Alsatian

I have been hearing that some folks think wolves are a big problem in Wyoming while other folks don't. What is the story, and try to keep on topic and avoid acrimony, if possible. I guess I'm interested in this from the big game hunter's perspective, as I am an Elk Hunter wannabee. Are wolves dramatically decreasing elk hunting oppotunities, moderating elk hunting opportunities, or having negligible effect on elk hunting opportunties in their area of reintroduction in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming? If this is a problem in these three states, what prevents these wolves from propogating to the Colorado rockies? Is there too much of a break in wolf habitate from the Idaho/Montana/Wyoming nexus to support the wolves propogating to Colorado?

RandyL

Boy you picked a very controversial and emotional subject.

My opinion, they are no good here in Wy. They kill and eat, and documented not always eating, just killing,they are diminishing my opportunities, my sons, and my grand childrens to hunt. I see no good at all. In some areas of NW Wyoming elk and moose have been hit pretty hard. And yes they are spreading, two packs in the Big Horns, three wolves seen and documented killing cattle 50 miles from NW Colorado, I believe they are there. One was hit by a car on I70 west of Denver last winter. Just give it some thought, last accurate count was 800 to 1000 wolves in Wy, Id, and Mt. How many elk can that many wolves eat? If Alaska and Canada did not have some management or hunting , where would the big game herds be? Give it some deep thought. We have no control, unlimited food supply, equaling the great caribou herds, and no barriers.

Elkcrazy8

They suck!!!!!!!!!!!

idahoelkinstructor

Well when your hunting area gets overrun with wolves and there are not even half of the elk left from before the wolves were intoduced then you will not like them too. I hate them to be honest but what can we do other than shoot them and maybe go to jail if we get caught! To answer you question just look at the Gardner Montaina Hunt it used to be a deperdation hunt just to thin out the elk comming out of yellowstone park. The best hunting was in January and I don't know off the top of my head how many elk tags but a couple of thousand tags for sure. In fact they had to sepetate the tags into different days just to keep the hunters from shooting each other. Their was a lot of hunters and a lot of endless lines of elk. The joke was that you didn't realy need your rifle you just needed a good pair of running sneakers because the first one to an elk taged it. When a realy big bull came through it was common to have 1/2 dozen or so hunters shooting at it and their was fist fights to boot. I was almost a guarented hunt for a big bull, it wasn't realy a hunt but a slaughter to keep the herds in check. Anyway I never hunted it but my dad had friends that did and I have read about it in newspapers and magazines. Anyway that has all changed now and last I heard 2 years ago that hunt is still going, but limited to very few tags at only a couple of hundred or so. Thats all because the wolves have killed so many elk in yellowstone park. Now that wouldn't be much of a problem if they just stayed in yellowstone, but being inrtoduced in central Idaho and others moving out of the park. And each year they are populating more and more. So yes the wolves are a big problem, and yes they do suck!

RobinHood36

Wolves are a problem and its only getting worse from year to year. I have personally have seen the devastating effects in the destruction in which they leave behind. They are a killing machine. The 04 elk season i came across so many elk kills in my 10 day hunt--cows, calves, and 3 bulls. Even had a wolf come within 10 yards of my boy and I. I see there tracks, scat, and even heard one howl. I believe it was 3-4 years ago i was hunting deer and i heard something coming up the ridge i was on, and had 2 wolves pop out right beside me. I told the F&G check station about it and they said there was no wolves in that area, LOL, the wolves are pretty much where there is elk, not that hard to figure out where they want to be, where there is a food source. I read in the paper recently where the F&G found 2 wolves that had been shot, in the area i hunt, me and my boy were doing high 5'S. I have talked to other hunters, and there has been alot of them saying that their specific areas in which they have hunted for years, and have been sucessful for years for harvesting elk, that the elk are just not plentiful like it was in the past. And now alot of these hunters are looking for other areas to hunt, since the wolves evidently have invaded there honey holes. A dog is a mans best friend, but a wolf is a hunters worst enemy, in my opinion!!!

Alsatian

I don't care one way or the other about wolves (I don't hate them, for example), but I do feel strongly about preserving hunting opportunities. Who was the mastermind behind reintroducing these animals into the Rocky Mountains? Why wasn't it enough that they had strong presence in Alaska and Canada? Since this reintroduction began about 10 years ago, I imagine some genius in the Clinton administration set this ball rolling. With a Republican President, Senate, and House, isn't there some way to reverse this thing?

I have also noticed that there is some divide between the way the US Fish and Game department views the wolves versus the local State game wardens. I may have the US agency misnamed, but you get my drift. What is that story all about? People working for the US agency have been sworn to toe the Wolf-party line or be unemployed?

It seems just stupid to have elk -- a valuable resource which many have paid lots of money to see expanded and preserved (through elk habitat preservation and restoration, for example) -- just get gobbled up by wolves.

