GUEST COMMENTARY: THE FIRST WOLF HUNT
Montana Hunters Make History
Now that our first wolf season is over, it's time for both reflection and celebration.By Chris Marchion, Guest Writer, 12-03-09
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| Photo Courtesy of Motnana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. | |
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For the first time ever, Montana completed a regulated hunting season for wolves; a modern hunting season designed at utilizing this wildlife resource, not removal from the landscape.
The season was a success--testimony to a conservative, scientifically defensible approach planned by Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and executed by skilled Montana hunters.
The fears on both sides of the coin proved overblown. The FWP set a quota of 75 wolves. Some skeptics (myself included) said hunters would have minimal success at harvesting so many of these far-ranging predators in the diverse landscape of western Montana. Others predicted hunter efficiency that would push wolves back toward extinction.
Hunters hit their target nearly perfectly with 72 wolves harvested. FWP shut the season down a little early, maintaining a conservative position. This measured, step-by-step approach will be key if this is (as I hope) to be the first of many hunting seasons for wolves under the Big Sky. Remember we still have a court challenge to the delisting action and the Endangered Species Act puts Montana’s management under probation for the first five years. A reasonable approach is the only path we have to keep management control in our hands.
The 2009 Montana wolf season is a great example of Montanans doing it right. Hunters, outdoorsmen, recreationists and wildlife lovers should be proud of the professional, biologically sensitive and socially reverent manner in which their state wildlife managers operated. Montana hunters, with a few notable exceptions, followed both the law and standards of fair chase ethics. They did good.
While some isolated wolf poaching did occur, violators were caught, charged and punished, just as they would be for taking any other huntable species without the proper license. Illegal wolf kills have been occurring since wolf reintroduction but a season brings increased activity and attention in the field that results in more discovery, reporting, and legal action for violations.
According to Fish, Wildlife and Parks, hunters bought 15,514 resident wolf tags at $19 each, and 89 nonresident wolf tags at $350 each. That means hunters kicked in $325,916 for conservation through the new program. The system worked, and worked well.
This all probably shocks some folks unfamiliar with modern wildlife management. But I’m not surprised in the least.
Hunters have proven for over 100 years that the North American Model of Fish and Wildlife Conservation works well. Through partnerships with state and federal agencies, landowners and hunters, wildlife has been brought back from the brink of extinction. We did it for turkey, elk, bighorn and pronghorn. We can do the same with wolves.
Lesson from 2009: Hunters can be an effective management tool for wolves.
Clearly, there are lessons to learn. We need to accumulate knowledge on how wolf behavior and pack reproduction respond to hunting so we can fine tune the hunt to provide longer-term management strategies for keeping populations at acceptable levels, influencing wolves into territories with less conflict, and removal of problem wolves.
Hunters understand predator/prey relationships. We do not shy from the fact that life means that some things eat, while other things get eaten. We understand that predators have an important roll, such as culling out sick animals and keeping disease in check.
Most hunters don’t mind sharing. For most of us, the chance of glimpsing a mountain lion or crossing the tracks of an old grizzly bear makes hunting in Montana a richer experience.
We know that there has to be a balance. We want to be a part of that balance--managing wolves in a manner that leaves a huntable surplus of game for us two-legged predators who fund the state wildlife agencies, put hundreds of millions of dollars into local communities with our hunting activities, and self-tax ourselves to fund wildlife conservation.
Wolves are again a key member of Montana’s ecosystem. In 2009 Montana made a bold statement that we can be trusted to manage this species. Hopefully that statement is loud enough and strong enough to allow delisting to survive and for wolf management to evolve with Montana values rather than federal dictate.
Chris Marchion is the immediate past president of the Montana Wildlife Federation, and lives in Anaconda.
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Comments
the hunt was a success and in the long run will be good for the region, the hunter, and the species.
Back before the world got so badly over-saturated by humans who kept the wolves at a reasonable and balanced level?
That's not a legitimate argument for no control of wolves. There's a huge difference between pre-colonization and current land use. The habitat, and the conflicts, demand management for elk, deer, pronghorn and sheep. Just as these same environmental and social factors demand management for lions, bears and now wolves. Treat wolves like all other species of game animals, and they will continue to flourish.
So which alternative would you prefer?
a) let the wolves be hunted to extinction
b) let the elk population be decimated
c) lower the human population
d) use the anthropic principle to effectively control populations allowing animal species to flourish while maintaining the best possible balance between human and animals
I disagree. I think anthropic attitudes such as your own tend to make everything revolve around homo sapiens.
