Wolf caught snatching a chicken near Colville

[AspenBud]

So the solution is simple unless it is wearing a color it is a coyote, Coyotes huntable year round. Poor quality fur in the late spring, summer and early fall no need to drag out of the field.
population reduced.....

To be frank, if people would read between the lines that might actually be what they are being subtly told. If you see a problem that isn't going to change any time soon as a warden you can confirm it's a wolf and ultimately be able to do nothing or you can call it anything but that and hope the land owner is smart enough to figure out what you're trying to say.

[KFhunter]

So the solution is simple unless it is wearing a color it is a coyote, Coyotes huntable year round. Poor quality fur in the late spring, summer and early fall no need to drag out of the field.
population reduced.....

To be frank, if people would read between the lines that might actually be what they are being subtly told. If you see a problem that isn't going to change any time soon as a warden you can confirm it's a wolf and ultimately be able to do nothing or you can call it anything but that and hope the land owner is smart enough to figure out what you're trying to say.

I don't think so with all the publicity the Stevens CO wolf poaching case got.

Worth more money than a kidnapped child..

[bearpaw]

I watched a program last night about the wallowa area in NE oregon,elk populations are dropping and the conclusion they seem to be arriving at is cougar and bears are killing calves at an alarming rate...Now toss in the wolves in that area which of course dont cause many problems ..and the were not mentioned I might add...cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball?

"cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball? "

Never, would be your correct answer, Rasbo. WDFW won't even admit they have a bear/cougar problem. Remember Oregon and WA came out with the first wolf pack in 70 years the very same day, Oregon's wolves showed up in the middle of cattle country and look at ODFG and the USFWS's record of confirming livestock kills,, and then look at WDFW. As pitiful as ODFG confirmed wolf kills are, WDFW is far worse.

They can admit they have a problem with bear and cougars all they want, but the citizens of this state tied their hands. What part of the initiative process don't you understand?

Actually that's not very true at all. The voters only tied WDFW hands on hounds and baiting. The WDFW themselves have limited boot hunting of cougars to ridiculously low quota levels in most units that need twice as many cougar taken. WDFW has full control of bear seasons and could easily harvest more bear in every unit if they desired. The high numbers of bear and cougar are definitely the product of WDFW policy. 

I don't work in an area with wolves (at least not yet) so I am not an expert on the matter, but I will say this.

It's amazing how many people are 100% sure what they saw was a wolf, bear, cougar. Then they show you the picture of the "cougar" and it's fluffy the 10 lb garfield cat, or sparky the yellow lab. But by god they know it's a cougar! Don't believe me? Look at the cougar reports.

There's a link on the WDFW website that shows all the wolf reports, for some reason I have a hard time believing the wolf reports coming out of Tacoma or Seattle streets.

Are there reports that are being ignored? Probably, but find me an agency that doesn't ignore something. Is it getting to a point where 100% of the reports are ignored? No. Could WDFW do better? Yes

Sometimes people get more stuck on "the guy who's reporting it is a good guy" so it must be true! I've known hardcore hunters who reported a "cougar" and it was a fat yellow lab...

I agree people do imagine seeing some things at times, I know of specific instances of faulty reports. However, I can't understand telling people they saw something else and telling them they definitely did not see what they thought they saw unless you have proof that is what occurred. The way that WDFW is doing this makes all the residents madder and madder. I know I've been on the other end of the phone on one of these "it was coyotes" phony conversations.

In addition, these are mostly country people who see coyotes, field mousing cats, and bear on a regular basis, I doubt they are all wrong and why do they all live in the same neighborhood. One rancher lived in the middle of the wolves in Idaho and knows exactly what wolves look like. There are also more stories about wolves during the last couple years in areas close to this same neighborhood.

Eh just shoot one then call up wdfw and tell them you told me it was a coyote so I shot it 

That would actually be smart.

If it went to federal court in Spokane County hard to say what would happen, but I think it's a state issue in Stevens County due to the delisting of eastern WA. If it went to court in Stevens County we all know what the court results will likely be. Too many residents have been told "it's only coyotes" to get a conviction of wrong doing on that here in my opinion. 

