Professional Hunter to Remove Idaho Wolves

[Mike 338]

Idaho Fish and Game turns to hired hunter | Environment | Idahostatesman.com

It's high time Idaho F&G handed this job over to private industry. I hope they're paying him plenty and especially hope they get out of his way and let him do his job. The only fault I see is the ridiculously small scale they're executing this program on.

 

[mtnwrunner]

I wish him well and I hope he stays warm as it's been colder than hell here. I'd be real curious on how he does and what kinds of methods he uses along with his firearms.

Randy

Go get em Gus!

 

[Mike 338]

Methods are hard to say. I have to think certain permits are issued which expand his methods beyond what is available to the average sport hunter, and rightfully so. Just speculation on my part though. They need 20 more just like him.

 

[Iclimb]

I'm guessing it'll be trapping mostly, not to say he won't be gunning but I just don't see how he'd be effective without trapping. That dip$hit who was bitching about it in mccall needs to get a clue!

 

[Kennibear]

40K+ Elk herd decimated to <4K and now they (F&G) are wakening up? Your future in Government Healthcare! How about year round season with a 10 tag limit? Keep a harvest record like WA State does for Dungeness crab and such.

My real question is, at what point has the elk herd been reduced so far that the recovery becomes problematical? Did the "wolf experts" ever talk to the "elk experts"? Did any of the reports on elk herd reductions get deleted or have a "correction factor" applied to them?

My gut feeling is that things are bad, very bad, for the elk herd in Idaho. This move by Idaho F&G smells like desperate C.Y.A. for every bureaucrat up the food chain.

But, I could be wrong........................................ No, I'm not!!!

KB

 

[sbhooper]

40K+ Elk herd decimated to <4K and now they (F&G) are wakening up? Your future in Government Healthcare! How about year round season with a 10 tag limit? Keep a harvest record like WA State does for Dungeness crab and such.

My real question is, at what point has the elk herd been reduced so far that the recovery becomes problematical? Did the "wolf experts" ever talk to the "elk experts"? Did any of the reports on elk herd reductions get deleted or have a "correction factor" applied to them?

My gut feeling is that things are bad, very bad, for the elk herd in Idaho. This move by Idaho F&G smells like desperate C.Y.A. for every bureaucrat up the food chain.

But, I could be wrong........................................ No, I'm not!!!

KB

Yep.

 

[ntg]

I'm thinking that it's a lot of MY tax dollars being spent that should have never been, but it's a problem that was way out of hand long ago.

I think it would help if all were allowed to hunt them like we can hunt coyotes...all year long!!!

 

[Damol]

Glad to see somthing being done. Guess living in Okla. has its good points,
no wolfs, and where I live no hogs, (hogs are close) this is not missed hunting
oppertunity but a blessing. I do hope that this small step you are seeing will grow like a snowball and expand not only in your state but to other states as
well.

 

[dgarrett]

This was predicted before the first wolf was turned loose. It took over 100 years of an all out war on Wolves to remove them from the Western US. The Wolves would of still been here if they hadn't used 10/80. That was the final assault on them that worked. Now after all the $ spent we can spend more to hire someone to control a problem that didn't exist before the Idiots screwed it up again... When will they or we learn??? When the people in charge of Wildlife are Idiots from the Idiot Factory (college) and none of them have any field knowledge this is what you get. There is no money for grants or huge budgets to study Whitetail Deer but start a study on reintroduction of Wolves and Dollars flow. It is really to bad. I know I was fortunate to live through the best hunting years with the biggest populations of game animals... No one will see those glory years again. Where the Fish and Game was begging everyone to buy B-tags for Elk just to help control their numbers.. Now you can't even shoot a Cow with your Bow in many areas. I say give the guy 10/80 and let him go to work. Using anything less is just a waste of paying his wages for the small number he will take. dgarrett

 

[IdahoCTD]

40K+ Elk herd decimated to <4K and now they (F&G) are wakening up? Your future in Government Healthcare! How about year round season with a 10 tag limit? Keep a harvest record like WA State does for Dungeness crab and such.

My real question is, at what point has the elk herd been reduced so far that the recovery becomes problematical? Did the "wolf experts" ever talk to the "elk experts"? Did any of the reports on elk herd reductions get deleted or have a "correction factor" applied to them?

My gut feeling is that things are bad, very bad, for the elk herd in Idaho. This move by Idaho F&G smells like desperate C.Y.A. for every bureaucrat up the food chain.

But, I could be wrong........................................ No, I'm not!!!

KB

You are spot on. A place I deer hunted for years that had a lot of deer and many big bucks in the late 90's and early 2000's is now nearly wiped out of deer and elk. I watched the progression as the elk numbers gradually diminished and then the wolves went after the deer. Now the deer are the same way.....all but gone. You don't even see wolf sign anymore. In some areas the elk have adapted well where they can move into farm fields or other areas with human population/traffic to try and keep the wolves away but in many areas of the state that isn't a option such as the wilderness areas.

 

[jett]

The Red Wolf program has produced the exact same type decline in game numbers on my NC farm. A Federal Judge is actually considering an injunction to ban all coyote hunting in the Red Wolf recovery area, courtesy of Defenders of Wildlife and the Red Wolf Coalition.

Here is a link that is worth reading:

"Red Wolf" restoration scandal

 

[BrentM]

I know the guy through a friend. His job is not going to be easy and I have offered to help : ), I am not invited though dang it. It is a long haul in that part of the country and it is rugged and dangerous this time of the year.

I have 3 packs sighted but no shots so far. They move around a lot but I think it will be a good year for downing some dogs. With all the fires we had in prime wintering ground the elk are going to suffer when pushed by these mutts.

 

[milo-2]

I'm guessing it'll be trapping mostly, not to say he won't be gunning but I just don't see how he'd be effective without trapping. That dip$hit who was bitching about it in mccall needs to get a clue!

I'm not questioning you here, but trapping coyotes can be unproductive. I'd think a wolf, who waste more meat than they consume, will be a tough sell for a trapper with dead bait.
Someone enlighten me if I'm wrong.

Some flying is coming to mind.

 

[300stw]

typical fish and game reaction to problems.....

thru out the west we can see many examples of fish and game dept reactions to problems, i cant remember seeing a proactive approach to saving wildlife populations,
departments always wait until game populations are at historical lows, someone finally pulls head out of a** and says, man we better do something or we will all be out of a job,,,

i cannot believe that our sportsmens dollars have not been widely spent on this wolf introduction and management scheme over the years,,,

i dont believe sportsmen as a whole wanted these wolves in the first place, we had little to say about it,,,

now i wish every single wolf that was outside the national park was sent to wolf heaven