A Republican congressman is accusing a government agency of "stonewalling" attempts to investigate allegations of animal abuse after graphic photos appeared online showing hunting dogs attacking defenseless coyotes.

The images, allegedly taken by an employee of Wyoming Wildlife Services whose job includes controlling nuisance predators, represent "flat-out animal cruelty," Rep. John Campbell of California said Monday.

Campbell told FoxNews.com that the photos are indicative of widespread problems within the little-known agency -- ranging from possible misuse of taxpayer money to alleged animal abuse of predatory and non-predatory wildlife.

The photos in question were posted by Jamie P. Olson, an employee of Wyoming Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The photo album reportedly appeared on Olson's personal Facebook account, which has since been deactivated. The photos include images of dogs snarling at and ripping into live coyotes trapped in steel foot-holes, as well as pictures of coyote carcasses.  

"This is becoming a recurring theme that they are doing some cruel things -- some bad things -- and doing it all with taxpayer money," said Campbell, who, along with Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., is calling for an independent investigation into the "inhumane" practices by Wildlife Services. "They appear to be stonewalling every attempt by everybody to investigate why they're doing it."

"We believe there's kind of a pattern here that this has become almost sport to put out these traps," Campbell continued. "We think there are a lot of non-lethal ways to protect livestock. But instead, they use these leg holes, which are extremely cruel. The animal takes a long time to die."

Campbell also said he has "increasing evidence" of taxpayer money being used for "private purposes," including protecting the livestock of four private ranchers.

"I have cattle myself," Campbell said. "I don't think it's the taxpayer's responsibility to protect my cattle. That's my responsibility."

Both Campbell and DeFazio penned a letter Nov. 30 to Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack calling for a thorough audit of the "culture" within Wildlife Services -- in particular its lethal predator control program -- by the USDA Office of Inspector General.

"We are gravely concerned that photographs, published on Mr. Olson's Facebook in an album labeled "work" and since removed, do not represent an isolated occurrence, but may reflect a deep-rooted problem within the Wildlife Services program that allows for, and encourages, inhumane lethal methods of predator control," the lawmakers wrote.

Wildlife Services spokeswoman Carol Bannerman confirmed Monday that the photos taken by the agency employee are still under investigation. The photos were allegedly posted in an album titled "work," but it remains unclear whether they were taken while Olson was on the job or not. The federal employee, whom Bannerman did not name, remains employed at this time. Olson could not be reached for comment.

Bannerman said if the investigation concludes that animal abuse took place, that "would not be accepted."

"We do take it very seriously," she said. "We have directives that require our staff to use the USDA standards for the removal of animals...To do it quickly with the least amount of stress."

Rep. DeFazio took issue with the USDA's Wildlife Services lethal predator control program, which he said he had been “trying to eliminate ... for over 25 years.

"This program is ineffective, indiscriminate, inhumane, and it has cost the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars since it was created," he said. "It's incredibly important that we bring the actions of this agency out of the shadows.”

The photos have sparked outrage among several environmental groups critical of the federal government's anti-predator program. The images have also led to an online petition at www.change.org that calls for Olson's termination. 

"Wildlife Services is veiled in secrecy and a culture of cruelty and they hope it will all just go away if they ignore it long enough," the California-based group Project Coyote said Monday. 

In a statement released to FoxNews.com, the Humane Society said it is "horrified by photos posted on Mr. Olson's Facebook page that appear to show a coyote fighting desperately to escape from a steel leg-hold trap while Olson's dogs ripped and pulled the defenseless animal's body apart.

"The photos suggest Mr. Olson was acting in his capacity as a federal employee," said Stephanie Boyles Griffin, senior director of Wildlife Response, Innovations & Services for The HSUS.

A county wildlife board member is defending a controversial Internet video that displays an encounter between his dog and a trapped bobcat.

The one-minute video has sparked public outrage in the form of malicious comments. The man who shot the video, Tracy Truman, said he has received several threats since the video went viral earlier this week.

Truman has also faced questions from Clark County commissioners.

"I'm surprised about the controversy, yes," said Truman, who is currently on the Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife.

He posted the video on an Internet forum. It features a bobcat caught in a trap, while Truman is holding the chain. His dog can be seen barking non-stop at the bobcat.

