More Red Meat for the Overwolfed

By Bill Schneider, 5-22-08

There’s one thing--and probably the only thing-- about the wolf on which everybody can agree. Every time the word is published or spoken, disagreement follows--and sometimes, that controversy gets amazingly passionate.

Over the past few months, I’ve written about wolves, the historic reintroduction, wolf management and the delisting controversy, and here are a few snippets of the hundreds of comments that followed.

Coming Soon to State Near You, Giant German Shepherd Hunting

“Let me be the first to say, I, and most hunters I know, would shoot a wolf for the money. Wolf hides are worth hundreds of dollars. A wolf skull alone is worth over $100.” (Mr. Twister)

“Scientifically speaking, wolves do a pretty good job of controlling themselves, in conjunction with the ups and downs of the prey base. It just doesn’t happen fast enough for the impatient, the greedy, and the ecological knowledge-challenged…Historically, few recreational hunters have hunted, or do hunt, wolves specifically to hunt wolves; it’s somewhat difficult,and wolves, although not as smart as coyotes, aren’t stupid….The primary (sustainable) take of wolves was trapping; bullet holes in pelts tend to lower the value of the pelt…Hunting wolves for the pelt just isn’t very smart. On the other hand, trapping wolves takes lots of skill. I don’t see that kind of skill-oriented discipline in today’s ATV bound hunters; they aren’t going to take up trapping. Running wolves to ground in exhaustion and then assassinating them is more their style…What really controls wolves, as we all know, is throwing on Judas collars and tracking wolves down in aircraft and blasting them with a double ought 12 gauge. Not at all sporting, and it offends the Big Wolf in the Sky. Thing is, the Big Wolf is friends with the Big Bear in the Sky, and you really, really don’t want an unhappy Big Bear tromping through your dreams, or maybe into your camp, looking to balance the scales…Well, the drama has moved to the courts. It’s better than the Sopranos.” (Robert Hoskins)

“Like many of the hunters you talked with, I’m generally not interested in shooting a critter I don’t intend to eat…Much has been written lately about declining opportunities for average hunters on private lands and deteriorating relations between land owners and hunters…So, what if a hunter such as myself did put in and get a wolf license…So, could a hunter like me use a wolf tag as a tool to establish relations with a rancher or two? Basically…by saying, hey, I’ll remove a wolf from your place if you don’t mind me also bagging an elk. Once the relationship has been established and assuming the hunter treated the landowner with respect, it might be much easier to come back the next year (without a wolf tag) and hunt again. Now for that, I’d be willing to put in for, and pay for, a wolf tag. What do you think, wolf tags as a tool for hunter access? (Jim Greer)

“Well, Bill, that tells me which hunters you hang with. The hunters I hang with are pretty much without exception ready to shoot and skin theirs. Soonest. I’m one of those.” (Dave Skinner)

“The smart ones will wear sheep’s clothing like Cabela’s.” (Craig Moore)

Wolf Haters, Fight Trigger Itch

“A wolf-hater is anyone who thinks only they deserve to be a top predator. A wolf-hater is someone who does not like grizzly bears, wolverines, or wolves because they eat things they want to eat such as elk, deer, and cows; if that is you, then you are a wolf-hater. A wolf-hater is someone who believes society should try to exact total control over a natural environment; wolf-haters believe that somehow their interests are so far superior to any other that instead of compromise, total annihilation must be the answer. A wolf-hater has no tolerance for natural ecosystems that they cannot control. Wolf-haters are a sad and miserable lot who must live a lonely life.” (pendejo)

“In the predator zone (good idea, Wyoming, can we have your Governor?) it turns out the packs that exist are marginal and always in trouble, and only 10 percent of the state official total. Not a big deal from a biological standpoint to hose them off, you could kill every single one and there would be dispersers from the ‘core’ next year—and will be until Yellowstone erupts.” (Dave Skinner)

“The simple fact of the matter is that wolf haters have NO legitimate cause to hate wolves. They hate them because wolves represent an outside influence over public lands and wildlife issues that they mistakenly believe they have exclusive rights over, to dominate, exploit and destroy.” (Cathy Bestland)

“The wolf issue is, and always has been, mostly about competing visions of the West.” (mostlyMike)

“If people truly want to stand up for ranchers, real ranchers, they can start by exposing and reforming the manipulative and monopolistic tyranny of the meatpackers. This wolf issue is just another distraction tailored to keep everyone from focusing on the real problems caused by those who wield the real power over ranchers.” (Mike)

“The stores in Sublette county Wyoming are completely sold out of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rainier beer. The governor as declared a state of emergency.” (Jeff E.)

