with."

But Shockey, 26, had no idea the flood of venomous comments would be so extensive, or that the story of her hunt and its aftermath would generate headlines in the mainstream.

She killed the bear, the largest she had ever harvested, on the fifth day of a hunt with her father in Hyde County, North Carolina. Bears are responsible for extensive crop damage in the region, and hunting helps control the bear population.

But this was such an impressive animal; critics found their way onto Shockey's fan page by the hundreds and opened with both barrels.

She spent much of the day removing the harshest comments "so other people don't have to read them."

Shockey told The Blaze that one commenter, in reference to a photo of her posing with her dog, stated that she “should kill that worthless dog you have instead.”

The hunter's response: “Apparently hunting a bear, eating/donating all of the meat and putting money towards conservation is a bad thing, but killing my puppy is ok. If this logic isn’t totally insane, I don’t know what is.”

The story–the dog comment in particular–caught the attention of mainstream news networks, such as ABC and Fox News. During an interview with Fox News on Monday, the anchor described the dog comment as “pretty sick stuff.”

Said Shockey: “It is sick, I agree with you, but unfortunately we actually have to deal with that quite a lot…. I’ve never had someone tell me to kill my puppy before, but comments like this… they definitely happen to us.”

Shockey has been posting the news reports to her fan page, which has more than 657,000 likes.

Part of the bio on her page reads: “With a combined passion for conservation and adventure, I try to balance hunting, femininity and family into what I consider to be the best lifestyle in the world.”

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Grand Canyon gray wolf sighting could be first since 1940s

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

A western gray wolf has been documented roaming the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, in Arizona, for the first time in more than 70 years.

The wolf was photographed recently, but at the time of this post, as the news was breaking, the photograph had not been made public and the sighting had not been officially confirmed.

However, the Center for Biological Diversity on Thursday announced the sighting in a press release.

The wolf was wearing what seemed to be an inactive radio collar, and the animal is believed to have dispersed from a pack in the northern Rocky Mountains.

The last-known wolf in Grand Canyon National Park was killed in the 1940s.

The Center for Biological Diversity points out that this wolf is protected under the Endangered Species Act, and cautioned hunters and ranchers against trying to kill or harm the animal.

“I'm absolutely thrilled that a wolf managed to travel so far to reclaim the Grand Canyon as a home for wolves,” said Michael Robinson, a wolf advocate with the environmental group. “This wolf's journey starkly highlights the fact that wolf recovery is still in its infancy and that these important and magnificent animals continue to need Endangered Species Act protections.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to a sport by Reuters, is going to attempt to capture the wolf.

If the predator is from the northern Rockies, where wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s, it would have ranged hundreds of miles to reach the North Rim.

Such a journey is reminiscent of one made by an Oregon wolf named OR7, which became famous after traveling across Oregon into California in late 2011.

OR7, a young male seeking a mate, became the first known wolf in California since 1924. He has since returned to Oregon, where he found a mate and is now raising a family.

There was speculation that the wolf seen on the North Rim might have been a Mexican gray wolf, as opposed to a western gray wolf.

But those who have viewed the photograph have said the animal looked too large to be a Mexican gray wolf. The sighting comes as the Obama Administration is pushing to remove protections for western gray wolves.

Stated Kim Crumbo, conservation director for Grand Canyon Wildlands Council: “In the early 1900s over 30 wolves on the North Kaibab, including Grand Canyon National Park, were killed by government hunters. "The possibility that a determined wolf could make it to the Canyon region is cause for celebration, and we must insist that every effort be taken to protect this brave wanderer.”

A spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity, according to Reuters, said the group decided to announce the sighting to make people aware of the wolf's presence, so it won’t be mistaken as a coyote and possibly shot.

–Generic gray wolf image is courtesy of Center for Biological Diversity

Rare albino deer bagged by 11-year-old crossbow hunter

By Pete Thomas/GrindTv

An 11-year-old Michigan hunter last week killed a rare albino deer while on a hunting trip with his father.

This week, the story is generating a wide range of emotional feedback on Facebook.

Gavin's father, Mick Dingman, told Livingston Daily that he and his son had spotted the white deer several times in recent years, and that other hunters had talked about trying to bag the animal.

An admittedly nervous Gavin used a crossbow from 30 yards to harvest the 12-point trophy buck, and the news quickly spread in hunting circles.

"He kind of feels like a rock star right now,” Mick Dingman said. “Everyone is calling, all of the hunting shows and hunting magazines.”

Sentiments being expressed on the WZZM 13 Facebook page, where the albino deer story has been shared more than 4,000 times, are somewhat mixed. (WZZM 13 is a Livingston Daily partner.)

“He should have let it live. There are plenty of others out there,” reads one of hundreds of comments.

