Wolves in Yellowstone

[WindSurgeon]

Time to reintroduce them to areas of their range where the people who advocate for the wolf live. Once fluffy gets eaten or their kids are stalked at the bus stop, their opinions will change.

We have something a little similar in central Ohio. The coyote population has risen dramatically over the past 10+ years. On the northern edge of Columbus, Ohio, urban sprawl is out of control. You have wealthy yuppie homes being built on farmland. Then a few years later, another housing development (wife calls them 'house farms') moves even further away from the city. Coyotes are now pushing back and these yuppies are seeing them, they're eating pets and such. But the yuppies FREAK at the idea of someone firing a gun in their 'safe suburban community'. They want the coyotes to magically disappear.

Similar to the yuppies that move out into 'the country'...then complain about the smell of livestock. Well what did you think it was going to smell like?

This has worked out in my favor for finding deer hunting land in suburbs and x-burbs over the years. I actively trap and shoot coyotes and in return I request I get to hunt these 5 to 20 acre honey holes in the fall. Works out well and I recover my equipment cost via the pelts. Landowners are as you describe, but once they or their neighbors lose some pets, they are all in on the control concept. Loving wild dogs only goes as far as the couch and TV when the cruel reality of nature comes to their backyard.

 

[Steve Blair]

Shows the sense of government, they think they know what is best for you. I know the man that trapped the wolves in Alberta. These were 180 lb timber wolves. The wolf's that were in yellow stone years ago were only 100 to 120 lbs. Two timber wolves can eat a full grown white tail in one sitting.My trapper friend told them this was a mistake to put these wolves there.I remember when the elk heard was as far as the eye could see across the mountain and the valley, in the winter the people would feed them.That's all we need is more Government to look after us.

[br]
You are exactly right. The imported (not reintroduced) MacKenzie Valley Wolves, also known as Northwestern Wolves, evolved in a harsh arctic environment. They are bigger and more aggressive than native plains wolves. Canines have a very flexible genome and, with the plentiful food they are getting, these wolves will soon be hitting 200 pounds. [br]
Maybe it was a mistake to eliminate the native wolves but the mistake has now been compounded by importing this dangerous, non-native subspecies. The only recorded, fatal attacks on humans this century have been by Northwestern Wolves. [br]
The simple answer is to hunt them aggressively, forcing habitat and behavior changes. It will both reduce their numbers and move them sway from humans. They are not stupid. If they know that humans mean death, they will stay away. This will also have the effect of reducing their average size if they must hunt and forage over more difficult terrain.

 

[Larryh128]

Michigan spent considerable $ (hunters dollars) on re-introducing moose with some success. The wolves have eliminated all of the moose and about 80% of the deer. A federal judge swayed by the bunny huggers put the wolves back on the endangered species list. My prediction is that they will definitely become endangered in Michigan. The people have had enough and there has been a big run on FMJ's.

 

[dedogs]

Steve Blair, Your theory about aggresive hunting of wolves is a little off. Wolves are apex predators that range over a wide area, unlike coyotes which tend to stake out a territory and stick to it. Coyotes will disperse they're young in the late summer/early fall but wolves form packs. And they are very opportunistic/efficient hunters. They will take sheep and cattle over deer and elk whenever they can because it requires less enerygy to do this. As you know they will also kill just to show they're young how to do it. Our experience here in Montana is that you can shoot at them all you want--eventually they'll be back. Thay ARE very intelligent and usually shy away from the known presence of humans, but as you say these Mackenzie wolves are more aggressive than the wolf that was native here before we got rid of them. We have had several instances of wolves challenging people on horseback, and of wolves coming right into yards to kill dogs. In one instance this occurred in a highly populated area. In this respect they are just like coyotes--they adapt. You are right that we need to hunt and trap them more aggressively and almost all the ranchers I know would like to see a year long season on them. The problem as you know is political--the bambi huggers don't want us shooting anything. I wonder what these folks would think if these wolves were introduced into their own neck of the woods where they would have to deal with them from an economic and land use standpoint. I bet if a couple of 120# wolves( they rarely go over 150# here) showed up in their yards to kill their pet Labrador (or whatever) their tunes would change in a hurry. Oh well--wishful thinking I suppose.

 

[rudysts]

Washington state is starting to see the full effect of wolf introduction. I hunt the NE corner of the state and I've seen a big decline in game numbers in the last few years. there is even a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of who ever is responsible for killing a wolf last year. I hope they never catch him or her.

 

[WindSurgeon]

Washington state is starting to see the full effect of wolf introduction. I hunt the NE corner of the state and I've seen a big decline in game numbers in the last few years. there is even a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of who ever is responsible for killing a wolf last year. I hope they never catch him or her.

There are quite a few rumors of poaching wolves in Minnesota lately. People who have to deal with them no longer have a process for eliminating problem wolves. While delisted, they called the state to take care of it. Now that they are listed again, everything is in limbo. No funding for the feds to do it and the state is forbidden to do it by law. People are not allowed to kill them based on protecting property and property destruction (including pets). You call and they tell you they are waiting for direction and funding. In the meantime, people who make a living off the land are stuck with losses. Calving season is coming. The wolf crazies say that they should not be farming up in wolf country and to shut down. Wolves are going to get the short end of that stick. People wont put up with it. They will kill them and dump them in remote areas where they can't be found and eaten before anyone notices. The stupidity of the courts and the government is amazing.

