Realistic ways we are going to control wolves?

[Ridgeratt]

One thing I'm not sure of is how effectively wolves can hunt in the brushy terrain we have here in western Washington. Sure they will get all the elk with hoof rot, but after that, how long will the wolves last? Or will they even be able to establish themselves over here at all? Will it only be in the high country? How will they do in the lowlands around Puget Sound?

Bobcat are you serious! Do you realize just how brushy it is in Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington.
The wolves will last just as the coyotes have adapted to almost every state in the union. If there is any type of food base they will establish them selves. If you follow any of the post about them on this side, Just look at Bone's post some of his photos are in open sage!

One of the Farmers in the Wedge's calving pens are just outside of his Kitchen window. So once they overcome the fear of surroundings they will be right in your backyard.

[JCKILLSHOT]

The sooner we start killing them the easier they will be to control.

[Ridgeratt]

The sooner we start killing them the easier they will be to control.

You won't get that wish until the westside management goals have been reached.   

[JCKILLSHOT]

SSS is the only other thing I'm going to say!!

[bobcat]

Ridgeratt,

Yes, I was serious, sorry if my question upset you. I'm not a wolf biologist and don't pretend to know much about them. But what I do know is there have been wolves in the northern Cascades since at least the mid-80's, and we still have no verifiable wolves on the west side of the state. So why is that? I don't know, but if this was ideal wolf habitat you would think they would be here by now.

[Ridgeratt]

Your answers really don't upset me. I just honestly think you really don't have a grasp on what is happening. But I can tell you that yes there have been wolves in Eastern Washington in the Wedge since the late 60's but they were just part of the transient packs that ranged across the border.
I have had several conversations with the Region 1 wolf Bio over here. One of the last was just a few weeks after they had done the partial removal of the Wedge Pack.  2 days after I spoke with him I found fresh wolf crap less that 2 miles from the Diamond M Ranch.

The Bio did make a statement to me that made a ton of sense. That was in Canada right now there is not a large Market for Wolf fur. Also since it seems that perhaps Trapping is sort of a dying art. Not many folks are setting a trap to catch some thing that has a zero return as a Bobcat or a high quality fur. If you look at a map the Wedge is just the bottom of a funnel without a bottom. So as they wolves breed and their numbers expand the range can only support so many animals. Therefore the extras seek new ground. This might explain the increase of them all across the border states. I say this because we have become a ideal habitat over here and nothing has changed in the landscape I can see.
When I went to the wolf meeting here in Spokane last week Carter Neihmeyer made a statement: Wolves are here and they are coming your way! Which as I see it means they are going to deplete the food base over here and then they will seek a new source! So get ready your gonna get them!!

[JimmyHoffa]

One thing I'm not sure of is how effectively wolves can hunt in the brushy terrain we have here in western Washington. Sure they will get all the elk with hoof rot, but after that, how long will the wolves last? Or will they even be able to establish themselves over here at all? Will it only be in the high country? How will they do in the lowlands around Puget Sound?

Bobcat are you serious! Do you realize just how brushy it is in Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington.
The wolves will last just as the coyotes have adapted to almost every state in the union. If there is any type of food base they will establish them selves. If you follow any of the post about them on this side, Just look at Bone's post some of his photos are in open sage!

One of the Farmers in the Wedge's calving pens are just outside of his Kitchen window. So once they overcome the fear of surroundings they will be right in your backyard.

The wolves shouldn't have any problems on the westside.  They used to be widespread across the peninsula and had no problems hunting.  Most of the early forest reserve rangers back before extirpation were hired on for predator hunting.  But back then a good portion of winter range wasn't densely settled (except Queets/Hoh homesteads--now taken by the park) and not much logging impact.  Now days, the mountains are surrounded by homes/farms or land that has been logged a few times.  I think the mix of clearcuts and heavy brush will work out well for wolves.

[Mudman]

Bobcat I have a neat neighbor.  He is 90 and was a boy when his Pappy was logging Capitol forest.  He has some great story's.  Anyway he has told me about the Timber wolves that ran up there and how different they are from the greys in Montana where he lived as well.

[Knocker of rocks]

Bobcat I have a neat neighbor.  He is 90 and was a boy when his Pappy was logging Capitol forest.  He has some great story's.  Anyway he has told me about the Timber wolves that ran up there and how different they are from the greys in Montana where he lived as well.

How so?  Old guys are cool

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Sitka,  I'm just basing that on reports from other states like Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. I don't believe they've had much luck controlling wolf numbers by hunting. Have you heard different?

Well my buddy in Lewiston said the late whitetail hunting was spectacular with some real trophies taken and he hunted the late muzzle loader season for elk in unit 14 and one other which I can't remember and he said it was the most elk he's seen in years and years. His opinion was that wolf hunting was doing what it's supposed to do, trimming them to a manageable number.

Not sure about Montana, but my uncle's group was 6 for 6 on elk out of Townsend.  Haven't heard any wolf reports from there.

[Mudman]

Aggresive. They worried more about cats then dogs!  But you never got caught out at night without your gun and kids were not allowed out at night.

[bearpaw]

I've talked to several outfitters recently in the more wolf infested areas, there are almost no elk, many quit offering elk hunts or have reduced down to single digit number of hunters due to a lack of elk. Only half as many outfitters total in idaho as there was 5 years ago in Idaho, in many cases due to wolves.

[HORSEPOWER]

Who is the Region 1 Wolf Biologist?

[Ridgeratt]

check you mail!!! HP!!!

[splitshot]

   again we need to have permits and control these things. idaho and montana did and do.  lets sell 1000 tags and make money.  they are like coyotes ,bears and cougars.    mike w