Silent But Deadly
New member
Here is a cut & paste job for you.
I think this guy’s prediction of the elk in the tri-state area is a little pessimistic, but think of what will happen to the Yellowstone heard. Probably won’t make any difference if you are a predator loving panzy living in Pennsylvania.
The End of Life in Montana as We Know It?
by
Gary Marbut
Are wolves likely to wipe out the wildlife resource in Montana? Let's look
at some of the evidence the local biologists and the anti-hunters don't
want to discuss.
Some of the most bedrock scientific research on wolves has been done by
Warren Ballard, now a professor of wildlife biology in Texas, when he was a
wolf biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Ballard's studies report an average growth rate of wolf populations of 1.34
per year, notwithstanding human hunting and trapping, and even given the
mortalities associated with wolf-wolf rivalry, wolf-bear rivalry, and
capture deaths from biological studies. The highest annual wolf population
increase Ballard documented was 2.40 per year. Assuming the lower
population growth rate of 1.34, the wolf population will double every 2.5
years, and increase 10-fold every 8 years.
Lower (government) estimates of the number of wolves in Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming is at about 570. Other credible estimates place the numbers at
1,200 or above. Assuming the lower estimates, by 2010, if not vigorously
controlled there will be 5,700 wolves in the tri-state area.
Estimates vary about how many elk these wolves will kill each year. Most
studies have been done where wolves preyed primarily upon moose and caribou
(Alaska) or moose and deer (Minnesota). In these studies, wolves seemed to
rely only about 20% on caribou or deer for feed, and killed mostly moose.
It's probably safe to assume that Montana wolves will prey primarily on elk
- probably about 80%.
Opinions differ, but it is likely that wolves will kill (not consume -
kill) about 50 elk per year, per wolf. Some believe this number may be as
high as 100, or more. This includes documented phenomenon such as surplus
killing, sport killing, neonate killing (elk calves; easy catch - less meat
per kill), and educational killing (training pups to kill).
Using conservative (low) numbers, if the 5,700 wolves in 2010 each kill 50
elk that year, they will take 285,000 elk. Including all the years between
now and then, the number of elk lost to wolves will be over one million
(1,000,000) elk!!
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports that there are
now about (they think) 90,000 elk living in Montana.
So, if wolves continue to expand in population without drastic controls, we
are facing the end of hunting within a few years, probably an end of any
animal husbandry, an end to country living with a couple of horses, dogs or
llamas, and a serious diminution of outdoor recreation because of wolf
danger in the woods.
Without drastic wolf control methods, by 2010 all elk, moose, deer, sheep
and goats will be gone, smaller animals such as ground-nesting birds,
rabbits, gophers and anything else edible will be wiped out, ranchers will
be bankrupt, horseback riders will not be safe with their horses outside of
highly-guarded enclaves, hiking will be very dangerous, and living in
Montana will be very, very different.
If one assumes upper limits on these variables, this scenario will run its
course by 2005, yet the newly-proposed Montana Wolf Management Plan
wouldn't even begin wolf management until 2005.
Welcome to living with wolves in Montana.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
P.O. Box 4924
Missoula, Montana 59806
I think this guy’s prediction of the elk in the tri-state area is a little pessimistic, but think of what will happen to the Yellowstone heard. Probably won’t make any difference if you are a predator loving panzy living in Pennsylvania.
The End of Life in Montana as We Know It?
by
Gary Marbut
Are wolves likely to wipe out the wildlife resource in Montana? Let's look
at some of the evidence the local biologists and the anti-hunters don't
want to discuss.
Some of the most bedrock scientific research on wolves has been done by
Warren Ballard, now a professor of wildlife biology in Texas, when he was a
wolf biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Ballard's studies report an average growth rate of wolf populations of 1.34
per year, notwithstanding human hunting and trapping, and even given the
mortalities associated with wolf-wolf rivalry, wolf-bear rivalry, and
capture deaths from biological studies. The highest annual wolf population
increase Ballard documented was 2.40 per year. Assuming the lower
population growth rate of 1.34, the wolf population will double every 2.5
years, and increase 10-fold every 8 years.
Lower (government) estimates of the number of wolves in Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming is at about 570. Other credible estimates place the numbers at
1,200 or above. Assuming the lower estimates, by 2010, if not vigorously
controlled there will be 5,700 wolves in the tri-state area.
Estimates vary about how many elk these wolves will kill each year. Most
studies have been done where wolves preyed primarily upon moose and caribou
(Alaska) or moose and deer (Minnesota). In these studies, wolves seemed to
rely only about 20% on caribou or deer for feed, and killed mostly moose.
It's probably safe to assume that Montana wolves will prey primarily on elk
- probably about 80%.
Opinions differ, but it is likely that wolves will kill (not consume -
kill) about 50 elk per year, per wolf. Some believe this number may be as
high as 100, or more. This includes documented phenomenon such as surplus
killing, sport killing, neonate killing (elk calves; easy catch - less meat
per kill), and educational killing (training pups to kill).
Using conservative (low) numbers, if the 5,700 wolves in 2010 each kill 50
elk that year, they will take 285,000 elk. Including all the years between
now and then, the number of elk lost to wolves will be over one million
(1,000,000) elk!!
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks reports that there are
now about (they think) 90,000 elk living in Montana.
So, if wolves continue to expand in population without drastic controls, we
are facing the end of hunting within a few years, probably an end of any
animal husbandry, an end to country living with a couple of horses, dogs or
llamas, and a serious diminution of outdoor recreation because of wolf
danger in the woods.
Without drastic wolf control methods, by 2010 all elk, moose, deer, sheep
and goats will be gone, smaller animals such as ground-nesting birds,
rabbits, gophers and anything else edible will be wiped out, ranchers will
be bankrupt, horseback riders will not be safe with their horses outside of
highly-guarded enclaves, hiking will be very dangerous, and living in
Montana will be very, very different.
If one assumes upper limits on these variables, this scenario will run its
course by 2005, yet the newly-proposed Montana Wolf Management Plan
wouldn't even begin wolf management until 2005.
Welcome to living with wolves in Montana.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
P.O. Box 4924
Missoula, Montana 59806