69 Wolves Were Killed »
Posted By hurr1 3 months, 3 weeks ago in NewsState officials plan to kill as many as 70% of the wolves in the Greater Yellowstone region. And after years of effort, just over 50 wild wolves can be found in Arizona and New Mexico. Wolves are an important life for the ecological system. They never take more prey than they need to survive.
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Comments So Far: 84
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mark-stevens3 months, 3 weeks ago
The money being spent is staggering. Planes were bought and pilots were hired just for that hunt!!
Studies show that wolves kill only the sick and weak. I watched a study that follwed a wolf pack. The pack brought down an apparent healthy elk. It was proven that "healthy" elk had lukemia.
That keeping the elk heards low has allowed rare water plants to come back. Those plants keep the water clean, increasing the fish poulation.
The evil wolves is left over from Disney movies. Also moms aren't allowed in a Disney movie since Walt didn't have one!!
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CaptainLucid3 months, 3 weeks ago
Even worse is that because there are no longer enough wolves to thin the herd we spend more money to feed them over winter.
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ecotourusa3 months, 3 weeks ago
no problem rdy2rck! and, if anyone is interested, I have some national parks and monuments bronze medals up for auction on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&I...
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lvrofwolves3 months, 3 weeks ago
What a giant waste, and I mean that in many more ways then 1
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mmrhe3 months, 3 weeks ago
The post above contained a nasty but hilarious reference to our esteemed VP Richard "******" Cheney
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PsychoHosebeast3 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm all for the protection of wolves, but this article really says nothing about what's going on here... half stats, no background... let's see, they seem to have left out how many wolves there were in NM and AZ BEFORE this happened... but they tell us there's only fifty now. So, how many were there before, 5,000? 10? WTF? 69 wolves killed nationwide, or what? State officials? What state? Yellowstone is in what, four different states? And why are state officials involved in federal territory? Seems like we've got a lot of mix 'n' match stats going on here to spin the story in the absolute worst imaginable way.
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cowboygrandpa3 months, 3 weeks ago
eco:
That would be ranchers, there ma'm. They don't like the wolves attacking their herds.
In AZ they have open range. It is open for all cattle to graze. If you want to protect your property you have pay to fence it in.
I know because I had to pay for fencing to protect my wife's garden. LOL
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kpw10223 months, 3 weeks ago
The article is a tad skewed and leaves out some details. The de-listing of gray wolves didn't apply to AZ and NM at all.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/17157526.html
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mfravel3 months, 3 weeks ago
This storey is another classic reminder of how we humans love to play god. We give life only to destroy it.Does anyone know if there is a paticion going on that i can sign?
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
Do any of you people live here near Yellowstone? I do. I seen the elk herds getting smaller and they are not just killing the sick or weak ones. I've found full grown bulls,(male elk), killed and not eaten. Not to mention the killing of cattle. You people might come out here for a vacation and think it's great to see them. You don't have to live with their impact. I get so TIRED of from somewhere else telling me how to live.
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Natureboy3 months, 3 weeks ago
I am fairly familiar with what happened in Yellowstone.
With the wolves killed off, elk populations did boom - and they stopped migrating, opting for the lush vegetation at river and creeksides. By doing so, they abdicated their ecological role, and began killing off willows etc that stabilized riverbanks and provided habitat for osprey etc and food for beaver.
Most people don't get that wolves are a keystone ecological species. Their "impact" is positive and disproportionally large in proportion to their numbers. Ecologists and foresters LEARNED from the mistake made in Yellowstone (where at one time they killed off virtually all the wolves) and that is why there is the push to protect them where they are and reintroduce them where they have been killed off.
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triizine3 months, 2 weeks ago
DaneL, The wolves have lived on this land far longer than humans. What right do we have to kill them?
Wolves are here for a reason; to balance the ecosystem, dah!
I live in an area where we have wolves, coyote, cougar, and bear. Should we kill them all because they are inconvenient? How stupid. What are we going to do when the animals they prey on experience a population explosion; put 'em on birth control?
Yes, here in Colorado, we have had discussions on what to do with the over-population of deer and elk, and one option presented by our government was to put females on birth control. We have had to reintroduce predators to this are to control the deer and elk populations. Why? Because when they became over populated they started getting sick. Ever heard of Chronic Wasting Disease? That is what happens when predators are removed; the prey over populate and start getting sick.
cont...