I have also read that the target population of the initial actions indicated there would be some 300 wolves (300 per state, 300 total, 10 packs of 10 wolves each for each state, something like this), but that the numbers are way over this amount now and with no natural limitation on the continued growth of their numbers -- other than the crashing of elk and moose populations.

Surely there is some solution to this problem?

RandyL

It came about during the Klinton administration, but I am sure some repubs had thier fingers in it. The Endangered Species act, is what brought it about. Yes the USF&W, US Fish and Wildlife Service is driving it and disallowing Wyomings recovery plan because of the word "Preditor". Wyoming wants it classified as that out of the park. Pretty much open season, shooting or trapping, in the park trophy game with restrictions. The USF&W is pretty green, I am yet to meet one of them that actually hunts or own a gun other than a service handgun.

The state of Wy, a coalition of ranchers and hunting groups filed suit last friday in court and the opening arguments were read. I have no idea where this will go, it works for the anti's. I am not sure I want to see Wy get control as it will just break the WY G&F. I highly doubt there ever will be a hunting season as the anti's will sue and counter sue to stop it, only costing more money. The grizly was handed over the state of wy years ago, and a promise when the population hit 500 the state could have seasons and hunting, well 20 years later, 500 to 800 grizzlys and no season or one on the horizon. The grizzly management costs the WyG&F almost $2 million a year, and the feds chip in $300,000. All the Wy money comes directly from licnese sales, hunters, fisherman, and trappers.

MN. WIS. Mich. have had wolves for 40 years and still no hunting or seaons, so I can't see one ever happening here.

Here is my chioce for control!
http://www.ratpack38.com/mini/gatlinggun.wmv

idahoelkinstructor

As of last summer Idaho had over 400 wolves alone in central Idaho. Now if you figure out using the recomended stat offered to us by our own Fish and Game/Wildlife Service, that a single wolf will kill 1.5 elk per week (averaged over a year basis) and there are 400 wolves in central, middle Idaho that comes to over 600 elk a week, 2,400 elk a month and 28,800 elk killed each year by these stupid dogs. With those figures its not hard to figure out why an area that was once good can be wiped out if the wolves hang around for awhile. I too am in the catagory of finding a new area because the wolves have almost wiped out the majority of elk from my honey hole. I have hunted the Lemhi Zone (just south of Salmon Idaho on the map) for years, and there were lots and lots of elk but now the wolves have taken care of that. As far as why others introduced them well they (wolves) are a anti hunters best friend. Its true that many more people do deer hunt than elk hunt but if you look at the money people spend on elk hunting. And I don't know of hardly any deer hunters even back east who don't dream of one day hunting elk at west. So if the wolves take away the elk population to unhuntable numbers, the anti hunters have just won a piece of the battle to end all hunting. Its a smart move on their part, and the fact the about half of all hunters who don't know the real truth don't realy have much concern, and think that those of us who don't like the wolves (for very good reason) just hate them to hate them so to speak. An example is even in the RMEF, in the past few years it has been devided, about half the the members support the wolves and half don't. So the RMEF doesn't have a offical say in it. I think that is a huge mistake. Also our own Local Fish&Game don't always tell the truth because they don't loose the sale of any more elk tags. 10 years ago getting a out of state elk tag in Idaho was very hard, but now there are so many left over tags that we as residents can buy them up paying out of state fees. Even with that new rule there are still many elk tags left over at the end of the year. The reason is because the wolves have hurt our best elk heards in the state of Idaho. Many outfitters have closed shop because who wants to pay for a guided hunt for only a small chance at maybe only seeing an elk let alone seeing a big bull or getting a shot at any bull. I know this sounds harsh and biased but its the truth, and anyone who cares about elk and elk hunting should take a stand and be heard. Out ranchers have just won a victory to now be able to shoot them, now if we hunters can shoot them to keep them in check that would be a major step in the right direction.

bwhunter501

When they are that outa hand just use the 3 "S's".....shoot, shovel, shut up haha

cherokee_outfitters

If you have ever owned livestock you would never want to see wolves come to a stable number of population. If your an elk hunter you would not want to see them either. If you were walking in the woods and ran into three hungry wolves you better be fast and accurate. Wolves are coming to Colorado whether we want them or not. DOW has a hidden policy if they hint around about a topic or publish it in the paper once or twice. YOu can be sure plans are already set to re-introduce the wolves to colorado.

Were wolves in Colorado before? Sure they were. Cattlemen, trappers, and sheepherders took care of the problem the first time. But being restricted in taking wolves they will come back in a frenzy and become a huge problem in Colorado.

Get ready because they are already here. They've talked about it here for two years seriously. And the female wolf hit on I-70 was a transplant. I'd bet my life on that one because that is how they re-introduced the Lynx. They did it in secret and then told the state they did it.


Good thing i'm always packing.