Wolves in Yellowstone

[SmokinJoe]

I, like many of you, am concerned about the re-introduction of predators in the US. I've seen comments that the wolves have decimated the elk herds in the Yellowstone area. And, locally, I've heard that the coyotes are killing up to 90% of the fawns. Someone sent me the following video concerning the effect of wolves in Yellowstone and I just wondered how factual it might be. There are many issues these days that may have a serious impact on us in the future, but I am not an expert on most of them so tend to at least listen to what is presented by various factions. Problem is it is very difficult to know what was left out of many of these arguments in order for a group to try to make their point.

http://biggeekdad.com/2014/02/yellowstone-wolves/

Then if that topic is too heavy, take a look at this one: http://biggeekdad.com/2014/08/dont-look-good-anymore/

 

[jonbearman]

Can you say propaganda. They introduced predators in new York state like coyote's and black bear. Now the hunters are dwindling.

 

[dkhunt14]

If you believe that video I got some swamp land for sale. Ask the hunters and guides in Montana what it is doing to their deer and elk herds. Some places they completely decimated the herds. Guides and camps are loosing money because guys are not coming to hunt. The only places there are numbers of elk is on big ranches where they protect there game by shooting the wolves. They either kill them or they leave because they know they are being shot at. They are moving into Idaho and other states because they have to kill and eat. If they allowed limited hunting or ran them out of the park during hunting season some of the deer and elk would be shot and not be overcrowded. My father in law pruned his trees sometimes to the bare trunk and I thought he killed the trees. Next year they grew back better then ever and had bumper crops of peaches and apples. Matt

 

[MTlager]

Propaganda is exactly what that was. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is one of the sponsor's of that video. Enviro group that is anti everthing. Would like to see the whole state turned into a big wilderness with no hunting or utilization of our natural resources. The narrator keep referring to the elk as deer. There are no more hunting permits issued around the park because the elk are gone. Those elk in the video in city limits by Bozeman are there now because of the wolves. In the last 3-4 years noticed a big change in elk behavior were there are wolves. Watch elk out my kitchen window that live in the fields now and don't want to go to the woods and get attacked. Wolves kill to live, and kill anything they can that gets in their way.
Lonnie

 

[Hydenseek]

What these pro-wolf people are for is anti-hunting. The wolf is just their mechanism.

 

[L.Sherm]

If you want to know what has happened to the elk in Montana and Idaho especially Yellowstone just take a look at the #'s in the early90's compared to today, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Early 90's F@G use to give out 2,000 cow permits now none or virtually none because numbers are so low. Don't be surprised if these anti-groups sue to put the yellowstone herd on the endangered list, I gaurentee you they have a plan and it will not benefit the sportsman

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

Anytime you introduce a change to something as large and complex as the ecosystem...there will be positives and negatives. Any position that presents only one side of the story is just wasting my time.

Perfect rebuttal:

Those fields are now flourishing with new plantlife? Who's to say it's supposed to be that way? Maybe the deer/elk are supposed to keep those sections of land bare? Those birds are coming back? Is it supposed to be that way? And those birds are coming from somewhere, what about the ecosystem of the area they came from?

See, it's easy to manipulate the position...

Nothing like this can be addressed property with a 4 minute Youtube video.

...but most people are REALLY gullible...so that's why you HAVE 4 minute youtube videos.

 

[dedogs]

It has been said by many that the most effective BIOLOGICAL control of wolf populations is to introduce them to Parvo virus. Very Effective.

 

[SmokinJoe]

My initial take on the video was pretty much what has been said, but i wanted to hear what others had to say. This was sent to me by the widow of an old friend out west who was a big hunter. I guess she has been sucked in by the "feel good" nature of the film. As far as over grazing, doesn't that take care of itself? As long as the wildlife herds are healthy, seems as though food supply is adequate. If food supply drops off, then the herds either wither or become starved to accomodate the food supply. I have also read that the wolves that were introduced to the area are not the same as what was indigenous to the area historically, but a much larger species that is capable of taking down large elk. If this is actually the case, then the reintroduction would put the ecosystem way out of balance in the opposite direction of what was the basis for it. I agree that these folks are anti hunting, etc nutcases.

 

[North Fork]

The wolfs have killed of most of the mose where i live and have killed of a lot of the elk. Bull elk live buy them selfs most of the time which makes them easey targets for the wolfs .They don't bugle during the rut any more becuse the wolfs can locate them when they bugle. Wolfs are very good at killing I have about 30 or more elk buy my house every day and you only see 3or4 caves with them and they should have alot more then that. They try and feed with my horse's some time they are a pain in the a. I live buy salmon idaho.

 

[dedogs]

Northfork, Take heart, the Elk numbers are starting to come back up in your neck of the woods as are the Moose numbers thanks to your state's agressive wolf eradication program. When I passed through on Hwy 93 on New Years Day I saw well over 300 Elk (lots of calves) from Salmon to the top of Lost Trail Pass. They were all along the road through there as they often are this time of the year lapping up all that road salt you guys put on the road. None of the groups I saw were in wolf defense position (asses in and in a circle looking out) so I think you guys are getting a handle on the wolf numbers down there. Saw several moose also between Salmon and Hamilton, Mt. which surprised me as our Moose numbers have been drastically reduced also. dedogs

 

[Chappy]

The SSS rule applies to wolves.

 

[wyoming .260]

Any positive effects on the environment in Yellowstone are not a product of wolves but of 25 yrs. of regeneration after the 1988 fires which destroyed a large part of the parks old forest growth. The wolves were introduced in 1993-1994. Now after the park is regrowing in the burn areas, the wolves get credit for helping ..............
Go to the Hayden valley this spring, May in particular and watch the wolves kill every elk calf they can find and eat about one of every 15 they kill.

 

[Chappy]

I have notice every year for the last half decade it's getting harder and harder to get on elk as they are getting spookier and spookier. I remember being able to "cherry pick" which cow I wanted to shoot out of a herd but now, I better take the first one that gives me a shot and be thankful for it. It's really depressing that areas that used to be filled with elk now you can go a whole hunting season without hardly seeing a track.

 

[dwcon]

Wolves big mistake ..............

 

[Barlow]

The Wolves in Wisconsin are in my opinion the absolute worst thing ever dumped on the landscape. Like the quote from Lonesome Dove, " I hate their guts and their livers to". Worst deer season in many, many years. But I guess wolf lovers hate deer and every other creature. Barlow

 

[LR coyote]

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.

 

[smoooth]

Wolves need to be relocated to big cities to a better food source - wolf loving liberals and lawmakers.......of course the wolves would never eat either one because they are so full of s**t.....

 

[WindSurgeon]

Wolves need to be relocated to big cities

Here in Minnesota, wolves are rampant and expanding. They are dicimating our moose and deer populations in the Northern half of the state (not to mention cattle and pets) and now the courts have said in their recent verdict "wolves have not returned to their full original range". This was the driving part of the decision even though the original intent was simply to return them to a sustainable species in the upper midwest and west. Even the wolf experts in the country were ignored and disagree with the court. 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 plenty of wolves in Minnesota to ship off to reintroduce them to these states. Write your representatives and demand them to introduce a law that would relocate wolves to expand their range to the cities and suburbs. (of course they wont because its OK for us to deal with them, but "not in my backyard")

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

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?