Wolves: Are They Endangered or Not?

Thank you Mark! You echo my opinion. I've lived in Montana for 22yrs and remember when they introduced the wolves. The feds didn't listen to what we who live here and hunt here already knew. The wolf was coming back. There had been verified reports of wolves in numerous areas in Montana. Couldn't they have saved millions of dollars and just let them come back naturally? I'm not happy with the legislators that allowed this fiasco to happen. I'm really not happy with Judge Malloy. It seems that every time he gets a case such as this he ticks me off with his eastern states rulings. If these folks want the wolf so bad then they need to reestablish them in thier home states as well. This is just my opinion though.

It's all political garbage if you ask me. You can't scientifically manage wildlife in the courts or voting booths, the Bambi factor always gets in the way. Why have state Game and Fish/Wildlife mangement departments if they aren't allowed to do their job?

Mark, you put into words what I've tried to say on the BB. I could not agree with you more! The wolves have reached a point that the numbers need to be managed and hunting is byfar the best way to do this. Each state should be able to manage as they see fit! Or let the FEDs round the up and relocate them to D.C.!! I like the fact that we have predators, they are needed and useful. However the need to be kept in check of they'll decimate the big game herds and thats exactly whats heppening, thanks again Mark!

I hunted m there. they gave out 25 cow and 25 bull permits then, now with the Wolves back, they give out five thats it. I agree on the part if thoses eastern A hole wants Wolves , then take them to where they live and dump them out. As soon as they start eating the little varmints and the little kids cause thats what they will do. we'll see how long they want them to remain. I read somewhere that if there left unchecked for 10 more years, it's possible for them to reach Mexico. Now there's an idea. dump them out along the Mexico Border, they ought to help comtrol the border, or at least have a tasty meal. Politics is all it's about. there not endangered, in thoses states. I heard wolves back in 96 in the yellow stone area, so i agree that there was a small population to start with. Unlist them so these states can control them.

Not all easterners act the same way,that being said!!! In PA we have an antler restriction on white tail deer in which there are only supposed to be a certain amount of points on one side in a certain area. In the area where I hunt I think this plan by the state has backfired because a lot of people are shooting doe instead because they are to affraid to shoot if you can't see how many points are on one side which the regations state thus the deer population is shrinking. "PREDATORS" I think that that the states can't manage their own governing abilities let alone manage wildlife, be careful what you wish for.

We dont have the wolf problem in NY, but we do have a coyote problem ramping up. They are eating everything and eliminating some species from some areas. We have a season for coyotes with no bag limits but so far not too many hunters, also a problem with some farmers liking the coyote because it kills all the woodchucks in the area, that part I have noticed. They have also done a number on fawns in the area, one hunter put a trail camera outside of an active coyote den and over a weeks time counted 14 fawns being carried into the den, not good.
I can just imagine what a larger wolf can do if let to run without supervision.

Seems to me the wolves are a viable part of a natural eco system. Since the introduction of man in the picture the "natural eco-system" needs some tweeking. As wolves follow the natural migration of prey animals they appear to disappear from some areas and then bounce back when the migration reverses itself. The overall carrying capacity of land in the west has to include domestic stock as well as natural grazing animals and when either become directly affected by wolf predation then steps to increase or decrease quotas should be enforced. This will never be done right with the people in DC and they should rely on the biologists and game protection personnel of the individual states or areas. If this does not occur then wolf populations can go either way. If you are to wait on some "well informed" judge on the east coast all the elk could be gone before he says okay we can start killing the wolves again. Where do these people come from!?

In reply to MTPete and DSTATON, a ruling by a judge doesn't translate into an agreement of anyone from an "eastern state". Many of us hunt out west and have watched this entire wolf situation unfold from the start. We too are appalled at what the federal goverment has allowed to happened to the prime hunting of various big game animals in the western states. It's unfortunate that anyone would let this to affect their ability to think clearly. As in all areas of hunting, once we allow anti-hunters to divide and conquer (east vs. west), they win.