Far better for earth that human populations might be better controlled--locally and internationally...
HAHAHAHHA
Ahem, Ahem. Sorry, buddy, but that's not going to happen ANY time soon......
Couple friends saw more wolves than they did deer. What does that say? Chris may think "sharing" is just peachy, but the bitter reality is, hunters like a reasonable expectation of success. Get skunked year after year and you'll stop buying tags.
Anyway you want to cut it if I have a “hunt’n” license one of them thar wolf tags I am allowed to go out into the designated hunt’n area an put a well placed 7.62 round through a predator I have no use for. You can charge me to do it or:
"HAILEY — For one Idaho wolf pack, there wasn’t much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
On Nov. 23 and 24, federal officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Idaho Wildlife Services program took to the air to cull seven members of the Basin Butte wolf pack, which frequents the Stanley Basin.
Todd Grimm, western district supervisor for the program, said that pack, which numbered at least 12 before the kills, has been responsible for extensive loss of livestock owned by local ranchers...."
Either way the wolf will be contained.
Also, Montana hunters kill up to 25,000 elk a year..... that's far more than the states wolves. If you are concerned about low elk numbers, you *might* want to stop shooting them, lol!
these "hunts" will just cause the wolves to produce more pups per liter and produce two instead of one liter per year.
Unlimited, low priced wolf tags good during any time another hunting season is open (Aug 15 - June 15),
Liberal trapping and snaring season - no limits,
Aerial / helo control in areas where game herds are adversly effected.
Montana needs to adopt this strategy NOW.
Two things we have learned is that:
Wolves will reproduce and kill until they decimate their prey base if left alone;
and we can restore wolves with transplantation very easily if we wipe them out in an area.
We and have a limited wolf population and healthy game herds. That's as good as it will get for the wolf.
and Alberta does'nt have any wildlife management problems or issues. Northern Alberta is criss crossed with gas pipelines and clear cut logging of boreal forest for kleenex.
Banff national park is one of the most endagered parks becuase all the habitat around it has been decimated.
Sorry I dont think canada is the country to look to for wolf or wildlife managemnt. Germany is much smaller than the american west with lots more people yet they manage to live with wolves.
Alberta has a much lower rate of infestation by the vermin, homo sapiens.
Elk and deer populations aren't down and let's face it, until someone figures out just what the story is with CWD, it's a little crazy (pun intended) for anyone to be worried about the numbers available to hunt. If the state won't even use roadkill for mulch, that pretty kinda tells me all I need to know about eating them (much as I miss the chili).
Are you talking about Roman Warring Catholics ? Because you know, studying history Rome creates deserts and calls it PEACE.. Of course those are not Christians doing those things.. And as well those supporting the U.N. which is behind 100% of this anti hunting, and lands use Agenda, actually known as Agenda 21, Sustainable Development, UNICEP, Alice Baileys Lucius Trust, so on and so forth hate mankind, and they also hate nature.. The Earth Summit--Dogma-- Agenda 21 - The United Nations Programme of Action From Rio, Signed by Bush 1 and Executive Ordered by Klinton.. ISBN 92-1-100509-4..
They don't care about nature, that is why they are destroying nature, I mean come on Horst, both parties running government have had decades to stop the polluting corporations, but when those corporations are raking in billions and the government fines them a few million, how the hell is that going to solve anything ?
Seems to me your left winger clique has been standing next to those right winger cliques all along during the ride to this point in history, where they obviously created a situation none of us appreciate very much.. And to continually spew about your anti hunter venom will never solve any of it.. I eat and elk a year, sometimes I don't hunt because I don't need the elk, so what..
I bet you are burning oil and gas, eating polluted granola or other dehydrated products laced with man made chems and crapping in the woods to.. Probably wearing Gore Tex and other synthetically made clothes.. Why don't you knock off the child's play remarks and offer something of real substance ? How would you fix the world Horst ? How can the rest of us be perfect like you ? I'm a hunter, and I bet I could write a better blog about the dangers of meat consumption than you could.. Where are your blogs Horst.. Where is your priceless intellectual contribution to improve our society, and nature written at ?