[AspenBud]

So the solution is simple unless it is wearing a color it is a coyote, Coyotes huntable year round. Poor quality fur in the late spring, summer and early fall no need to drag out of the field.
population reduced.....

To be frank, if people would read between the lines that might actually be what they are being subtly told. If you see a problem that isn't going to change any time soon as a warden you can confirm it's a wolf and ultimately be able to do nothing or you can call it anything but that and hope the land owner is smart enough to figure out what you're trying to say.

I don't think so with all the publicity the Stevens CO wolf poaching case got.

Worth more money than a kidnapped child..

There's a difference between what happens on public land and private land. A poached wolf on public land, that's the public's problem and it will become news.

But on private land you can't directly come out and say "shoot the thing" as a warden. But you can suggest it isn't a wolf...in other words "shoot it and don't call me about it."

Maybe I'm giving too much benefit of the doubt, but still...

This ain't rocket science folks.

[AspenBud]

I watched a program last night about the wallowa area in NE oregon,elk populations are dropping and the conclusion they seem to be arriving at is cougar and bears are killing calves at an alarming rate...Now toss in the wolves in that area which of course dont cause many problems ..and the were not mentioned I might add...cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball?

"cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball? "

Never, would be your correct answer, Rasbo. WDFW won't even admit they have a bear/cougar problem. Remember Oregon and WA came out with the first wolf pack in 70 years the very same day, Oregon's wolves showed up in the middle of cattle country and look at ODFG and the USFWS's record of confirming livestock kills,, and then look at WDFW. As pitiful as ODFG confirmed wolf kills are, WDFW is far worse.

They can admit they have a problem with bear and cougars all they want, but the citizens of this state tied their hands. What part of the initiative process don't you understand?

Actually that's not very true at all. The voters only tied WDFW hands on hounds and baiting. The WDFW themselves have limited boot hunting of cougars to ridiculously low quota levels in most units that need twice as many cougar taken. WDFW has full control of bear seasons and could easily harvest more bear in every unit if they desired. The high numbers of bear and cougar are definitely the product of WDFW policy. 

You and I both know the best way to reduce bear and cougar numbers is with hounds. Even with increased harvests hunters are at a disadvantage in this state.

[buckfvr]

There is a piece of state land right behind both of these ranches, oddly enough two days after the last wolf sighting I sent two hunters over to check their shotgun on a target at the state land, this happened to be right behind both ranches that have seen the wolves. Oddly enough the same warden and his sergeant happened to be there and checked the hunters out. If this was only coyote sightings why were they both right behind both of these ranches?

That's right, they know they are wolves, but they are going to keep telling local people we are seeing coyotes! This is exactly what makes everyone so darn mad about this wolf issue. If WDFW would at least be honest and understanding, tell the people they will try to monitor the situation and will do what they can to prevent problems. Instead people get these phony lies! I know this is exactly what people are being told because I tried to report a wolf attack on German Shepherd dogs and the WDFW called me back and told me it was 5 coyotes trying to attack the German Shepherds. 

Two days ago at a rural residence only about 1 mile away from the other ranchers the lady looks out her window and watches a wolf snatch one of her chickens and trot away. She told my wife about it at the rodeo yesterday. My wife asked her if she was sure it was a wolf and not a coyote YES, then she asked if the lady reported it, NOPE! My wife tried to convince her that she needed to report it or we will never get wolves delisted. But we doubt it gets reported.

Faith is so low in WDFW that many people have quit reporting most wildlife incidents. Mostly I am hearing that people are just going to take of things themselves because WDFW is a waste of time. In fact the one rancher told WDFW that if the wolf comes back to their yard it's getting shot. Maybe that's why WDFW is spending time right there in that area.

People have no faith in the WDFW reaction anymore! I hope it's better in other areas of Washington! 

Rant Over....

WDFW is still looking for a "poster child" to destroy as a psychological deterrent for perceived future shooters. 

