MT Wolf Population

[elkfarmer]

as a new york hunter we have the coyote problem. Since they have been brought in our rabbits have been hit hard and pheasants, well don't even bother for them. They have done alot of damage now on our deer and turkey population also.

I see one thing that keeps getting mentioned here "ethics". I hate that word when legalities are discussed. We need rules and regulations for the good of hunters and hunted. how do you enforce ethics, ethics are you own make-up. and when you let someone elses "ethics" affect you and what you stand for...... You Lost

And the shame of it all is that it doesn't matter anymore whether you are the head of the game commission, in the gov't, hell the pres of the us. You always side and worry about those who cry the loudest. What a shame

 

[Devil Diver Down]

What's going on is this, here is the big picture. They stopped shooting cows in 97 and went to a six point bull reg. And all along they are hunting wolves. In several units in region 4 there is no wolf quota, open season year round below 3000 ft elevation. They keep wolves and bears off of winter range, and chase bears during calving/fawning season.

This seems like a no brainer to me (and my wife says I'm perfectly suited to determine those scenarios) but if you can't protect the herds on winter ranges and the vulnerable during the calving/fawning season, then the season isn't really going to ever do its job. I suspect the wolves will stick to the higher altitudes pretty quickly if they're getting pounded when/where they've had free reign to snack at will.

as a new york hunter we have the coyote problem. Since they have been brought in our rabbits have been hit hard and pheasants, well don't even bother for them. They have done alot of damage now on our deer and turkey population also.

Easy fix there. Encourage the New Yorkers with small, yippy dogs to go for leash-less walks once a week. Could solve two problems at once.

 

[drahthaar]

It was just confirmed to me. 569 cows were killed in R1, 444 by youth hunters. 30% were taken in HD 121. And the numbers are not all in yet.

I also heard this lunacy may be coming to an end as well. Thank God.

 

[buglin'gunslinger]

Look to the past with this issue. You are never going to deplete the population of this type of predator with only hunting, they are smart and adapt. The first season the quotas were filled quick because these animals did not hardly see people as a threat, this year the quota never was meet and its not because there were more tags. These predators know how to avoid human contact if they need to. In the past when they were killing wolves they had actual bounty hunters for wolves, poisoned bait stations, traps, disease, etc... pretty much threw everything but the kitchen sink at them and had them run out of the area pretty dang good. But they were never dead and gone. There has always been reports or wolf sightings and track before they were reintroduced. Heck there was a pack in the nine mile area north of Missoula even before the introduction. These animals are smart, hardy, and will do just fine even with a half ass management plan. So i guess what I'm trying to say is that yes we need trapping and additional tags if you want to reduce this population or they are going to keep increasing in numbers. Its going to be the same effect if you start with 1 double it you have 2 double it 4 double it 8 and so on. They don't multiply at that extreme of rate but it is the same concept with these animals that have multiple pups in a litter.

 

[shoots-straight]

We found out last night that it will take the legislature to pass a bill, allowing multiply tags. So this coming season that won't be an option.