"It was a video that I showed other people what I wanted a dog to do - that is, not make contact with an animal, and do two things - locate it and bark at it. That's all the video did," Truman explained.

After the video began circulating the web, local animal advocates voiced strong opposition.

At one point in the recording, Truman is heard commanding his dog to attack, saying, "Get him, boy."

He says the public is taking the video out of context.

"This has been a witch hunt,' Truman said. "This is started by people who don't want me to serve on the wildlife advisory board. I understand that, and rarely does the witch get an opportunity to make a comment.

Truman did meet with Commissioner Steve Sisolak on Friday morning to share his side of the story.

"I was concerned about that. I don't think it was a good image," Sisolak said, adding that their conversation didn't do much to sway each other's opinion, and they agreed to disagree.

"When you see the animal confined in that trap and being yanked back and forth, and pulled back and forth on his chain, that seems really offensive," said Sisolak.

Truman told FOX5 he is on the advisory board to help the public make an informed opinion on what happens out in the wild, although Sisolak didn't think the video was a good representation from someone who works for the county.

Truman said he put himself through college working as a trapper. He has a license to conduct trapping activities, and he believes some people just don't understand it because they rarely, if ever, witness it with their own eyes.

"People in the public are free to say what they want," Truman noted. "We disagree about politics, we disagree about religion. We certainly disagree about wildlife management."

#3104099 - Today at 09:35 AM Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman joshKS trapper Registered: 02/09/07 Loc: Kansas I found this on a wildland fire website that I look at. Makes me mad that they would do this to a person. http :// wildfiretoday.com/2012/04/02/fire-management-officer-pictured-with-live-trapped- wolf/ Top

#3104121 - Today at 09:49 AM Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: joshKS ] BigBob trapper Registered: 12/23/06 Loc: St. Louis Co, Mo And this surpised you? _________________________ Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon. Remember Bowe Bergdahl Jill Pudlewski is a thief and a liar! Top

#3104129 - Today at 09:57 AM Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: BigBob ] joshKS trapper Registered: 02/09/07 Loc: Kansas Didnt say it suprised me. Top

#3104183 - Today at 10:40 AM Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: joshKS ] BlueRat trapper Registered: 09/02/11 Loc: Minocqua, WI Saw it posted on Face Book....I'm sure they'll use it until the next big thing comes along Top

#3104491 - Today at 02:20 PM Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: BlueRat ] marshstalker trapper Registered: 03/21/12 Loc: Wisconsin No kidding there. Top

#3104507 - Today at 02:33 PM Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: joshKS ] backwoodsbarry trapper Registered: 03/06/11 Loc: wyoming So start a thread of mother nature and how cruel it is I'm sure you would get hundreds of coyotes & fox managed up. Coons with distemper,ect then we could stick it up top so every time they get on here snooping around they would remember those pictures and maybe think, am I really doing the right thing, am I on the wrong side of this fight? Just a thought _________________________ Top

#3104584 - 20 minutes 7 seconds ago Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: backwoodsbarry ] Leftlane trapper Registered: 12/02/09 Loc: Kansas Think before you post pictures, stories, or opinions. The nut jobs watch this site and we all need to do our job to promote trapping as the responsible solution to wildlife population control. Just last week I posted prayers and some well wishing to a friend with a health issue on this site and got hate mail in my email with in 5 mins. There are some nutty people out there- don't help them to make us look bad. _________________________ Gone fishing. Top