“The North American ecosystems have been damaged to accommodate cattle. The American public is waking up to the facts and the tide is turning. We are not going back to 1850 no matter how bad you want to stay there.” (Matt M.)

“To tell a rancher his beef would be better raised in a feed-lot is to remove from him his raison d etre’.” (jedediah redman)

“Until man can accept wild predators without having to ‘control’ or ‘manage’ or ‘dominate’ (kill) them, this fight will go on and on and on....I, for one, will continue to protect magnificent predatory animals such as wolves, coyotes, etc. long before I’d protect arrogant Western ranchers who think they own the freaking West…” (Marque)

“As for all you liberal hating, right wingin’, elk lovin’, wolf bashin’ folks know really well, This is America and I can indeed speak my mind.” (Rhiana)

“Did you ever think maybe there were too many elk in the park before the wolves arrived?” (elfman)

“For many hunters trying to figure out what a wolf is going to do is the challenge, many hunters may never even be given the opportunity to fire a single shot. For me personally, the ‘Hunt’ is not always about firing a shot at all, merely tracking, hopefully getting close to the animal is the challenge.” (Glocker21)

“Why hunt it if you do not eat it? Seems very wasteful and arrogant; kind of like what the Safari Club does. They hunt exotic animals such as giraffes, etc. and call it ‘conservation’ because they pay big $$ to do it. I guess it’s a perverted type of ‘conservation’--designed to ensure there is enough ‘stock’ to hunt. Yuck. “ (Besse)

“First of all, cattle should not be on public lands in the first place. Can I open a boutique on private lands? Livestock owners are keeping their ‘wares’ (poor cattle) on public domain. That should not be allowed and if WWS has their way it will end in the next 20 years.” (Barb)

“If you graze cattle on public lands, you are taking your chances. I am taking chances out there with my pointer, if I lose her to a wolf, I’ll be devastated, but I took my chances.” (Barb)

“Bill. I get your question even though evidently it’s human nature to miss the point.” (Larry)

“Those rants don’t convince people, they just cause readers to dismiss a lot of what is said.  I think hunters, ranchers, loggers, enviros,...everyone has something good to say here. Please stick to the issue at hand, make your point and contribute to a discussion.  It gets old hearing exaggeration and name-calling.” (Ben)

“Please, Wild Bill make us stop! 108 and counting. The richest country on earth and we self-absorbed nitwits can’t stop fighting over wolfes for Christ sakes! Help us get a life. Take our food. Take our cars. Make us go to some third world rat hole and get some perspective! HELP!!!” (Mr. Twister)

Wolf Recovery Turned Out as Planned

“Bill is absolutely right, the wolf would not have been reintroduced without Hank Fischer.  I was working in Washington DC in the 1980s and saw him as a constant advocate for this project among the environmental groups. The compensation program was an integral part of the proposal from the start. Hank also spoke persuasively about the way wolves would benefit the ecosystem.  His vision has been realized.” (Geezer)

“Wolf reintroduction has been generally popular in the USA and the western states are part of the USA, like it or not. I don’t know of any ranchers who have gone belly up due to wolf predation. Most ranchers rely heavily on federal public land, and US citizens have every right to influence public land policy whether it’s in their state or not…Much of the resentment against wolf re-introduction is based on resentment of ‘outside’ interference, and the wolf is the scapegoat for the nasty feds and all the nasty enviros, like me.” (Taz Alago)

“People like Hank, Tom France, and Mike Jimenez made it possible for wolves to come back into the northern Rockies a decade earlier (than would have occurred through natural migration) by understanding and addressing the real world concerns of stock growers and others. They did it by respecting those on the supposed ‘other side’ and by keeping their eyes on the prize instead of using the wolf as a proxy in some kind of culture war.” (DB)

“I don’t think wolves were introduced so people could have a ‘seeing experience.’ I think wolves were introduced to restore an ecological system that had become over-dependent on human interference and because people felt that wolves ought to live in at least a significant part of their former range. Plenty of folks are pleased to just know wolves are back in the West, without ever actually seeing them.” (Taz Alago)

“I don’t know what cloud this guy lives in; his comments have nothing to do with the reality on the ground. At least here in Wyoming the number of ranchers who accept the wolves is close to zero. It is a cultural issue, not one of economic significance, but that is the way it is…With the delisting and the decimation of all the unprotected wolves, we are seeing the Wyoming attitudes come out.” (Brock)

“Thanks Wild Bill for another Big Dog story. If you keep coming up with these antagonists and protagonists we will have to start calling you Jack London.” (Mr. Twister)

For a complete list of Comments Worth Repeating postings, click here.