 

[Dans40X]

The wolves are creatures of habit-

A piece of 1/16" diameter 7X19 aircraft cable w/ 2 swedged ferruled loops placed in strategic locations around one of their kills will HANG their offspring.

No dyeing required unless significant hoar frost is present in the area,then white dye to camo will HANG the alpha dog & lead bitch.

Collect the hides before a thaw.

If there is a wolverine passing through after the wolves cover their territory, you'll have to collect the dogs before the wolverine(s) clean up!

 

[CTanM]

Wait...... So..... Coyotes eat mice.... But a wolf won't?

I rest my case your honor

 

[people]

The SSS rule applies to wolves.

Yes it does.

 

[boltgunluvr]

The people/organization that are responsible for the matter are precisely that......wolves....in sheeps clothing. Bad idea and intentional anti-hunting destruction is their agenda.

 

[A_Gamehog]

This was taken a few years ago by a Park employee. Don't exclude Lions from the equation. They kill one animal per week for life.

 

[North Fork]

Wolves will take a lions kill from them. Then they have to hunt again

 

[effendude]

My wife's mtn lion tom was large but very thin. The outfitter suspected that the tom had been repeatedly chased off of his kills by wolves. I watched three wolves kill and eat most of a cow elk one day. If there would have been more wolves, it would have been completely gone in the matter of a few hours. A deer is just a snack for wolves.

Scott

 

[LR coyote]

It would have been tuff for me to watch that for long especially if my 6mm SLR was close by.

 

[LoganDon]

I don't have videos but have hunted the Frank Church wilderness area east of Elk City Idaho since the early 80's. Before the wolf introduction in the mid-90s, we limited out on bull elk within days. Since the wolf, in the early 2000s, we went 5 years without seeing an elk or deer. 5 very experienced hunters. At the Red River Ranger Station, there is a series of huge meadows where 20,000 elk used to winter, now around ~1,800 come in from 50+ miles!!! The elk and deer behavior has changed dramatically and it is darn hard hunting. All animals stick to heavy timber. Elk are now in very small herds of 4-6 animals (used to be herds of 20+) and the mule deer is essentially extinct. Whitetail are present but are scarce. Last year one of our 5 members saw one nice bull and shot it.

God help us if we shoot a wolf without a tag. The remaining elk and deer that winter on the Salmon river are slaughtered by the wolves. I've only seen 1 wolf in this time, but have heard them and they made a kill about 200yds from our camp in 2014.

There are resident tags (not for me, I live in UT) but it takes a skilled trapper or a helicopter to kill them - they are very weary and constantly lope around through the timber. We scouted the Salmon area this year and the only elk there are on private land along the rivers. If there is heavy snow, elk do come over from Montana.

Incidentally, the forest service does not fight fires around this area. So much new growth that it is unbelievable - could easily support past numbers of deer and elk. We hunt it as we are all getting older but know the area love the comradely of our hunting party.

This is our tax dollars at work. Only fools could come up with such a scenario.

 

[Hydenseek]

I'm afraid this is a scenario that many places across the country are going to witness. At some point I hope we hunters will take a stand against these special interest groups. This is a situation that is going to eliminate many from even hunting and even worse eliminate kids the chance to enjoy a hunt. Think about if the first five years you hunted when you were a kid, and the interest you would have taken if you never saw an animal.

 

[effendude]

I don't have videos but have hunted the Frank Church wilderness area east of Elk City Idaho since the early 80's. Before the wolf introduction in the mid-90s, we limited out on bull elk within days. Since the wolf, in the early 2000s, we went 5 years without seeing an elk or deer. 5 very experienced hunters. At the Red River Ranger Station, there is a series of huge meadows where 20,000 elk used to winter, now around ~1,800 come in from 50+ miles!!! The elk and deer behavior has changed dramatically and it is darn hard hunting. All animals stick to heavy timber. Elk are now in very small herds of 4-6 animals (used to be herds of 20+) and the mule deer is essentially extinct. Whitetail are present but are scarce. Last year one of our 5 members saw one nice bull and shot it.

God help us if we shoot a wolf without a tag. The remaining elk and deer that winter on the Salmon river are slaughtered by the wolves. I've only seen 1 wolf in this time, but have heard them and they made a kill about 200yds from our camp in 2014.

There are resident tags (not for me, I live in UT) but it takes a skilled trapper or a helicopter to kill them - they are very weary and constantly lope around through the timber. We scouted the Salmon area this year and the only elk there are on private land along the rivers. If there is heavy snow, elk do come over from Montana.

Incidentally, the forest service does not fight fires around this area. So much new growth that it is unbelievable - could easily support past numbers of deer and elk. We hunt it as we are all getting older but know the area love the comradely of our hunting party.

This is our tax dollars at work. Only fools could come up with such a scenario.

Logan,
I hunted the Church wilderness for years and witnessed the same thing. We parked at Dry Saddle on the Darby Road and would camp out below the Sheep Mtn lookout between Sabe and Rattlesnake Creeks. It is a tragedy what has happened back in there.

Scott

 

[SShooterZ]

It's a bit long but worth the watch.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk4miKKNax4
It's called CRYING WOLF

Talks about all the government dollars dumped into the reintroduction and now very little had to do with the "love of wolves" but the great amount of financial dollars to gain from doing it. Also talks about how the Wolves non discriminately hunt and kill anything in the area.

 

[effendude]

I bought a bunch of copies of the movie about 5 years ago. I handed them out to friends and relatives to watch and pass on. It is an eye opener!
Scott

 

[people]

Just shows you how good these people are. I would do my best to solve my wolf problem.