Lots of wolves? Some wolves? No wolves?

[lumbergreg]

I recently had a conversation with an old hunting friend on the topic of wolves. He is angry with Idaho/Montana etc, reintroducing wolves into certain areas and feels all wolves should again be elliminated. It made me wonder.....do most hunters feel this way? I personally like the idea of wolves roaming the back country, although it is a MUST their numbers be kept in check!! (Much lower than current numbers!! A few hundred in certain areas. My thinking may be naive; it may be much more difficult to control numbers than I think.) So, I pose the question.....Lots of wolves? Some wolves? No wolves?

 

[Goldtip]

Some wolves is fine in my opinion, with close count kept on their numbers controlled by general hunting and special depredation hunts held when they exceed those numbers, just as we do with any other species.

 

[Sytes]

Some wolves is fine in my opinion, with close count kept on their numbers controlled by general hunting and special depredation hunts held when they exceed those numbers, just as we do with any other species.

Ditto Goldtip's comment. My good friend wants them - eliminated. I can't blame him for his thoughts as our "honey hole" has been blown out by them in Big Hole area - I tease him - the disneyland days are over.
IMO, it is good to have some movement, culling of the weak elk, deer, etc. Bah, this topic is a preach and re-preach deal though - everyone has their stand and walls have been built from extremist anti wolves - eradication to extreme cuddly "teddy bear" like sweet loving puppies of the wild.
Hunt them - kill them, whatever - manage their numbers.

 

[Big Fin]

I recently had a conversation with an old hunting friend on the topic of wolves. He is angry with Idaho/Montana etc, reintroducing wolves into certain areas ...........

If he is angry with the states of MT/ID/WY, he is very uninformed of how the process has worked, which is not unusual among many in the hunting community. Such ignorance of the process and the history of the issue is deterimental to the cause of hunters who are arguing on behalf of state management.

The Feds re-introduced the wolves in the Greater Yellowstone areas of MT/ID/WY and in the wilderness areas of central ID. The wolves had already started to establish themselves naturally in NW MT. To be mad at the states is a waste of time.

All hunters I know want them managed. We all have a different definition of what "managed" population levels are.

Ask your friend this:

Did he comment on the wolf re-introduction during the hundreds of public comment periods?

Most people complaining today, sat on their hands and did not participate in the process when the re-introduction was proposed. Seems ironic how many complain that they did not get what they wanted, but didn't voice an opinion when the time to do so was at hand. Maybe he did, and this question is not relevant.

Is he aware of how many wolves had naturally re-established before the current fiasco, and as such, those wolves would have had a lot more protection under the ESA than this experimental population?

We are all wanting for state management. Blaming the states in a manner that reflects ignorance of how we got here is of no value.

 

[----]

I'm fine with them being there, just let me hunt the damn things.

 

[Big Slick]

Very well put Fin!

 

[lumbergreg]

I love this.....i'm so thankful we all live where we can hunt, live free, and voice our opinions all the same!! Big Fin, thank you for the foremat and TV show.....best in the business in my opinion.

I don't know the answer to your questions. My friend is an older gentleman living in Seattle who no longer has the legs to join our Idaho hunts. We love talking hunting and remembering earlier days. I for one can unfortunately say am guilty of not being involved early in the "wolve topic". You make a very important and valid point and it certainly won't be lost on this particular lover of the outdoors and hunter. Maybe a better question......"Where the heck was I before this mess"?

 

[shoots-straight]

Where the heck was I before this mess"?

The same place 90% of all sportsman hang out. In the "Apathy outhouse".

Sportsman really don't get involved until opportunity is taken away. This seems to get their attention.

Fin, nothing more could be said, you covered it well.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Wolves are our friendly cudly puppy like friends.....who keep sheep and cattle thinned out so they won't eat the grasses and browse that Elk, Moose and Deer need....

BTW, I was there, like Obama, from day one commenting on reintro ....of the WRONG subspecies and reintro in general!. Rei9ntro them in SoCal and Scarsdale too! They were there originally!!

 

[rosco]

I dont mind having a few, but as I think everyone here agrees, they need to be kept in check. That means by hunting,calling and trapping, even aerial gunning if needed in the more remote area's.

How many avenues of management will be allowed remains to be seen, but Idaho and Montana have made great progress, while Wyoming throws wrenches at the wheels of success...IMO

 

[1_pointer]

I dont mind having a few, but as I think everyone here agrees, they need to be kept in check. That means by hunting,calling and trapping, even aerial gunning if needed in the more remote area's.

How many avenues of management will be allowed remains to be seen, but Idaho and Montana have made great progress, while Wyoming throws wrenches at the wheels of success...IMO

+1

I agree with everything in this post!!

 

[icb12]

LOTS and LOTS of wolves. That's what I want. Oodles of them.

 

[Hunts]

If the wolves are needed to manage elk populations in Yellowstone I am fine with that. Otherwise we have hunters to manage the elk pop. Keep them in the park.

 

[shoots-straight]

If the wolves are needed to manage elk populations in Yellowstone I am fine with that. Otherwise we have hunters to manage the elk pop. Keep them in the park.

Although we can fantasize about wolves just living in the confines of Yellowstone Park, I think that issue has long sense been decided.

 

[Hunts]

shots-straight,

Maybe, but I think that anti wolf sentiment is just beginning to get going. If the elk population doesn't rebound then elk tag sales will decline. This is bad for FWP. At this point even if all 186 are taken next year this will hardly help the declining elk pop. Wolf pop will have to get knocked back a lot more than that. Sure there are going to be wolves all over the state but my personal view is to treat them the way Wyoming wants to. Just my opinion.

 

[sweetnectar]

Wolves and hunters go together great. That is why so many hunters from the western side of the state are now trying to hunt elk in the eastern part of the state...at least this is my theory.