Wolf attacks Dog in Twisp, Wa.

[bearpaw]

Wolf numbers have not yet reached what the plan calls for, not even close.

So I'd expect for these types of issues to get much worse as time goes on. This is only the beginning.

I certainly agree with the latter part of this statement. As for the wolf numbers... they are highly underestimated/confirmed.

If a plain jane like myself and her significant other can go out and have ... 4 wolf pack sightings in the last 2 years ranging from the Blues to the Sawtooths... with at least 2 unaccounted packs, there's a lot more out there than the state knows about or is willing to release information on. Most likely a combination of the two.

I've seen wolves 30 miles apart up the Methow this winter...  days apart. Still just the lookout pack? *rolls eyes*. Texas Creek, Gold Creek, Golden Doe, Finley Canyon. Two sides of the highway.

hirshey, please post all your sightings (any type) in the wolf topic on here to help us keep WDFW accountable and post them on the WDFW wolf sightings page if you haven't already done that.

I had a good phone discussion with Donny Martorello in Olympia a while ago and he said they will be looking at the okanogan this year for more wolves. He also told me they are looking at the areas where they get the most sightings reported, so it's imperative that we get as many sightings reported as possible.

I am putting together another letter that will better detail my conversation that I will post here when finished.

[Smossy]

Maybe it was a bobcat? 

what a crock.

I seen a bobcat last night just right outside the city limits in roy. No doubt about it....

[hirshey]

Maybe I should ask, do you think the state can AFFORD to compensate every single person who has any kind of wildlife damage done to their property?

I don't. Whether it's elk, deer, bears, cougars, or wolves. People need to take care if themselves and not rely on the government for everything.

That's the thing.. if they aren't liable for the damages, the realized cost of having wolves in the state lies on the people that most likely don't want them there in the first place.. Can't afford to pay out? Open a hunting season! You're putting the burden on those that would prefer to manage the numbers by hunting. Since hunting isn't allowed, the burden should be placed on those that are restricting the ability to manage numbers and problem animals. 

Even with hunting, there will be problems. They're being hunted in Idaho now, correct? Have wolves stopped killing livestock and pets since the wolf season opened?

You say the burden should be placed on those who are restricting the ability to manage wolves.... so how do we identify who those particular individuals are? And if that's possible, do we then take deductions out of those people's paychecks and place it into a "wolf victim" fund?

Just wondering how all those in favor of wolves are going to be required to pay, while all of us who don't want wolves don't have to pay.

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

[hirshey]

Wolf numbers have not yet reached what the plan calls for, not even close.

So I'd expect for these types of issues to get much worse as time goes on. This is only the beginning.

I certainly agree with the latter part of this statement. As for the wolf numbers... they are highly underestimated/confirmed.

If a plain jane like myself and her significant other can go out and have ... 4 wolf pack sightings in the last 2 years ranging from the Blues to the Sawtooths... with at least 2 unaccounted packs, there's a lot more out there than the state knows about or is willing to release information on. Most likely a combination of the two.

I've seen wolves 30 miles apart up the Methow this winter...  days apart. Still just the lookout pack? *rolls eyes*. Texas Creek, Gold Creek, Golden Doe, Finley Canyon. Two sides of the highway.

hirshey, please post all your sightings (any type) in the wolf topic on here to help us keep WDFW accountable and post them on the WDFW wolf sightings page if you haven't already done that.

I had a good phone discussion with Donny Martorello in Olympia a while ago and he said they will be looking at the okanogan this year for more wolves. He also told me they are looking at the areas where they get the most sightings reported, so it's imperative that we get as many sightings reported as possible.

I am putting together another letter that will better detail my conversation that I will post here when finished.

Bearpaw, I will. Sorry I've been MIA for a while.

[bobcat]

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

I certainly agree with all of that, but I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect our state to already have a hunting season for wolves. Look how long it took Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming before they were able to institute a season on wolves. Why should we expect for that to happen any sooner here? If anything, I would expect the opposite, with all the wolf lovers we have in this state.

