Clint Bentley, Chairman

Board of Wildlife Commissioners

State of Nevada

1100 Valley Rd.

Reno, Nevada  89502

Dear Mr. Bentley:

I am requesting a written response to the letter you sent to Steve Thompson on September 21, 2007 pertaining to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR). The loss of our desert bighorn sheep in this area was brought to light 19 years ago by HUNTER’S ALERT. Why did it take the Wildlife Commission or NDOW so long to act?

You stated the Wildlife Commission admires the work they (DNWR) have done to protect desert bighorn sheep.  What was that protection and why were the sheep drastically reduced with that protection?

The Commission is requesting to fill a biologist position. Please explain why this is going to bring back the sheep when biologist Bruce Zeller wrote a lengthy a report that the lions were killing our sheep and no action was taken.

You stated past options for predator control were highly impractical and limited to methods like live capture and relocation of problem lions. These impractical options were opposed by the Department of Wildlife and prevented predation management from occurring on the Refuge.  This is an outright lie . I personally spoke with Bruce Zeller and it was NDOW director Terry Crawforth’s decision that problem lions could not be killed, only relocated. In addition, I verified this with Wildlife Services. Why would you and the rest of the Wildlife Commissioners fabricate such a lie?

Please explain why the Wildlife Commissioners and NDOW are not responsible for the decimation of the desert bighorn sheep on the Desert  National Wildlife Refuge because of their failure to act.

Sincerely,

Jacob “Bud” Sonnentag

PO Box 70

Gabbs, Nevada