Let me guess, you might have wrote the book on nasty things to say about others, maybe you are George Hayduke, author of The books on getting revenge maybe, 200 dirty tricks perhaps.. Hey, Horst, lets say the bubble bursts and your vegy patch is dried up, who you gonna rob from Horst..? Or will you Mulch yourself and quietly melt and vaporize into worm fodder..
In September, Molloy denied the environmental groups’ request for an emergency injunction. Following a hearing in Missoula, Mont., Molloy ruled that plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate how hunting would cause irreparable harm to wolf populations. RMEF documents, filed shortly before the hearing, were considered in that decision.
The ruling allowed wolf hunting to proceed in Idaho and Montana. By early December, hunters had taken approximately 184 wolves out of an estimated 1,500-plus total population in the northern Rockies—a harvest well below the combined quota.
However, in the September ruling, Molloy also said complaints alleging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service improperly delisted wolves in Idaho and Montana, but not Wyoming, could have legal merit. Plaintiffs trumpeted the legal opening and filed a motion for summary judgment based on this argument.
“Their attack on hunting proved unpersuasive so now they’re backing up and citing a procedural issue related to the Endangered Species Act. This legal wrangling has drug on well past the point of ridiculousness. This is what happens when you’ve got well-funded plaintiffs who can’t be bothered by on-the-ground facts, logic or common sense. That’s not how conservation works,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.
RMEF entered its new amicus curiae brief by last week’s deadline.
The 37-page document reinforces four main themes:
* Historic success of modern, hunter-based conservation in North America.
* Viewpoints of hunters who continue to pay for the big-game resources that made wolf recovery possible.
* RMEF-funded research, along with other scientific and anecdotal evidence, showing that wolf populations are fully recovered and that, where wolves are present with elk, wolves are having detrimental impacts on elk.
* State wildlife agencies are best suited to manage wolves alongside other species.
David Mech's 2008 testimony. Worth the read if you have missed it, especially if you are pro management..
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wolves/esa/court/dMech.pdf
When America (American hunters and Teddy R) decided over a 100 years ago that our wildlife was a very important resource, it was the American “hunter” who got commercial hunting banned, and so the journey of wildlife management began. Here in the state of Idaho, we the people own the wildlife and it is illegal to destroy it. Wolves will be around, and elk as well, under management..
Under the unproven theory pushed by Horst and Mitch, a fox could manage a chicken coup full of chickens..
Once again > Historic success of modern, hunter-based conservation in North America and > hunters who continue to pay for the big-game resources that made wolf recovery possible.
What have you anti hunters and wolves will manage the world themselves advocates done ????????????????? We are still waiting.. Of course when you wait for some one else to do something, NOTHING gets done..
And then they sass you with name calling rants and other stupidity, because that is all they have got...
http://westinstenv.org/wildpeop/2008/11/17/montana-fwpd-wolf-management-fiasco/
What losers..!
USFWS Basically Ignored Concerns About Disease From Wolves Before Reintroduction
http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/
1. Diseases, Worms, and Parasites. I was surprised that the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) did not make a detailed study on the impact issue of diseases, worms, and parasites (page 9). I believe an EIS is not complete without a detailed study covering the diseases, worms and parasites that wolves would carry, harbor, and spread around in YNP (Yellowstone National Park) and in Idaho. The study should cover the potential negative impact of these diseases on wild and domestic animals, and on humans. I believe the potential negative impact of the diseases is a valid reason not to reintroduce wolves into YNP and toIdaho.
Countless articles about the diseases, worms and parasites carried, harbored, and spread around by wide ranging wolves have been published in a magazine sponsored by the former Soviet Ministry of Agriculture. For example, a Soviet biologist reported that gray wolves are carriers of a number of types of worms andparasites which are dangerous for animals and for humans. According to this biologist, the main one is cestoda. Over approximately a ten year period, the Soviets conducted a controlled study on the subject. They made the following observations. When and where wolves were almost eliminated in a given research area, (where almost all wolves were killed by each spring and new wolves moved into the controlled area only in the fall) infections of taenia hydatiqena in moose and boar did not occur in more than 30 to 35% of the animals. The rate of infections were 3 to 5 examples in each animal. When and where wolves were not killed in the controlled areas in the spring, and where there were 1 or 2 litters of wolf cubs, the infections in moose and boar of taenia hydatiqena reached 100% and up to 30 to 40 examples of infection (infestation) were in each moose and boar. Each year the Soviets studied 20 moose and 50 boar. The research was documented and proved that even in the presence of foxes, raccoons and domestic dogs, ONLY THE WOLF was the basic source of the infections in the moose and boar. Examinations of 9 wolves showed that each one was infected with taenia hydatiqena with an intensity of 5 to 127 examples. This confirmed the Soviet conclusions. The damage done by taenia hydatiqena to cloven footed game animals is documented by Soviet veterinarians. My concern is that if gray wolves in the former USSR carried and spread to game animals dangerous parasites, then there must be danger that gray wolves in YNP and in Idaho would also spread parasites. Why should we subject our game animals, and possibly our domestic animals to such danger?
