Illinois Wolf Reintroduction Survey
- Thread starter hunt1up
- Start date
dihardhunter
Active member
I'm a researcher in wildlife sciences, that's what I do for a living. That said, I'm not going to elaborate on my personal beliefs regarding wolves and predators and such, BUT I will point out a thing or two having worked with several other state agencies in writing/issuing public input surveys.
It was a random survey, that's why not everyone got one, and that's a simple dollars and cents decision (although emailed surveys can reach a higher saturation level, response rates are typically quite a bit lower).
State agencies commonly overload surveys with questions, often asking questions that are way outside the purview of the immediate objectives. Why? Because once they are buying stamps, they make sure we get their money out of it. Now as a researcher, we usually discourage surveys that beat around the bush because they often contribute to "survey fatigue" and people getting ideas that this, that, or the other is a hidden (or not so hidden) agenda being pushed. Now, perhaps there is talk of a wolf reintroduction in Illinois - I do not know, but my guess is that there is not any real credible conversation occurring. My face value impression is that they are gauging public support for how they deal with situations when single wolves or a pack of wolves enters the state from the West...sort of the mountain lion from South Dakota wandering to Connecticut a couple years ago situation. And while they are at, they are also asking other questions.
I'd be curious to see the entire survey instrument, but those are my gut reactions.
It was a random survey, that's why not everyone got one, and that's a simple dollars and cents decision (although emailed surveys can reach a higher saturation level, response rates are typically quite a bit lower).
State agencies commonly overload surveys with questions, often asking questions that are way outside the purview of the immediate objectives. Why? Because once they are buying stamps, they make sure we get their money out of it. Now as a researcher, we usually discourage surveys that beat around the bush because they often contribute to "survey fatigue" and people getting ideas that this, that, or the other is a hidden (or not so hidden) agenda being pushed. Now, perhaps there is talk of a wolf reintroduction in Illinois - I do not know, but my guess is that there is not any real credible conversation occurring. My face value impression is that they are gauging public support for how they deal with situations when single wolves or a pack of wolves enters the state from the West...sort of the mountain lion from South Dakota wandering to Connecticut a couple years ago situation. And while they are at, they are also asking other questions.
I'd be curious to see the entire survey instrument, but those are my gut reactions.
hunt1up
Active member
I posted up the other questions on Archerytalk since I had to shrink my images on Hunttalk. Maybe I didn't upload them properly here.
Post #42. You should be able to read them.
http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3493625&page=2
dihardhunter
Active member
I will definitely do that...thanks.
dihardhunter
Active member
Interesting survey, I'm not sure it does much to change my opinion though. The Shawnee NF comment was interesting, and it isn't the first time that Shawnee NF has been mentioned with regards to supporting a previously extirpated high profile, charismatic species --- it was strongly considered for elk back in the late 90s.
Call me crazy, but setting up geographic lines in the sand to exterminate wolves as they slowly but surely recolonize old portions of their original range through natural expansion is not much different than mistakes we made 115-175 years ago with American wildlife. In light of another Hunt Talk thread, it would seem foolish to persecute a species because it succeeds in adapting to their local and regional environment...wolves are a far cry from an evolutionary F student.
Call me crazy, but setting up geographic lines in the sand to exterminate wolves as they slowly but surely recolonize old portions of their original range through natural expansion is not much different than mistakes we made 115-175 years ago with American wildlife. In light of another Hunt Talk thread, it would seem foolish to persecute a species because it succeeds in adapting to their local and regional environment...wolves are a far cry from an evolutionary F student.
Flatland Crusoe
Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2014
- Messages
- 572
IDNR has proven themselves incapable of even basic wildlife managment without introducing a new apex predator to the state. I agree with the line in the sand idea but by that logic we should get Elk, black bears, bison, mountain lions and wolves and way fewer whitetail deer than we have now.
hunt1up
Active member
I understand your point of view. If the wolf comes back on its own then that's nature doing it's thing. I guess I'm alright with that. The state actively trying to repopulate them? I don't think so. As much as I'd love for nature to be like it was, it just isn't possible. IL looks nothing like it did 200 years ago. Prairies and hardwood flats are now vast expanses of pancake flat dirt fields. Are we going to bring back the buffalo? The elk? Repopulate the mountain lion? IL is not the territory of the human and the whitetail.
That said, the DNR has officially made killing a wolf, black bear, or mountain lion illegal in IL. So I'm sure we'll see more of them showing up on their own.
The wolves are to go with the Bison that will be on Midwein National Grasslands in the not too distant future!
Have firearms and willing to help with depredation... The area around Sullivan is great deer habitat, just be on the lookout for guys in orange jumpsuits.
Care to share his number???
Have firearms and willing to help with depredation... The area around Sullivan is great deer habitat, just be on the lookout for guys in orange jumpsuits.
charliebravo77
Well-known member
Would anyone who received the survey mind posting scans of the full questions? I'm real curious to read it since I haven't received one.
James Riley
Banned
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2015
- Messages
- 1,821
The wolves are to go with the Bison that will be on Midwein National Grasslands in the not too distant future!
Care to share his number???
Sorry for the highjack: I visited one of his friend's house one day and saw a nice buck on wall. I asked him about it, hoping to hear a good hunting story, still-hunting for days, etc but instead he showed me his bathroom and a window he had right in front of the toilet. He said he was sitting on it one morning, drinking his coffee, taking care of business, and the buck was standing right there in his yard. He kept his rifle there for that reason. Oh well.
hunt1up
Active member
I posted them up on another forum. I couldn't upload them big enough on here to be able to read them. Post #42 http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3493625&page=2
Similar threads
- MN Public Hunter
- Other Big Game
