Protecting Wolves in the Rocky Mountains (with audio)

[go2delk406]

get your facts lady the wolfs are doing just fine in yellowstone natinal park and are actually in larger numbers than before! due to the overpopulation of them the elk numbers are droping very dramatically. in Gardner montana the two major elk herds that once stood 6000 plus are know down to a very small 2000 and droping. their are only 15 calfs per cow near yellowstone. and when the wolf cant find or hunt the elk it comes to places like mine in hopes of eating my cattle and the way i live!

[carterkeeton]

It's harder to save a life than to take one. The real heros are us. Save the wolves.

[maryellen728]

Congratulations on your recent victory in court!

Donate.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

First and foremost, I don't think anyone wants to kill all the wolves. Keep them in the park, fine. But when they relocate outside and destroy peoples property (which seems to occur almost every time a pack relocates), they need to be removed. I don't care what you do with them, heck, send them to the northeast, people up there seem to love em, but people are not going to tolerate wolves killing cattle, sheep, and domestic dogs whenever they come across them. Sorry

[WolfAdvocate]

Fist off the purpose of wolf reintroduction was to restore the fractured biodiversity and to naturally even out the 'big game' herds (as you call them)that were slowly eating themselves to death. Secondly the wolf doesn't make that much of a dent in livestock numbers, accounting for a meagre 0.02% of total losses and the farmers were reimbursed for any predation that could be proven.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

you have no clue. Obviously you have never been here, just keep reading it in a book, like most wolf lovers. They are preety animals, no doubt. Last year alone, 500 cattle and 700 sheep were killed by wolves in Wyoming along. .02%? Maybe if you count the ones that went to the meat market. (more propaganda) I would rather have those deer and elk in my freezer feeding my family than some wolves in the area. My dog isn't even safe.

[WolfAdvocate]

You do realise that there are millions of livestock in Wyoming right?

Its called animal husbandry. Farmers should get a herd guardian and use cracker shots. A dead wolf learns nothing, however a live wolf that has learned to steer clear will actually aide in removing potential threats by coyotes.

As for the deer and elk you don't really need it to survive, wolves do not have the luxury of going to a grocery store like you do. Besides more elk and deer are killed by humans than by wolves.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

I am out of sync on you comments, but regardless, what does not raining have to do with the wolf issue? We are not overpopulated here yet although it is coming sometime, I am sure. Grocery Store? I also don't make piles of money with the job I have and that deer and elk meat helps to feed my family.

[WolfAdvocate]

The weather affects the growth of plants - hence starving livestock die in mass number. More than predation.

[WolfAdvocate]

Tags cost more than groceries.

[symingto]

@WolfAdvocate not in Montana!

[WolfAdvocate]

Try farming on a continent where it doesn't rain for 6 years on end. Then you have grounds to complain.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

damage by predator culls? 1979, coyote pelts were $150 each. I know a guy who shot over 100 in our county, to the delite of several sheep farmers who were losing 100+ lambs to coyotes. Did the gopher, rabbit, mouse population boom? nope. Other predators took care of it. And the coyotes, they rebounded, like they do every year. Renewable resourse. Point is we have not had wolves and got along fine. We don't want them back.

[charliepacefan93]

well guess what i do and u know what u do not rule the world. u think u are better than animals but guess what u are so so so so not u are like a bug that needs to be exterminated. all humans are

[HaloSpartan300]

No. That's wrong. Humans are animals. :P Just stupider then monkeys.

WE UNDERGONE DE EVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =D

[EAICA]

lol does that make you one of them? did you under go evolution? do you think you're stupider than a monkey? lol

[HaloSpartan300]

No because you proved yourself to be an asshole.

[EAICA]

why don't you exterminate yourself? I mean one less bug in this world right? we grew up with the mentality of Snow white and everything pretty but life is life most people can't deal with real life so they try to find any excuse to blame other people for what's wrong in their own environment (themselves) there will always be war there will always be violence as long as animals excist. I hate to be an asshole but we gotta think a little more and find out why things are the way they are.

[symingto]

@charliepacefan93 so go kill yourself then.

[WolfAdvocate]

In closing, as a person who has seen first hand the damage caused by predator culls let me give you a little insight: I've seen far worse damage caused by the lack of natural predators than by having them around.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

You have no concept of distance here. One pasture can be 5 x 5 miles. No way a dog can patrol it all, not like back east. Cracker shots? Been tried. Unless a wolf is use to getting shot at, he lopes away, then comes back.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

Well, anyway, it was nice debabting with you. At lease you had some class, unlike many of your wolf loving friends. The sad truth is that at least twice weekly I see a report of a wolf slaughtering someones cattle, sheep, or dogs. I have watched the Yellowstone Elk Herd drop by over 60% since the wolves were reintroduced. Maybe thats a good thing? dunno. I know more than a few people who have lost their livihood guiding hunters. I guess they can become tour guides now

[WolfAdvocate]

There are more things that prey on elk than just wolves and, contrary to popular belief, their success rate when perusing large prey is extremely low, due to the fact they have to tire it out first then somehow bring it down without getting kicked in the head. Predations can be halted by herd guardians, cracker shots (blanks), a higher presence on the land, making alternated appearances, removing sick livestock and carcasses, and using appropriate fencing.

[WolfAdvocate]

The elk population stripped vegetation, simultaneously forcing out other animals, the coyote's population boomed beyond its natural boarders.

Ungulates became lazy, slow and stupid, hence the wolf's reintroduction - the weak were removed and the strong lived. Balance was completely restored. If you tamper with a delicate system like the natural balance, especially to suit your own desires, it will most certainly cause a devastating negative effect on the environment.

[DakotaElkSlayer]

So, why isn't anyone introducing wolves in your own country? Seems a lot of people want them, but not in their own backyard.

[WolfAdvocate]

We have wolves here too. Its called a Warragul, or dingo in the common tongue.

There are more species than just the grey wolf.

[gline123]

I'm in my own backyard and we wolves introduced. I am very happy about that. Much of you folks dont understand.

[BIGSKYHAL50]

Does not matter, the wolves are here to stay. Many many cattle, sheep, and big game animals will have to pay the price. Unfortunately, the people who are most affected by the wolves have no say as to how to control them. Its sort of like someone releasing a murderer in your neighborhood, and then letting him off everytime he kills, allowing him to do it again. So sad.......

[charliepacefan93]

in whyoming and idaho they want to kill 80 and 90 percent of wolves that is MOST of them

[ridgerunner98570]

First of all, They are not going to kill "most" of them. They will cull out a small percentage to keep the balance of wildlife. Lies do not make me sympathetic to your cause. I have studied the Yellowstone wolves. The 11 packs are doing fine. And they are NOT the wolves that will be culled.