The exploding wolf population has hunters in Northern Wisconsin up in arms as well. In the past 5 years I have seen a significant drop in the deer numbers. I too have noticed the deer are moving closer to cabins and humans to keep the wolves at bay. I am concerned, when will the first attack on a human take place, who will be to blame? Wolf depredation on hunting hounds has doubled this year already and we haven't gotten to the open season. My hunting party in the last 2 years has seen more wolves duing the bow season than deer. We need to control predator populations as well as herbivore populations. Secure management from qualified personnel is key. Politicians, lawyers, and judges have not been formally trained in wild animal population control to make educated rules governing these critters.

Liberal Democratic bunny huggers and tree huggers have every judge in the county wired by some guy in Washington D.C. All will deny but Obama wants all of our guns and ammo. More wolves may be killed by Molloy's decision than would have been killed by the authorized hunt. It is time for the Feds to stop pushing hunters.

Yeah well i live in Montana and quite frankly i think the relisting is a big F$#%#@*, to the intelligence of the people of this magnificent state. I have wolves living right her in my back yard was not afforded the oppurtunity too shoot one last year, was really looking forward to the chance of trying again, I thin Mt.FWP. should say up yours to the honorable judge Malloy and sell tags anyway, what's he gonna do sue us.

these eastern treehuggin bambi lovers would rather suspend the population control on a speces that lives for nothing else but devour everything below them on the food chain, allowing packs to grow at the rate dogs do without control is a decision that only can be made when your head is vacationing somewhere dark and smelly place. if an animal was allowed to run in the eastern states as they do out here, they would declare openseason, so why make judgements without even the slightest clue just to draw the suport of your fellow shub eaters. their real sportsman, to stalk and drop a head of letuce.

To those of you blaming your wolf woes on those of us in the east,knock it off! Yeah, we've got a lot of tree-huggers, but have you ever been to Estes Park, or Jackson Hole?
Most of the hunters I know don't want them here in Vermont, and figure a "wolf's a coyote", though you know you can't shoot them all (wolves, I mean). We have a serious problem with coyotes, and they're a lot bigger than those pups you have out west - we've got 'em running 60 lbs now, and believe they're breeding with Eastern timber wolves out of Canada.

I grew up in N.E. Az. We kept our horses in the Mountains between Heber and Show Low, before the highway. The wolves were always there. They kept there distance and we didn't shoot them. We appreciated seeing them once in a blue moon. You might call it a common respect towards each other. There was never a need for adding more wolves. How about we force another family into Babbitt's house to live.
When I was in Alberta in 2003 the Canadians were angry, because some of those wolves Babbitt transplanted in Wyo. and Montana headed home, eating whatever they could along the way. Because that's what preditors do.
We ask some of these people, who don't understand how animals survival minds kick in, and to go camp without protection where the mountain lion, coyote, grizzly bear, and wolf live to, find out what they eat..... That is the only way these people, who I think might be morons, will get it.
Coyotes will eat half a calf before it's birth hits the ground, eat all your chickens, small dogs and cats, rabbits, and yes small children when all the other is gone. To these preditors it is only a food chain for survival. Then they'll fill their belly with juniper berries to feel like they ate something.

JWH

well it seems our Governor has pulled a rabbit out, he dicovered a loophole that we might be able to hunte wolves after all. seems we can hunt them in them of science and research yee haa!, as far as the gentleman that shoots coyotes upwards of 60lbs in vermont breeding with wolves probabbly not likely, although not impossible, and you have'nt been in my backyard yet so come shoot a dog 75lbs or bigger people see coyotes here and they thnk they are wolves until they see the wolf.

Lifehunter

I won't hesitate to kill a wolf or coyote while in the woods. I'm protecting my right to hunt. If the woods had hunters that killed, let's say 5 or 6 deer a day while out on a days hunt, they should and will be locked up. It's not fair too the game population in the wilderness to allow wolves and coyotes to rule the woods. I was up in southern Michigan this past year and while out on a walk thru the woods where I once use to kill at least 4 or 5 cottontail rabbits, there were NONE! Not even a track. I'm not kidding. I will kill them. Period.