If wolves are planted in YNP and in Idaho, I believe the wolves will undoubtedly play a role in the epizootiology and epidemiology of rabies. The wolf has played an important role, or perhaps a major role, as a source of rabies for humans in Russia, Asia, and the former USSR. From 1976 to 1980 a wolf bite was the cause of rabies in 3.5% of human cases in the Uzbek, Kazakh, and Georgian SSRs and in several areas of the RSFSR. Thirty cases of wolf rabies and 36 attacks on humans by wolves were registered in 1975 – 1978 only in the European area of the RSFSR. In the Ukraine, wolf rabies constituted .8% of all cases of rabies in wildlife in 1964 to 1978. The incidence of wolf rabies increased six fold between 1977 and 1979. The epizootic significance ofthe wolf has been shown in the Siberian part of the former USSR. Between 1950 and 1977 a total of 8.7% of rabies cases in the Eastern Baikal region were caused by wolf bites. In the Aktyubinsk Region of Kazakhstan, of 54 wolves examined from 1972 to 1978, 17 or 31.5% tested positive for rabies. During this period, 50 people were attacked by wolves and 33 suffered bites by rabid wolves. This shows that healthy wolves also attack and bite humans. Recent Russian research states that as the numbers of hybrid wolves increases, the likelihood of a healthy hybrid wolf attacking humans also increase. Russian wildlife specialists state that when there is no hunting of wolves, the possibility of wolves attacking humans also increases, as the wolves lose their fear of humans.
Wolves not only have and carry rabies, but also have carried foot and mouth disease and anthrax. Wolves in Russia are reported to carry over 50 types of worms and parasites, including echinococcus, cysticercus and the trichinellidae family.
Prior to planting wolves in YNP and Idaho, I respectfully request a detailed study be made on the potential impact wolves will have in regard to carry, harboring and spreading of diseases.
When all the grizzlys are sick with rabies who will be to blame..? OH WAIT ! RABIES IS NATURAL ...and part of the natural world to..
Your link is bogus along with a lot of your "facts"
There were already wolves in Idaho before reintroduction.
Have they attacked humans since reintoroduction in YNP or central Idaho? NO
Mad scientists cant face the fact that ecosystems function better with large predators, regardless of the parasites and dieseases that ALL wild animals harbor. How about the connection between elk farms and dieseases or brucilosis in Bison or domestic sheep transmiting dieseases to bighorn sheep. When u intoroduce any animal whether native or exotic there are going to be accompanying organisms and dieseases.
If anyone sounds partisan with a no compromise agneda it's mad scientist. Light on facts or points and heavy on partisan agenda. MS no one is trying to take your guns and the UN will not end hunting in the US. How about you take all that RWC ebnergy and put it to something productive instead of posting Eurasian wolf stroies which bear little relevance to our situation in North America.
your worthless what is your point?
Horst never posted anything remotely related to "Anti-Hunting"
I dont trust people that put words in other mouths or post phony links.
Whether the RWC want to admit it or not.
If it was'nt sucessful how could you have your litte wolf hunt.
Ecosystems are healthier with Wolves present it's been proven and published even in western MT.
Whats is the point of all these stroies from Russia and all this talk of the UN, anti-hunting. This is a blog about the wolf hunt and wolves in the lower 48. RWC always divert to other issues in an attempt to slanderize their opposition. Often times when they afre exposed they are the ones with zero credibility.
Look out the big, bag govt. is gonna take your guns and put wolves on the land and lock all of you out by making it all Wilderness.
I'm so sick of the same childish, non-sensical, untrue rants from RWC's.
If anyone is obstructionist especially towards public lands managment it's the RWC.
Try that, the point is you said:something productive instead of posting Eurasian wolf stroies which bear little relevance to our situation in North America.