[Curly]

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

I certainly agree with all of that, but I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect our state to already have a hunting season for wolves. Look how long it took Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming before they were able to institute a season on wolves. Why should we expect for that to happen any sooner here? If anything, I would expect the opposite, with all the wolf lovers we have in this state.

Our state should have had the benefit of learning from those other states' mistakes.  Wolves definitely should have been delisted by the state as soon as the Feds gave the ok.

[bearpaw]

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

I certainly agree with all of that, but I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect our state to already have a hunting season for wolves. Look how long it took Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming before they were able to institute a season on wolves. Why should we expect for that to happen any sooner here? If anything, I would expect the opposite, with all the wolf lovers we have in this state.

There are enough wolves in the NE corner to delist already, that's why we wanted to share them with you. 

[KFhunter]

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

I certainly agree with all of that, but I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect our state to already have a hunting season for wolves. Look how long it took Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming before they were able to institute a season on wolves. Why should we expect for that to happen any sooner here? If anything, I would expect the opposite, with all the wolf lovers we have in this state.

Problem is the Wolf lovers in key decision making positions within WDFW

[hirshey]

Yes, even with hunting there will be problems. But less. Where does the majority of hunting pressure originate? Roads and populated areas. You would see the most pressure for wolf hunting in accessible areas, which would allow wolves to thrive in more remote habitats. Now, I'm pretty sure a remote habitat wouldn't include, for example, the gentleman's porch where the most recent incident occured. As of now, the burden is the managing agency's responsibility. If reasonable population managment plans are put into action, then it can be revisited. But the reason we employ wildlife management officials is to be stewards, not overlords of the wildlife populations. Any other wild critter attacking you or your pet could be killed; that is not the case currently with wolves, and they are fairly brazen from my interactions. A few bullets to make them tuck their tail and run wouldn't be bad for any party involved.

I certainly agree with all of that, but I do feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect our state to already have a hunting season for wolves. Look how long it took Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming before they were able to institute a season on wolves. Why should we expect for that to happen any sooner here? If anything, I would expect the opposite, with all the wolf lovers we have in this state.

I think if the population of wolves present in the state was more accurate and the locality did not matter, we'd have at least a small controlled hunt already. As I've already stated.. Blue mountains (before they indicated a pack), Sawtooths, multiple Methow Valley locations... if only a couple of people can have so many interactions, there are a substantial amount out there. The challenge in this state is certainly the wolves location and the location of the majority of the persons strongly desiring wolves in the ecosystem. I think it would be hard to keep a positive outlook on wolves if you fully immersed yourself in the life of a cattleman, outfitter, hound hunter, or pet owner that has seen firsthand the effects these critters can produce. Wolves are here. They're going to be; I don't doubt or fight that fact, but I will resist the notion that my neighbor, the local postal worker or school teacher, the rancher, or anyone else living in areas most affected should either have to move, build fences, or bear the costs of this type of predator all their own. 

[hirshey]

Full story here..
http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=9586

[bobcat]

In 2009 when WDFW bought the rest of the Golden Doe ranch, the first thing they did was release wolves on it. And the first thing their wolves did was kill a cow and a calf.

Source?

[BOWHUNTER45]

Bearpaw...tell them to check out Twisp River R.D ....Up around North Cr ...If they can not find them Then tell them BH45 will take them to where I know they hang out ....We have seen one single wolf that hangs out around Polar Flats .... I was about 3 miles in on North cr a couple years ago and heard one Howling ...it was a sound that made my hair stand up on my neck ...Plus I found a bait site up there where there was cougar and wolf tracks in the same mud puddle ...they most likely know of this by now 

[bearpaw]

Full story here..
http://www.methowvalleynews.com/story.php?id=9586

Thanks hirshey, glad to see something in print besides just the story on here. Sort of validifies the story for the naysayers. 

[Jingles]

I still believe we need to expedite the wolf migration to the west side of the state via MidNight Rider Transportation they are willing to drop load anywhere except areas heavily populated with Deer and elk

[Dan-o]

 


What a bunch of arrogant hypocrites to say that other people should have them in their back yard, but not take them into their own back yard.   

I'd laugh way out loud if that state senator's bill got some traction.