Life Member & Hunter

Well the way I see it if the folks want the wolf to recover then they need to turn them lose and let them run not baby them and feed them. But 1st they need to prove that they are pure wolf not hybreeds. I still have not seen anything thy have people in Silver City New Mexico raising hybred wolves and you don't see the United States Fish and Wildlife or New Mexico Department of Game and Fish removing them because its againist there rules and laws for you to have them Here.Anyone without a College Degree and that has honosetly HUNTED any type of Predator in the Dog family will tell you if you miss you have just Educated the animal for LIFE anbd he will not make that mistake ever again. Take them out and have them call predators into hunt and let them know that when you turn the call on or put the reed in your mouth you are there next meal and you better be ready to hunt and shoot. It all boils down to the folks that have let for lyears the criminals that harm our children, parents, friends, neighbors, and wives get away with what they do because they think it is cruel and that you are violating there human rights that is BULL and know one stands up to them. They have seperated the hunter and the ranchers from the Forest Service and BLM to make everyone fight so they can just keep everthing stired up and in turmoil. That is why this Country is in the Shape that it is. Let them run let us control them with a hunting season to protect our other animals of the Forest.

Because the Feds don't listen to the "People" anymore, out west we have a saying "shoot'em, bury'em,Shutup"

The Endangered Spieces Act will never be fixed, it will be up to the will of the people to take matters into their own hands.

Somewhere there has to be a balance between wolves and big game such as Elk, Deer and so on. Last year while my family and I were in Idaho we seen a huge decrease in the Elk and Deer population and I commend the guy that killed the first legal Wolf in Idaho during its first legal Wolf Season. They outlawed hunting Wolves, made it legal then take it away again. I agreee with the guy above, "shoot'em, bury'em,Shutup"

Hello to all, facts are facts. By protecting the wolf and all big game predators we are NOT keeping them in a natural balance. By limiting the bag limits we can keep them in check and allow balance on a more natural level. Also by not hunting these large predators we are not showing that we are anything but game ourselves. If you gointo the woods most game will have a natural fear of humans. This is not because we are Gods to them but that they know we are hunting them and have a natural fear of humans. When this fear is lost these and all large predators will see us as food.
In Alaska the Polar bear is protected but if you watch many have no fear of humans. Reserch groups have resorted to shooting " bang rounds" to scare them away. Why does this work? They fear the humans are attacking them and show fear. But how long will that hold when the animals learn that there is really nothing to fear.
In a pack of Wolves if the pack sees members being hunted and killed by humans they also will fear humans and keep a respectable distance.
True story, I was hunting in Jersey where a small pack of freral dogs took up residence. Four of us were walking single file on a deer trail in thick underbrush (deer season). My younger brother was first and entered a very small clearing. I was next in line and when I heard growling and stepped in behind him I saw them. They had their ears back and were stalking forward at him. When they saw me they stopped but did not run. They were thinking on attacking but the odds had changed. When my father stepped in behind us the retreated and ran. Later we cams upon them again and they were eliminated. If we told anyone we would be fined and jailed.
I love bowhunting and do so mostly alone. I go in before first light and leave after dark. I know if I had tripped into a pack like this I would be fighting for my life. With a bow and arrow what chance would I have had. We are not permitted to carry even a sidearm here so I carry a very sharp Machette at the ready, my small trail light but also a larger light to illuminate an area and distance.
We have many coyote now and it is true they are 60 + lb and I think they are cross breeding with freral dogs, larger dogs.
How long before a hunter or others are taken down? There are now few turkey and deer in this area and I hear them howling while they hunt. To you out west, let the pack know you are there when you shoot so they will learn fear of humans again. It is your life and others you protect. I love nature but would prefer not to be lunch for any animal. Be safe and fight the laws legally when possible. I love my country but I fear my Gov. Tony from Jersey

Sorry about the spelling as I didnt proof read before sending. I`m not a hillbilly. Tony

Remember gent's this all starts at the top. When you vote this fall
let's make a difference. I live in Upper Michigan and they are a problem here to. I have them in my back yard and I'm not to happy with that either. There was a reason their numbers were cut back to start with. It just seems to me to be a end run by are liberal friends
To do away with hunting and guns.

Let's make a difference!!!

Yooper