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triizine3 months, 2 weeks ago
As for ranchers.. Who do you think feeds all the deer and elk? They eat from their hay fields and cost them money by diminishing the amount of grass available for their cattle. Here they give land owners special hunting rights to compensate for the loss of feed.
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
Do any of you people live here near Yellowstone? I do. I've seen the elk herds getting smaller and they are not just killing the sick or weak ones. I've found full grown bulls,(male elk), killed and not eaten. Not to mention the killing of cattle. You people might come out here for a vacation and think it's great to see them. You don't have to live with their impact. I get so TIRED of people from somewhere else telling me how to live.
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wildman65573 months, 3 weeks ago
Danel, you may live near Yellowstone but you don't know much about wolves. Wolves can not afford to kill elk and not eat them. Studies at Isle Royale which have extended for more than 50 years have shown that wolves have an energy budget that is very close to the edge. (see http://www.wolfmoose.mtu.edu/). They simply can not afford to kill full grown bull elk and not eat them. They would all be dead very soon if they did that.
They do kill cattle though. That is why they were killed off in the first place.
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
Anything could have scared them from that kill. And I'll bet all you know about wolves is what you have read. And you make it sound as if every kill I've found has been left. Try reading the post. The point I'm making is they are not just killing the weak or sick. They are reducing the size of the elk herds. Get you face out of the books and get out and learn for yourself then tell me I'm wrong.
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triizine3 months, 2 weeks ago
As for ranchers.. Who do you think feeds all the deer and elk? They eat from their hay fields and cost them money by diminishing the amount of grass available for their cattle. Here they give land owners special hunting rights to compensate for the loss of feed.
Unlike humans, wolves do not kill for sport. They eat what they kill, and humans tend to kill elk and just take the head, I've seen it more than you might imagine. How do you know that that bull elk was killed by a wolf pack; did you see them do it? Ferrel dogs do more damage than wolves do, and the Ferrel dog population is on the rise, again, thanks to humans.
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lvrofwolves3 months, 3 weeks ago
and you know for a fact it's wolves doing that and not mountain lions, coyote, wild dogs. why would a wolf kill and not eat? that doesn't make any sense, wolves don't kill for sport, they kill to eat. The wolves had been there long before you, so you don't like what happens naturally in nature? why don't you move? Maybe you can move in with your friend Bush, who lives somewhere else but tells people how to live.
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
A typical emotinal response. Have you even seen a wolf? And I don't mean in a book or zoo.
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Natureboy3 months, 3 weeks ago
A typically lame and irrelevant response. How could having once seen a wolf tell any of us whether specific kills were done by wolves or some other animal? FYI, killing an animal and not eating it is far more typical of dogs than wolves. But I haven't heard you advocating for the extermination of dogs.
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triizine3 months, 2 weeks ago
I had a wolf for, as a pet, for more than 10 years. Raised her from a pup, and she died of old age. She could take down an elk as a youngster, but she didn't because she was fed, not hungry. We'd take her out in the hills for exercise, and let her run free. She never attacked anything, and she easily could have.
We kept her along with three other dogs, and she was the alpha in the pack. She raised the other dogs even though they were not her pups. I let my children play with her, and never felt any anxiety about it.
Wolves are beautiful creatures and have a more deserved place in the scheme of things than humans do. If you don't like them then get out of Dodge. Move to a place that is concrete and steel.
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canadianrancher573 months, 3 weeks ago
I have no problem with wildlife but I do have a problem with trying to restore a species back to an area where the were removed because they
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
If you have ever been in the wild, which I doubt with a statement like that, animals leave tracks and wolf tracks are unmistakable. Maybe you can't tell the difference but anyone who has spent time in the wilderness can. How many wolves and grizzlies do you have in your backyard? I bet none but you want them to run unchecked in mine.
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lvrofwolves3 months, 3 weeks ago
And the reason you made your home in the wilderness is??? I believe those animals homes are there...but hey you're human best make way for you, right? the hell with the wildlife. So when the wilderness and animals are gone, what are you going to do? move to another place in the 'wild' and have that 'checked' to?