If you cannot even believe the eminent wolf biologist in the united states who can you believe David Mech :
http://www.outsidehub.com/articles/943.html
When did I claim I was against the wolf hunt? You dont respond to any of my points with the exception of posting a link to an article pointing out the role of human harvest in wolf population dynamics. I responded to MS points about Eurasian parasites/dieseases present in wolves as well human-wolf interaction as well as typical RWC tactics for rationalizing their point of views despite much local, national and world-wide opposition. If you knew anything about the aforementioned topics you would'nt have posted your non-sensical claim regarding Canadian and Eurasian wolf behaviors. The fact remains that Eurasian wolves are a different species whith a much different temperment than North American wolves. Perhaps in a response to their harsher climate in regions like Russia and northeastern Europe wolves are more aggresive towards humans and have attacked humans at a much higher frequency than in north america. In north amercia there have been fewer than a dozen documented wolf attacks on humans in hundreds of years. There could have been more less no one knows for certain, but we do know it's a signifigantly lower rate than wolves in eurasia. Black Bears, Cougars and Moose all pose a greater threat to humans in the woods of NA, yet in the entire west and the northern tier of the USA they are present with the exception of parts of the plains.( Moose which are'nt presently found south of Colorado and Utah.)
I am responding to hysteria about wolf behavior and their effect on the ecosystem as a whole. Human harvests have an impact on all species. Human hunters have a larger impact on ungulates than wolves do in the northern rockies. Human settlement has displaced more ungulates from their important native winter ranges and hence reduced the herd populations in the northern rockies more than wolves did in thousands of years of co-existence with the ungulates. I'd say people have as much a role in ungulate populations and distribution.
Re: Chuck Feney
I've had a pack of wolves howling to another more distant pack within 15 feet of my tent and I was more afraid of scaring them off with the first sound of a tent zipper to get a peak.
Wild Animals carry parasites/dieseases, so far none of the canadian parasites/dieseases have had any detrimental effects on ungulate herds or wolf packs.
Could it be that mad scientists is crying wolf over wolves.
RE: Chuck Feney "Well Beargrass, if they've done such a terrible job of managing their wildlife, how come they had enough wolves that could be easily trapped for transplantation to Montana?"
Do you know how much larger Alberta is than Montana. The fact that they the ability to move an overall igsignifigant amount of wolves to the USA does'nt necesarlly proove that they are good stewards of their environment in the province as a whole.
From USFWS, they avoided the questions put forth, already shared.. I corrected the link to make it easier for you
http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2009/12/15/usfws-basically-ignored-concerns-about-disease-from-wolves-before-reintroduction/
Canadian Government of course has recorded documentation of this parasite, mentioned earlier... chinococcus, cysticercus and the trichinellidae family, being present, as well we have Idaho/Montana/Canadian wolves crossing the Northern Border getting to know one another... It is here, we did not need this here.. Inspections are taking place now, I have sent in a blood sample myself, and others are as well.. Don't like it ? Tough shit.
Below is USFWS pathetic answer to legitimate questions, as shown in the earlier reply, which brought forth the blood clot crying with the lying.
Diseases and Parasites to and from Wolves
Most respondents who commented on this issue expressed concern about diseases and parasites introduced wolves could transfer to other animals and to humans in recovery areas. The disease most often mentioned was rabies.
Several people advocated additional research be conducted on the possible effects of wolf introduction on other animals and humans. Also, several individuals noted as a potential problem warranting further study was the possibility of exposing introducedwolves to diseases or parasites that could decimate their numbers.
“Wolves are known rabies carriers. We have enough health problems in our culture today, what we don’t need is another problem!”
Response – Wolves will be given vaccinations when they are handled to reduce the chances of them catching diseases from coyotes and other canids. Wolves will eventually naturally develop resistance
to exposure to canid diseases that are present in wildlife and domestic dog populations in the western
United States. Wolves will not significantly increase the transmission of rabies or other diseases.
Top notch settled science as usual, to funny.
We have 123 cases proving other wise, and when this one is verified chinococcus, cysticercus and the trichinellidae family then the information will be 100% as usual, regardless of invalid opinions between Eurasian wolves or north American wolves, besides the opponents of truth have claimed the peer reviewed science of the 1970s subspecies (Smithsonian PDF) even though not proven has been outdated by some mysterious data yet to be brought forth.. Of course peer reviewed is only accepted when meeting the agendas criteria..
