Spokane Wolf Meetings

[whacker1]

Where were you sitting from him?
I left before the Q&A's started also. But I did watch the ladies screen all the questions that were submitted. I wonder if they weeded out any of the real controversial ones. They read every one then put them into sorted piles.

looking at the stage Quadrafire and I were sitting in the 3rd or 4th row on the left side closest to the windows.

[Ridgeratt]

I ended up talking to Shepard while they relocated the group to the larger room.  He in my opinion is a true shooter on the issues. That's after running into him last fall and then again last night. He did say that once you have heard the presentation it doesn't change much. Martorello's presentation was much differant from what he made in Colville last year just some of the dates had been changed.

I'm glad to see that at every meeting the crowd does get larger.

[Skyvalhunter]

Anyone get a feeling at the meeting as to weather there were more wolf proponents or opponents there?

[whacker1]

I would say that it seemed to be 50/50

[Landowner]

Drove to Spokane for the meeting last night.

Nothing really new, and it was more than a bit repetitive between presenters.   Here's three things I took from it:

1.  Wolves are here to stay-----come hell or high water;

2.  Wolves killing livestock are supposed to be a priority by the agencies----but after the Wedge kill it will be slow and with as much non-lethal tactics and compensation to ranchers as can be garnered; and

3.  Wolves are going to kill a LOT of elk and deer, and the agencies are fine with that under the guise of the natural order of life in the woods.  (slide presentation stated that 12 to 22 elk are killed per year per each individual wolf)

[whacker1]

Drove to Spokane for the meeting last night.

Nothing really new, and it was more than a bit repetitive between presenters.   Here's three things I took from it:

1.  Wolves are here to stay-----come hell or high water;

2.  Wolves killing livestock are supposed to be a priority by the agencies----but after the Wedge kill it will be slow and with as much non-lethal tactics and compensation to ranchers as can be garnered; and

3.  Wolves are going to kill a LOT of elk and deer, and the agencies are fine with that under the guise of the natural order of life in the woods.  (slide presentation stated that 12 to 22 elk are killed per year per each individual wolf)

yep.

the one item that wasn't asked or discussed, which is the most controversial: They talked about 70% of Idaho being above target populations for ungulates, but they failed to mention that in many of these areas hunting seasons have been shortened, so it is at the expense of sportsman that the state is able to remain above target. 

I know that it is ever changing, but it seems like the faster WA reaches delisting the sooner we will be able to hunt them as part of the management plan. 

Carter Niemeyer also did elude to the fact that WA has different politics in play with Western Washingto making this an emotional issue and it may take longer for delisting.  ID, MT, WY do not have a Western Washington to contend with as part of the political landscape. 

[Rgrady35]

Hmmm, makes you wonder what would happen if the hunters all got together and didn't buy any gear or a license for one year. Bet their tune would change pretty quick. 

[quadrafire]

here was Rich Landers version from todays Spokesman Review

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/jan/17/landers-tough-decisions-loom-for-wolves/

[turkeyfeather]

I would say that it seemed to be 50/50

I would agree with that. There were a lot of teenage girls there though.

[quadrafire]

The WDFW canine specialist, Danny Martorello, was the last speaker of the night. He did go into detail about the wedge pack and how that all played out.
The power point presentation  GPS spots that were updated every 6hrs on the alpha male, so assuming the pack was with him, they spent the vast majority of their time in WA, crossing a few times into BC.
What was really interesting to me was the documentation of  them following the cattle herd from range land to private pasture land, and WDFW documenting that with the GPS data.

The big point of the night........ Wolves are here to stay (Deal with it), and in this politically fired state it will be a challange to keep both sides happy. The other is that 20% of the wolves cause all of the problems (at least with domestic animals)
They really didn't spend much time talking about what they will do with the ungulate population. They are more worried about domestic/farm animals, IMO.

[quadrafire]

I would say that it seemed to be 50/50

I would agree with that. There were a lot of teenage girls there though.

Must have been school projects?

[turkeyfeather]

The WDFW canine specialist, Danny Martorello, was the last speaker of the night. He did go into detail about the wedge pack and how that all played out.
The power point presentation  GPS spots that were updated every 6hrs on the alpha male, so assuming the pack was with him, they spent the vast majority of their time in WA, crossing a few times into BC.
What was really interesting to me was the documentation of  them following the cattle herd from range land to private pasture land, and WDFW documenting that with the GPS data.

The big point of the night........ Wolves are here to stay (Deal with it), and in this politically fired state it will be a challange to keep both sides happy. The other is that 20% of the wolves cause all of the problems (at least with domestic animals)
They really didn't spend much time talking about what they will do with the ungulate population. They are more worried about domestic/farm animals, IMO.

This is what I took from the evening as well. This was the.first time I had been to one. Did I understand right, that Carter basically said that the population probably can't be restored to initially planned levels by hunting. And that their wouldn't be such a large population if the pro-wolf people would quit tying it up in court.

[quadrafire]

Did I understand right, that Carter basically said that the population probably can't be restored to initially planned levels by hunting. And that their wouldn't be such a large population if the pro-wolf people would quit tying it up in court.

This is what I heard as well.
Mr. Martorello basically said the same thing on the hunting. They thought the wedge pack would be easy to hunt from the ground, but found out differently. Helos are a big help, but obviously expensive.

[whacker1]

Did I understand right, that Carter basically said that the population probably can't be restored to initially planned levels by hunting. And that their wouldn't be such a large population if the pro-wolf people would quit tying it up in court.

This is what I heard as well.
Mr. Martorello basically said the same thing on the hunting. They thought the wedge pack would be easy to hunt from the ground, but found out differently. Helos are a big help, but obviously expensive.

yes, Carter basically laughed at hunting and trapping to get back to Idaho's desired 152 wolves and 15 breeding pair.  He said that won't happen.  They are too difficult to hunt, cover too much wilderness terrain, and disperse quickly to other wilderness areas.  Essentially I heard that they cover too much terrain to be culled to the 152 wolves currently 745 as of December 2012 numbers if I remember the data right. 

He did elude to the fact that the Hunting and trapping will be here to stay as a matter of management and that the pro-wolf people need to get used to it, just as the anti-wolf people need to get used to the fact that the wolf is here to stay.  He was very middle ground in my opinion.  I didn't like everything he had to stay, but I feel that he is pretty honest about his experiences.

[turkeyfeather]

  I also thought he remained pretty much neutral.