Experts Meet To Discuss Wolves Effect On Hunting

[buckfvr]

I think your prayer will be answered............

[Sitka_Blacktail]

As I've said before, habitat and timber companies leasing or charging for access and limiting access will affect more people's hunting opportunities than wolves ever will.

I've taken whitetails each of the years since I started hunting in NE Washington among "all those wolves". And the reason I started hunting there (I live on the coast) is because of loss of access in the areas I grew up hunting, not to mention habitat changes from changes in logging.

Wolves may affect the odds of my success slightly, but they don't affect my access to even go hunting.

[AspenBud]

As I've said before, habitat and timber companies leasing or charging for access and limiting access will affect more people's hunting opportunities than wolves ever will.

I've taken whitetails each of the years since I started hunting in NE Washington among "all those wolves". And the reason I started hunting there (I live on the coast) is because of loss of access in the areas I grew up hunting, not to mention habitat changes from changes in logging.

Wolves may affect the odds of my success slightly, but they don't affect my access to even go hunting.

I think it's all linked.

Less access to good hunting grounds leads to fewer hunters (and that's a bigger problem in general) which leads to fewer people worrying about wolves and big game which leads to less access to good hunting...repeat cycle...

[bearpaw]

No doubt hunters need access, I completely agree with that. 

But some of you guys do not have a clue what is going on with predators in the NE. So that some of you understand the predator situation in NE WA, wolves have not really affected herd numbers in most areas yet. It's the record numbers of cougar, coyotes, and bear that have been impacting our herds the most in the NE. As the WDFW continues to greatly limit predator hunting and with the addition of wolves we will see a greater decline in wildlife in the future especially after we have another hard winter and we are put into a deeper predator pit than what we are already in. Once the wolf numbers continue to increase unchecked due to WDFW wolf management policies the impacts will be felt more and more.

Idaho has tried to offset predator impacts by creating two bear and two cougar hunting zones, but wolf predation has replaced the cougar and bear which have been removed in most areas and herds have continued to decline even during years of mild or average winters. There is no way you can sugar coat what has happened in the ID/MT/WY areas with the most wolves, the declining herd numbers tell the story. As wolves continue to increase in NE WA that is what is in store for our herds in the future.

Unlike a few incapable of looking ahead, I would like to resolve the problem before it becomes a problem in NE WA. If WDFW would simply manage wolves by limiting pack size and the number of packs, NE WA could support a modest number of wolves without many severe impacts, it's the insanity of unregulated wolves that will do to NE WA exactly what was done to the LOLO, Bitteroot, Yellowstone, Payette, Thoroughfare, and many other herds if wolves are left unchecked.

The results can already be seen in GMU 105 Kelly Hill (the Wedge). Herds are down in large portions of this unit and as a result the wolves were forced to eat McIrvin's cattle. 

[wolfbait]

BearPaw--Unlike a few incapable of looking ahead, I would like to resolve the problem before it becomes a problem in NE WA. If WDFW would simply manage wolves by limiting pack size and the number of packs, NE WA could support a modest number of wolves without many severe impacts, it's the insanity of unregulated wolves that will do to NE WA exactly what was done to the LOLO, Bitteroot, Yellowstone, Payette, Thoroughfare, and many other herds if wolves are left unchecked.

The results can already be seen in GMU 105 Kelly Hill (the Wedge). Herds are down in large portions of this unit and as a result the wolves were forced to eat McIrvin's cattle.---

IF is a word that WDFW enjoy. If the stupid hunters and rural people don't come together we will be able to accomplish our mission. We here at WDFW have already released enough wolves with of cource the USFWS's help, that we can now translocate within the state.  Problem wolves from one area will go to a new area just as happened in MT, WY and Idaho.

So how stupid are the people in WA?

Just like Idaho and MT, hunters and rural people need to come together and remove those at the top and work their way down, starting with Anderson who is just another nodding head!



 

[Buckblaster]

Near the end of the cast, Dave said it was likely that translocation would happen since they need confirmed packs south of I-90.  He also mentioned before that, the St. Helens elk herd is beyond carrying capacity.  Its easy to see what they are thinking.

[huntnphool]

Near the end of the cast, Dave said it was likely that translocation would happen since they need confirmed packs south of I-90.  He also mentioned before that, the St. Helens elk herd is beyond carrying capacity.  Its easy to see what they might be thinking.

Its been their agenda from the get go.

[Special T]

regardless of how you feel about wolves you should be able to see the creep. Many have seen their end goal, and the WDFW slowly adjusts their statements to reflect it. Funny how some many people thought that many of us  because of our thoughts and statements about how disingenuous the WDFW has been...

[huntnphool]

Many have seen their end goal, and the WDFW slowly adjusts their statements to reflect it.

Adjusts their statements? They have been completely up front about it from the beginning!

[Special T]

I would say that the message I have heard has not changed, however their verbage and nuances have. 

[huntnphool]

I would say that the message I have heard has not changed, however their verbage and nuances have. 

Everything is in the original wolf proposal, they have stuck to it as written.

Perhaps had more hunters actually read it before it was accepted there would have been a little more opposition.

[bearpaw]

In case anyone has missed it, please watch the WDFW wolf presentation with IDFG and MFWP. This is long but worth watching to help understand the uphill battle we face with wolf management in Washington.

http://youtu.be/aIjH_bX9h0w