Damn that global warming today, it looks to be about 20" and coming down still.. I hope hot ski wax is not warming the globe, I would hate to give up my skiing.
I apologize about typo or other delays, I am dealing with a badly hurt horse today at my Clinic. (head trauma)..
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/5/34
According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.
In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.
In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreadingparasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerousparasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.
After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. One parasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.
I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.
Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)
Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do notpoke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.
Happy Hunting !
"Your want of pre-European flora and fauna garden of Eden is to remove guilt's that were put there by our westward migration and subsequent slaughter of many species that you believe should be brought back.This the only reason so you can "feel good" not because it is sound science."
When did I mention anything about westward migration or pre-european flora. I mentioned humans use of available habitat in the valleys of MT, all creatures great and small need a place to live after all. This is another blatant example of the RWC's prejudice and misjudgment of others. How would you possibly know my views on manifest destiny etc. Again when proven wrong the RWC diverts off topic and attempts to put words in others mouths and paint a picture of all people who disagree with them to justify their positions which again are opposed by localy, nationaly and globaly.
RE: Mad Scientist
I encourage your research, though I certainly hope these parasites dont end up causing the damage that is possible.
Wolves naturally migrated from Canada into Montana. Wolves were still present in central Idaho including the River of No Return Wilderness area before re-intorduction, as well as reports in the GYE before re-intorduction. The question of re-introduction of wolves has come and passed, personally I never held a firm position on this issue. Wolves would be present today in Montana and central Idaho regardless of reintorduction. I'm sure a lot of the wolves that migrated naturally into GNP and the flathead valley carried parasites. Were parasites present in wolves in the lower 48 before reintroduction may be a question we cant answer. Wild creatures will seek out new habitat, whether Kokanee vehemently opposes it or not. For example the Grizzly Bear that was shot in the Clearwater national forest in Idaho. This bear managed to cross I-90 and headed south almost in the selway-bitteroot when it was probally lured with bearbait (still legal in ID) and shot despite the supervision of a guide.
Large predators need habitat connectivity. I support the most widely supported plan by Scientists for the northern rockies. NREPA. If we want to be based on science here thats the best plan.
another Right Wing Crazy more concerned with spelling mistakes, insuting and categorizing anyone who disagress with his RWC philosophy; and pigy backing off others with real outdoor experience. Have you ever contributed anything meaniningful to the blog. Have you ever spent much time in any of the larger, relatively intact ecosystems in the lower 48. Did you know wolves and grizzlies are migrating back on their own despite your vehement opposition. LMFAO at your opposition.
It's sound science that ecosystems are healthier with large predators.
Kokanee what experience do you have with wolves or other large predators in the wild??
http://www.helium.com/items/1567331-the-reintroduction-of-the-wolf-has-helped-biodiversity-in-yellowstone-national-park
" I encourage your research, though I certainly hope these parasites dont end up causing the damage that is possible.
Wolves naturally migrated from Canada into Montana. Wolves were still present in central Idaho including the River of No Return Wilderness area before re-intorduction, as well as reports in the GYE before re-intorduction. The question of re-introduction of wolves has come and passed, personally I never held a firm position on this issue. Wolves would be present today in Montana and central Idaho regardless of reintorduction. I'm sure a lot of the wolves that migrated naturally into GNP and the flathead valley carried parasites. Were parasites present in wolves in the lower 48 before reintroduction may be a question we cant answer. Wild creatures will seek out new habitat, whether Kokanee vehemently opposes it or not. For example the Grizzly Bear that was shot in the Clearwater national forest in Idaho. This bear managed to cross I-90 and headed south almost in the selway-bitteroot when it was probally lured with bearbait (still legal in ID) and shot despite the supervision of a guide.
Large predators need habitat connectivity. I support the most widely supported plan by Scientists for the northern rockies. NREPA. If we want to be based on science here thats the best plan. "
Why dony you inform the Grizzly Bears that are naturally migrating down the bitteroots and south of I-90 that you vehemently oppose their prsenece these. Tell them they are just trying to live out their pre-columbian dreams. Why werent you out in the flathead valley with a lantern telling the wolves who natrually established their habitat there that they're just living out the enviro's garden of eden dream. Why dont you tell the lightining that we dont need it anymore becuase we can replace all fire with controlled burns. You vision of the west is a "brave, new west" where humans control both beast and element a like, and ecosystems are viewed as completely controlled and run by humans.
What gall you have Kokanee.