Whiskey Mtn sheep herd Dubois WY

[26Reload]

Vehicular mortality.....animals residing in public areas more now then ever before.....WHY....because cougar and now wolves numbers have driven them into the roads......
Coyotes wipe out deer and pronghorn fawns.....doubt they would do anything to a moose or elk calf.....but wolves will kill anything.....

 

[CoachChris]

But my question is, do Grizzlies take down that many big animals? I didn't think they had the stamina to run long distances by chasing deer and elk only the new born.

Grizzlies rely on stealth and speed. They're incredibly fast for short distances.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I had an interesting conversation with a wildlife biologist assigned to the moose around Moran just northeast of GTNP.
She had 16 moose in her study area.
All of her mortalities were caused by vehicles. She didn't lose a single animal from predation.
There's no shortage of predators up there.

If she's telling the truth then there must not be any or very few wolves or Grizzlies near her 16 moose. Moose are not runners like elk and deer. Easy prey.

 

[CoachChris]

Vehicular mortality.....animals residing in public areas more now then ever before.....WHY....because cougar and now wolves numbers have driven them into the roads

I don't know?
She was a biologist. She wasn't going to draw a conclusion from anecdote. She wasn't emotionally attached to the situation in either direction.
I think wildlife have to cross highways to get from one area to another and they get hit by vehicles. It happens in places without large predators too. Just how it goes.

 

[LanceS4803]

I've listened to quite a few podcast interviews with wildlife biologist on MeatEater, and they really aren't personally attached to animals. They view it as a population at large. The closest they get is assigning numbers. Everything is viewed very clinically.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I don't know?
She was a biologist. She wasn't going to draw a conclusion from anecdote. She wasn't emotionally attached to the situation in either direction.
I think wildlife have to cross highways to get from one area to another and they get hit by vehicles. It happens in places without large predators too. Just how it goes.

I agree. I almost hit a buffalo at 10pm coming out of Yellowstone toward Cody in 2004. Dark out. Dark animal. Thank God it didn't stop on hwy. Slammed on brakes and was about 10 yds. From me. New truck with 4 wheel disc brakes. Year before close to same spot at night a mama griz and 2 cubs ran in front of me ! Slammed on brakes. A moose or buffalo would be a total. Even an elk.

 

[wv270wsm]

Ladies and gents this is exactly how the bunny hugging tree saving liberal hippies is going to do away with our god given hunting rights. Introduce the bigger more aggressive predators back into their. " natural " environment and let them wipe out the game population to the point of closing all hunting seasons. All at the same time keeping them on the federal endangered list.
I am all for having a wild and growing population of predators but we have to be able to keep their numbers in check to keep a healthy deer , elk , moose and anything else edible huntable population

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

This was the premier Big Horn heard and it's sad to see it decline!
I was so lucky to hunt it in the distant past. Again this is the result of bad management and now the sheep have to deal with the Canadian Timber Wolf! As they spread in their range they will continue to impact game heards. Continue to have bad management practices and denied impact of judicial, political, and emotional interference we can expect to see more of the same!

"SSS" We have the same problem in California. We had started to develope a nice Antelope herd back in the 90's. Then the State outlawed Mt.Lion hunting. Antelope are GONE, deer pops have diminished. Once a GREAT quail hunting state, not anymore. The tree huggers have it all screwed up. So here we call it (shoot-shovel & shut up)

 

[Thorman]

Was told that the wolf population in central Idaho is off the charts. Very little fear of humans developing too. We know that this is going to end bad for hikers, kids, whatever. And these things are getting smarter. They have learned how to hamstring mature bulls and take down with no problem. So much for the "sick and weak".

 

[CoachChris]

Was told that the wolf population in central Idaho is off the charts.

 

[Jr1972]

So how did all these animals co-exist before we humans showed up? Wolves, bears and coyotes have just as much right to be there as their prey does. You guys won't be happy until every other meat eater is wiped out. It's okay for humans to eat elk, sheep and deer, but wolves and bears can't? A healthy ecosystem has predators AND prey

 

[WYO300RUM]

Balance. Is it better to let wolves go unchecked for many years so they can unbalance deer , elk, moose , etc. ? Wolves and Grizzlies have been hunted by man since 1800. Grizzlies are overpopulated now besides wolves and have no fear of people. Is it better to have wolves and Grizzlies shot because of attacking domestic livestock and people . Sometimes because of lack of prey. Just like mountain lions in Ca.. no fear of people . Attack them and domestic animals because lack of prey from their over population.

 

[WYO300RUM]

We also don't need all the money from sportsman and Pittmon Robertson act building up the herds of wild game and some back from brink of extinction pizzed away because anti hunters want wolves , Grizzlies, etc. To go unchecked and wipe out all of the progress. Yes. We built up the Grizzlies count too ! No hunting for 40 yrs. ! Now they are over populating their areas. So we shouldnt manage game ? Are the anti hunters and tree huggers going to spend or donate a dime to wild game ? I think not. They get the benifits of us hunters.

 

[CoachChris]

Humans hunted predators on this continent long before Europeans came here.
Everything has to be in balance. Humans have been a part of this balance since our ancestors stood up upright with sharpened sticks and rocks