“If it’s rare, why the hell would he kill it?" reads another.

“I’m fine with hunting, just hate the ‘Hey look, it’s different, let’s shoot it’ ideas. Shoot it with a camera and let the unique one live,” reads yet another.

Deer-hunting in Michigan is an extremely popular pastime, so it's not surprising that so many wrote in defense of Gavin Dingman.

“Get over it. The law says it’s legal. Back off the kid!!! Way to go kiddo!!” reads one comment.

“He paid good money for his license. He can use it for anything HE chooses, " reads another. "Whether it be a brown deer or an albino buck, the state of Michigan gave him permission to kill it. Leave the kid alone. He did nothing wrong. He harvested a great trophy.”

Some of the commenters criticized WZZM 13 for posting the story on Facebook, opening Gavin to criticism.

“WZZM should stick with reporting news, not trying to make an 11-year-old boy feel guilty for shooting a deer, during deer season,” reads one comment.

Albino deer and leucistic deer (not a true albino) possess genetic defects that cause the white pigmentation. Some native cultures revere the white animals, and believe that they possess the spirits of ancestors. This story brings to mind the killing last October of a rare albino “spirit moose” in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Three hunters involved in that expedition were harshly criticized on social media sites, and ultimately issued a formal apology to the Mi’kmaq people.

It’s unclear whether any native groups have spoken out against Gavin Dingman's killing of the white deer in Michigan.

The boy's description of his big moment: “My dad was just like, ‘Take a deep breath. Are you sure you can take the shot? If you’re not 100 percent, we don’t want to injure it.’ ”

The family plans to pay a taxidermist to create a full body mount of the deer. WZZM 13 cites a report that claims that one out of 20,000 deer are born albino.

–Find Pete Thomas on Facebook and Twitter

Shark-killing drum lines removed in Western Australia, but for how long?

The three-month trial period for shark culling off Western Australia ended Wednesday, but controversy surrounding the program has not subsided.

Rather, it seems to have intensified, with not only environmental groups but local residents and marine groups speaking out against the practice of baiting and killing large sharks spotted in certain risk areas.

That’s because the government, according to a report in the Australian, has applied to the commonwealth to continue the program over a three-year period, beginning in November.

And because the highly contentious catch-and-kill program, which involves baited drum lines and the shooting of captured sharks, is perceived as cruel and ecologically unsound, and does not ensure safety.

Since January, more than 100 sharks were caught on drum lines, which were strategically placed near popular swimming and surfing beaches.

Many were released because they were smaller than the three-meter minimum size, but at least a few dozen sharks were killed, including smaller sharks that drowned after being hooked. In one case an 8-foot tiger shark was revived by conservationists after it was released from a large hook.

The WA government has not yet released official figures.

Most were tiger sharks, which are dangerous to swimmers, but no great white sharks were captured during the trial period.

White sharks are responsible for most fatal attacks on swimmers in Australia, and a spate of attacks by white sharks in recent years is what led to the shark-killing program.

The Australian quotes Premier Colin Barnett as labeling the trial period “a success.”

Regarding the planned resumption of the program, Barnett added: “Maybe there’ll be a fair bit of contention about that, but we have caught some very large sharks close to popular swimming areas.”

The problem with that reasoning is that just because a large shark near a popular beach does not mean it will attack a person. Any surfer knows that for every shark seen, many more in a given area may be present, but unseen.

Researchers Leah Gibbs and Andrew Warren conducted a survey of 557 Western Australia swimmers, surfers, and divers. They found that the vast majority are against the cull.

They went on to state that 69% of respondents had seen or experienced a close encounter with a shark while in the water. Most said that the shark passed without incident.

“In other words, the presence of sharks does not necessarily equate to danger to people,” stated the authors, who are preparing a report on their findings.

The majority of respondents favored other strategies, such as improving public education about sharks, encouraging ocean users to accept risks, and increasing warning systems.

In Perth, Western Australia’s capital, it’s clear how most residents feel.

Perth Now polled 5,600 readers and 86% of them agreed that baited drum lines should never be used again. Thirteen percent were in favor of the use of drum lines, and 1% had no opinion.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society also spoke out against the use of drum lines and said the of the deadly fishing gear on Wednesday should mark a permanent end to the program.

“At no state has the WA government provided evidence that killing sharks will improve public safety,” said the society’s Tooni Mahto.

Regarding the absence of great white sharks on the drum-line hooks, Barnett became defensive.

“With respect to great wehites they tend to be more prevalent during spring, early summer. We didn’t have drum lines in during that period.”

It remains to be seen whether that will happen, come November.

–Pete Thomas, via GrindTv Outdoor

–Generic tiger shark (top) and white shark photos are via Wikipedia