I live here in North Central Idaho along the Clearwater river. I am a fifth generation Idahoan and have spent most of my life in the Wilds of Idaho. I am tired of even talking about what has happened to our Elk, because all I ever get are excuses from those whom think they know what is going on. These people who claim to be experts and tell me that the elk are still there, or that wolves are not to blame, or that elk will adapt to having wolves around, all I know is that I never see these so called experts out in the mountains, so I don't know where or how they get their info. I know they may spend a couple days here and there, but that would be like having me be in charge of traffic control in Seattle because I spent a week there last year. All I can say is that you used to be able to go up the river drainages this time of year and see thousands of elk, in herds 100's. This winter like last, you are lucky to find one or two herds of 10 or so animals, the largest herd I seen on the Lochsa this winter was 12, and 14 on the Southfork. Most of the time you see 2 to 4 elk together. Maybe they are spreading out more to keep the wolves at bay, but then you would expect to see more groups of 2 to 4 animals, but you don't. Two weeks ago we went up the Lochsa to Montana, and back down again, I stopped and glassed almost every hill side, and saw one Elk during the whole trip. I talked to a friend who witnessed a cow elk brought down and killed by 3 wolves last week in a pullout while driving down the Lochsa, he said the wolves didn't even care that he sat there in his car watching, they just went about their business. Maybe wolves are not to blame, but all I know is before the wolves, we had elk, after wolves we have none. Also, I have personally seen 23 wolves in the last 5 years, and have only seen about 100 bull elk in that same period, so if there is only 700 wolves in Idaho, I guess we only have 3500 bull elk left in the state. The wolves have became so over populated that they are invading areas near and around towns now, following what game is left. This fall maybe with a hunting season for wolves we can begin to turn the tide back, but I fear it will be decades before the elk rebound. Us locals have come to feel, and to know, that our opinion and eye witnessed facts do not matter to the powers in control of these issues. We do not have the voting base to persuad Washington politicians. The Politicians along with the larger voting base in the Urban areas see the public ground out west as a big zoo for them to control and upon which to make policy. Policies that have no basis in facts, only what makes them look good to their enviro voters.