After being hunted to near-extinction, wolves were reintroduced to the northern Rocky Mountains a decade ago. More than 1,200 now live in the region. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to start removing Federal protections from gray wolves in Montana and Idaho in the next few weeks.
A couple of weeks ago Idaho’s governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, announced he will support public hunts to kill all but 100 of the state’s gray wolves after the Federal government strips them of protection. Gov. Otter has stated that he wants hunters to kill about 550 gray wolves in his state. That would leave about 100 wolves, or 10 packs, according to a population estimate by State Wildlife officials. The 100 surviving wolves would be the minimum before the animals could again be considered endangered. The wolves are seen as a threat to the state’s big game hunting industry. State Wildlife managers have advised the governor to allow a few more than 100 wolves to survive so they don’t go back on the endangered species list if a few of the 100 should get hit by cars, or fall prey to poisons or harsh winters and the number falls below 100.
If you’d like to get on a petition opposing the hunt, Click here
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just let your mind wonder a bit and think Wolf as you are meditating the subject.
my brother has been watching it happen.
Sorry RD, nothing is ironic about the way wolves kill. Sorry more misunderstanding people can not live around them and really see what this killing machine is capable in doing. I know it is not seen by all, so they need to keep out of the conversation until they spend time on their own watching and seeing what happens
I’m back, as the commercial says “one less”
3 tags filled, deer, elk, and of course you know!
rd says:
October 30, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Ah…it’s been awhile. The ’sport killing predator’ line is pretty ironic. Are you referring to the ’sport’ of killing?
Spoken like a true liberal. If the hunters were “sport killing” wolves like the wolves have been proven to kill other species, the hunters would have to eat the back-side out of the wolf and leave it to die. Since it’s illegal to leave any big game you’ve shot in the field, the answer would be, no, he wasn’t referring to the sport of killing.
Unfortunately I still have my tag. The area just north of me only had 5 wolves allotted for harvest, and they’ve already been harvested. Time to break out the map.
Idahomie
Good some still understand the non-ironic messages and get to the meat of it. Like your post, says it right down the line the way it is.
Congrats to you Elk Hunter
Its interesting to see how the elk are coping with the wolves. Once where they used to graze in the meadows, out in the open, they now stay in the deep thick areas of the forest. They hear any sound and they will move away slow and steady, trying not to make any noise they can be tracked by. They now stay quite and rarely talk to each other as in the past, trying not to give a dinner call.They have gone to a stealth mode for survival.
The elk can manuver around in the steep,dark stuff better than a wolf and stand a better chance of survival than out in the open – smart – The big problem for wolk hunters is trying to catch them out in the open now. Oh yes I forgot to do that now we just have to watch the cattle for a chance for a wolf. Up on a ranch where wolves are chasing cattle instead of elk, they are getting the easy meal. But are being taken. 129 of 220 today, over halfway there.
Harvest Information
Last Updated: November 4, 2009
Please call 1-877-872-3190 1-877-872-3190 for the most up-to-date information on harvest limits and closures.
Wolf Zone Harvest Limit Number Harvested Limit Remaining Status Season Dates
Panhandle 30 8 22 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Palouse-Hells Canyon 5 2 3 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Lolo 27 5 22 Open Sept 1 – Mar 31
Dworshak-Elk City 18 13 5 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Selway 17 4 13 Open Sept 15 – Dec 31
Middle Fork 17 11 6 Open Sept 15 – Dec 31
Salmon 16 2 14 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
McCall-Weiser 15 14* 1 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Sawtooth 55 23 32 Open Sept 1 – Mar 31
Southern Mountains 10 5 5 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Upper Snake 5 5 0 CLOSED Oct 1 – Dec 31
Southern Idaho 5 — 5 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
TOTALS 220 92 128
* One killed illegally before season opened.
Wolf zones close when harvest limits are met.
This story has a lot of misinformation. Wolves were not “hunted” to near extinction. They were poisoned and or trapped. Hunting alone was not enough.
The second paragraph is pure propaganda. We have over 1000 wolves in Idaho and only 220 will be hunted. The population grows around 26% a year.
As the wolves have depleted the game in the wilderness they have expanded into the wildland urban interface and are impacting rural communities.
Humans have been part of nature since we started walking on two feet and habituated wolves ended up either in the cooking pot, domesticated or warm clothing.
Wolves need to be managed – they belong in the wilderness – but not in our “villages”.
You sure dont hear anything on the TV anymore from the wolf lovers and their lawsuit. It’s gotten to be a forgotten cause I think. Or maybe ?? they see the true reason for the wolf hunts???? I sure do miss them
:0 I see we have taken (reported) 98 with 122 left to fill the quota. One of my rancher freinds says the wolves are finding out their not the top of the food chain anymore and are fewer and farther apart. Has anyone heard how the Montana hunt is going?
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/wolfStatus.html
Wolf Hunting Season Status
Status updated: November 13, 2009
Updated weekdays by 1:30 PM. For weekend updates call 1 (800) 385-7826 1 (800) 385-7826.
Wolf Management Unit Quota Number Harvested Number Remaining Status
1 41 31 10 Open.
North Fork Subunit 2 2 0 Closed.
2 22 18 4 Open.
3 12 13 0 Closed.
Harvest
Harvest Information
Last Updated: November 9, 2009
Please call for the most up-to-date information on harvest limits and closures.
Wolf Zone Harvest Limit Number Harvested Limit Remaining Status Season Dates
Panhandle 30 10 20 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Palouse-Hells Canyon 5 2 3 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Lolo 27 6 21 Open Sept 1 – Mar 31
Dworshak-Elk City 18 13 5 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Selway 17 4 13 Open Sept 15 – Dec 31
Middle Fork 17 11 6 Open Sept 15 – Dec 31
Salmon 16 3 13 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
McCall-Weiser 15 15* 0 CLOSED Oct 1 – Dec 31
Sawtooth 55 25 30 Open Sept 1 – Mar 31
Southern Mountains 10 6 4 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
Upper Snake 5 5 0 CLOSED Oct 1 – Dec 31
Southern Idaho 5 — 5 Open Oct 1 – Dec 31
TOTALS 220 100 120
It sure is quite, I have a new song for the wolf lovers. It uses the music from “Where have all the flowers gone”
Where have all the huggers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the huggers gone, long time ago?
We know where all the wolves have gone.
Idaho is going to extend its season in a number of units to insure management of the wolf is succesful.