A connection between abusing animals on trapline and mangy animals in WHERE they trap. In place they don't trap has no mangy disease....... Hmmmm fishy. This stupid ass hick just revealed something the public don't want to see.. Why trappers obsess on pro-use?, Why trappers cheat-polls, Why trappers obsess on trapping soo much? Why trappers value trapping above human lives? Why trappers trap mostly healthy animals? Why trappers are extremely apathy? Why trappers are hermit and calls truth tellers liars? Also trappers abuse animals on their trapline and hicks like NTA says nothing wrong with it. Most trappers says nothing wrong with abusing animals on trapline?????? Live markets which is extremely cruel and barbaric. No animal welfare in trapping????? This loser saying the ARA will take the pic and manipulate it??? Trappers says I photoshop trapped animals to gorier pics and as soon I show evidence they say I hacked Tman. Trappers acts like pricks and idiots on purpose. So the answer in my theory because many abuse animals is. There can be two answer for this thing.... 1, Trappers trap mostly the healthy animals and leave the sick to make the healthy animals sick so they can use this excuse to continue trapping the healthy. Canidae species existed for very long and never self-genocided. Plus trappers trap healthy species with ZERO disease rate such as the fisher and wolverine. They claim they keep their number healthy which is BS. These stupid hicks does it for the money and will REFUSE to reintroduce them back to endangered places such as many parts of Europe, Canada such as Labrador, Quebec and etc. 2, Will be an interesting answer and probably the right one since trappers abuse animals on their traplines and says nothing wrong with it. So is obvious trappers will abuse an healthy animal, shave some of their fur off, neglect it, beat it and more. Neglected pets looks VERY like animals with mange. Trappers stomp, beat, strangle and whack the animal. So it has a connection with this act of fraudulent. Trappers will beat the animal and make it sick and look like it has mange and get away with their crimes against nature. To me people doing that sould be shot or used for drugs and chemical testing because is horrific. I will NEVER sympathize with people like that. Besides trappers always wish nontrappers to die of cancer and or they say they deserve it.

#3104609 - 8 minutes 31 seconds ago Re: Anti's Use Photos From Trapperman [ Re: backwoodsbarry ] akpawpincher trapper Registered: 04/04/10 Loc: Kodiak, Alaska Originally Posted By: backwoodsbarry So start a thread of mother nature and how cruel it is I'm sure you would get hundreds of coyotes & fox managed up. Coons with distemper,ect then we could stick it up top so every time they get on here snooping around they would remember those pictures and maybe think, am I really doing the right thing, am I on the wrong side of this fight? Just a thought They would just take the mange pic and claim some trapper caught this poor coyote or fox and shaved it, starved it, beat it, and released it to make it look like there was a mange epidemic. They have been stealing pics and videos for a long time. Before I found Trapperman through their advertising I actually learned some trapping techniques from their propaganda. _________________________ "Old enough to know better, dumb enough to keep doing it!" Top

A few days ago I saw some headlines in news stories about photos of a live, trapped wolf. I didn't read them until today when I  found out that a wildland firefighter was involved. According to the articles, Josh Bransford, Fire Management Officer on the Red River Ranger District of the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho, is in a photo that shows him smiling in front of a live wolf caught in a leg-hold trap. The snow around the wolf is bloody, as a result of the leg being caught in the trap, or from it being wounded as several people shot it while it was trapped.

I will not post the photo of the wolf, but it has gone viral around the internet. HERE and HERE are samples of some of the articles with the photos.

7 THOUGHTS ON “ FIRE MANAGEMENT OFFICER PICTURED WITH LIVE, TRAPPED WOLF ”

1. kelly on April 2, 2012 at 11:13 am said:

   oh dear.
   “former” FMO?

   I do not support the anti-trapping groups or their tactics. I reluctantly agree that what he did was not illegal. But it was stunningly boneheaded.

   Reply ?
   • Tanya Wolfman on April 3, 2012 at 12:16 pm said:

     sickening that you think there is nothing wrong with that. you people make me very sick. if it were you in that trap you would cry, do you think that the wolf feels any less pain then you? I don't think, so . you are very heartless and ignorant.

     Reply ?

What this man is doing to this poor animal is depraved. They are sick people performing sickening acts. How can anyone get such obvious pleasure out of watching such suffering and torture of this animal? Its bad enough to shoot an animal for fun, but to sit and pose in front of an injured, frightened animal is beyond comprehension. I feel pity for the wife and children of this sick man. He is obviously a bully and a thug. If he can get such pleasure out of watching something suffer this way, what does mean for the way he treats his wife and children.

• kelly on April 2, 2012 at 10:20 pm said:

  Dear Annie,
  I'll bet you don't like medium-rare venison backstrap either, do ya?
  “depraved, sick, sickening, suffering, and torture” is not the point here. “bully and a thug” and his wife and children really outs you. Are you sure you're on the right website?

  Reply ?

OOOPS

We have yet another leadership problem in the ranks of FMO's.

I can just imagine the training officers of this young man……I would be shaking my head or trying to shake this from my organization or at the very least 1 year subtracted from his 37-57 fire pension for an illustrious move as this. Sensitivities aside….mind where the camera is pointing!!

Lead Follow and Get the Hell out of the way of this one!!