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THOMNH623 months, 3 weeks ago
that is true wolves kill to eat, which is why the elk population in Idaho and Montana have seen a serious decline in the last few years. The other thing most people do not realize is the mountain lion population in this are is getting bigger every yr. One mt lion can take as many a 50 to 60 elk calves each spring. While preserving one species we unknowingly work to eliminate another. Prey animals do not always eat what they kill right away. I am a;; fpr [reserving the wolves, but while in the back country of Idaho last yr I saw and heard at least a dozen wolves, bears, and cats as well. What will happen when the elk heard is gone and they move into your backyard to eat.
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DaneL3 months, 3 weeks ago
Look at the problem the state of California is having with mountain lions. When they find an easy source of food like dogs, cats and people they will take it. We are allowed to hunt mountain lions here in Wyoming. So they still have a fear of humans. Wish I could say the same for grizzlies but there is talk of delisting them too. 3 grizzly attacks here last year.
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wildman65573 months, 3 weeks ago
There are a lot of mountain lions in Arizona where I live and we hunt them here too. But they still eat our dogs and cats. There are NO outdoor cats where I live...
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canadianrancher573 months, 3 weeks ago
I have no problem with wildlife but I do have a problem with trying to restore a species back to an area where they were removed because they had already been a problem, If one wanted this idea to work then the people in the area would have to be removed. When it comes to a national park and they are reintroduced then they should be protected within the park and if the food source runs out then nature will take care of the surplus wolves and I guess if the venture outside of the park, well they become fair game.
I use this idea on a small pasture that has a gopher problem if they stay with in the pasture area their only enemies are predators if the go out into the crop they deal with me and so far the population doesn't seem to be going up or down much and it allows the coyotes and hawks a food source.
Ivrofwolves- I tend to agree with you that wolves and even coyetes don't kill for sport although a pack of domesticated dogs will.
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MMJT3 months, 3 weeks ago
This is only part of the stroy of the delisting of Wolves. In Alaska, they have aerial gunning. These sharp shooters go up in heliocopters or planes and "hunt and chase" the wolves down. The poor wolf is running for his life and to safety, and when the sharp shooter gets a clear view shoots the wolf. It doesn't matter if they are male, female, a pup or pregnant. It is sick to watch this happen. Then they land and if the wolf is not dead they shoot it at close range until it is.Then they hold up the wolve as if it is some kind of trophey.I get teary eyed just thinking about it.
If you want to know more, please go to www.defendersofwildlife.com They have the latest information and statistics of all the states that this elimination is happening in.
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wildman65573 months, 3 weeks ago
The size of the prey population controls the size of the wolf population. The problems in Alaska are due to over hunting by the human population which keeps on increasing in spite of the reduction in prey. It is not only the moose and caribou that are suffering, but also the wolf populations. Daniel you may be a good rancher, but your science is a bit weak.
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Natureboy3 months, 3 weeks ago
A story -
Where I grew up, ranchers got a wild hair about coyotes, although predation by dogs was a bigger problem. So they bitched enough that the gummint placed bounties and hired trappers and killed a sh!tload of coyotes. Next spring, the area was overrun by a "breakout" of ground squirrels, and cattle were breaking their legs in the ground squirrel holes. On the heels of this, we had a population explosion of rattlesnakes, as they now did not have to compete with coyotes for small rodents. It was to the point where rattlers were all over the roads, coming up on patios to sun themselves, a real mess.
Don't think for a minute that you are smarter than Mother Nature. Or it will come back and bite you.
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mark-stevens3 months, 3 weeks ago
That makes sense, if Mel Gibson had been around 2000 years ago, Christ would still be alive!!
Those who worry about gas prices brought that upon themselves... I live in the same world and haven't given any thought to everyone elses problem!
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cloud153 months, 3 weeks ago
Wildlife is such an important portion of our ecosystem and planet. Discarding any portion of it is wrong and we need to start respecting the animals other than ourselves who live on this planet. One of the sad things is that some of the under-developed areas belong to some of the most biologically diverse areas on this planet. Areas such as India, the Amazon, Africa and others are rapidly inheriting industrial values and it reflects negatively on some of the areas that we need to value dearly. Sadly for America, we have already industrialized so many of the areas that diverse wildlife inhabited.
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HMMace3 months, 3 weeks ago
Its all money folks--if you pay Bush enough--he will sign anything..Big money doesn't like the wolves--they pay Bush--they kill the wolves..Pay Bush enough--he will stop killing the wolves..
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