• Tanya Wolfman on April 3, 2012 at 12:19 pm said:

  needs to be fired. Stupid man. Must feel big to be having his picture taken in front of a helpless animal. Ya he is the beast. Disgusting is the only thing he is.

  Reply ?

Annie, how can anyone get such obvious pleasure out of watching such suffering and torture of elk and elk calves, being killed by wolves, in the Park?

A tourist attraction, I believe it's called…

It sure wouldn't attract me.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Wolves_and_elk.jpg/1280px-Wolves_and_elk.jpg

Run, till they can run no more, then eaten alive as blood loss slowly causes death.

Yeah, that's what it's called… a tourist attraction… would that attract you?

OCR

Photos of live, trapped wolf prompt threats to Missoula-based group

HELENA — A Missoula-based anti-trapping organization said it received a threatening email this month after the group posted graphic photos on the Internet of a live Idaho wolf caught in a foot-hold trap.

Anja Heister, executive director of Footloose Montana, on March 22 posted a series of photos gleaned from an online trapping forum called Trapperman.com on her personal and Footloose Montana Facebook sites.

Heister said she opened Footloose Montana's email inbox on Monday and found what she believed to be a death threat directed at family members of the organization:

"I would like to donate (sic) a gun to your childs (sic) head to make sure you can watch it die slowly so I can have my picture taken with it's (sic) bleeding dying screaming for mercy body. YOU WILL BE THE TARGET NEXT BITCHES!" the message read.

Heister said the email was in response to the group posting photos of a northern Idaho trapper's March 18 wolf kill, which was detailed on the online trapping forum.

The photos show trapper Josh Bransford, a fire management officer for the Nez Perce National Forest, kneeling and smiling for the camera as a wolf he caught in a foot-hold trap stands behind him in a ring of blood-soaked snow. Another photo shows a close-up of the wolf's paw caught in the trap. A third photo shows the trapper posing with his catch.

Heister said Footloose Montana, which is actively campaigning to ban trapping in Montana, has received plenty of hostile emails and phone calls since 2007 but never anything that rose to this level.

"It has a cumulative effect on your psyche," Heister said. "I'm not easily scared, but when I read this I got really concerned."

Heister said she reported the threatening email to local and federal law enforcement officials. Missoula Police Sgt. Travis Welch confirmed the department received the report of the malicious email and that it was assigned to an investigator, but he declined to comment further.

In an online blog on Earth Island Journal's website, writer James William Gibson recounted what Bransford — who goes by the handle "Pinching" — wrote about the photos. Bransford's post has since been removed.

"I got a call on Sunday morning from a FS (Forest Service) cop that I know. You got one up here," the post said, and then continued, "there was a crowd forming. Several guys had stopped and taken a shot at him already," the post read, according to Gibson.

According to Bransford the wolf was a 100-pound male with "no rub spots" making an "good wall hanger."

Bransford did not return calls or emails seeking comment Thursday.

As of late Thursday the photos posted on Footloose Montana's Facebook page had received nearly 900 comments. Online commenters on both the Earth Island Journal and the Footloose Montana Facebook page expressed outrage over the photos. Many viewers were angry Bransford posed for a portrait with the wounded wolf before killing it.

Dave Linkhart, spokesman for the National Trappers Association, said there's nothing wrong with a trapper posing with his catch before killing the animal.

"You pose with a successful catch just like you do with a successful hunt," Linkhart said. "People make the problem of attributing human feelings and emotions to these animals."

Linkhart claimed trapped animals don't suffer, so taking the time to shoot a photograph does not cross ethical boundaries.

"If you look at the trap — across the pad of the foot like that — if you were to release the animal it would walk away like nothing happened," Linkhart said.

Marc Bekoff is a former professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and fellow of the Animal Behavior Society who has studied the social behavior of wolves and coyotes, among other animals.

"That wolf was suffering immeasurably. Not only physically by having his foot locked in a trap, but also being shot at," said Bekoff, the author of several books on animal psychology and emotion. "This was not hunting. This was having an animal having its foot smashed in trap and then shooting at it with bullets. This wolf was tortured."

Linkhart said if the wolf was shot at, that isn't the trapper's fault.

"Somebody else came up there and shot that animal first. That is illegal. What the trapper has done here is not," Linkhart said. "The problem was not the trap. It was the illegal activity of the hunters who shot at that wolf."