The fact that local wardens go along with all the bs involved is disheartening to many residents of Stevens county.....they have sold out the public and are viewed in a very negative aspect by many.  They no longer stand for right and wrong in many peoples minds, rather they stand for messengers lacking their own set of personal ethics regarding wolves.

This is not a personal rant, but a common opinion shared by way too many good folks.  I feel sorry for the wardens who have abandoned the interests of the public and let their image slip so low as to be disrespected, all for the wolf.

[KFhunter]

 

Like I said I was very disappointed to hear the local wardens doing this

[grundy53]

What is the motivation for WDFW to tell people lies about seeing wolves?  And please don't give me some wolfbait contrived conspiracy here...Seriously, what do they have to gain?  I am not saying a few good ranchers are not seeing wolves, but all of my interaction with wdfw staff has been them saying that wolves can be absolutely anywhere and everywhere in WA and the population is growing.  The wolf bios also preach about getting any wolf sightings or activity into them that you can, especially if it includes pictures of the animal or tracks etc. so they can focus their trapping efforts.  This seems inconsistent with what you are posting 

You seem to act like you represent WDFW wolf division! I'm just presenting the information, you tell me?

Go find a thread on here about game wardens or point systems and then report back to me about how good I am at sticking up for WDFW 

Seriously though, every GMAC meeting I've been to we discuss wolves and every darn time there is nothing but discussion about how wolves are absolutely everywhere, they have a tough time collaring them, and please send information about wolf location/information to help our trappers.  They freely admit that they only have absolute minimum counts on wolves, that confirmed packs are also minimum numbers etc.  It just does not fit the description you've provided and I can't think of good motivation for anyone to be lying really...Ranchers are not going to waste time making up stories about wolves and wdfw would love to confirm more wolves/packs to meet de-listing criteria. 

That's just lip service. One of the only things our game department is good at....

sent from my typewriter

[lokidog]

I watched a program last night about the wallowa area in NE oregon,elk populations are dropping and the conclusion they seem to be arriving at is cougar and bears are killing calves at an alarming rate...Now toss in the wolves in that area which of course dont cause many problems ..and the were not mentioned I might add...cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball?

"cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball? "

Never, would be your correct answer, Rasbo. WDFW won't even admit they have a bear/cougar problem. Remember Oregon and WA came out with the first wolf pack in 70 years the very same day, Oregon's wolves showed up in the middle of cattle country and look at ODFG and the USFWS's record of confirming livestock kills,, and then look at WDFW. As pitiful as ODFG confirmed wolf kills are, WDFW is far worse.

They can admit they have a problem with bear and cougars all they want, but the citizens of this state tied their hands. What part of the initiative process don't you understand?

Actually that's not very true at all. The voters only tied WDFW hands on hounds and baiting. The WDFW themselves have limited boot hunting of cougars to ridiculously low quota levels in most units that need twice as many cougar taken. WDFW has full control of bear seasons and could easily harvest more bear in every unit if they desired. The high numbers of bear and cougar are definitely the product of WDFW policy. 

You and I both know the best way to reduce bear and cougar numbers is with hounds. Even with increased harvests hunters are at a disadvantage in this state.

The legislature can reverse this initiative to my understanding, heck they ignore other ones whenever they feel like it doesn't meet their agenda or needs (ie. state voter passed raise for teachers that still has not shown up after many years).

If I lived over there, I'd be shooting all the "coyotes" I could to help my animals and my neighbors.   

[bobcat]

Bearpaw, maybe you should start offering some guided coyote hunts. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[headshot5]

To be frank, if people would read between the lines that might actually be what they are being subtly told. If you see a problem that isn't going to change any time soon as a warden you can confirm it's a wolf and ultimately be able to do nothing or you can call it anything but that and hope the land owner is smart enough to figure out what you're trying to say.

But on private land you can't directly come out and say "shoot the thing" as a warden. But you can suggest it isn't a wolf...in other words "shoot it and don't call me about it."

I smell a rat.  Here is Aspen telling us to go ahead.  The WDFW told you it was a coyote, do what feels right.  Yet the WDFW is hanging around the places where they tell people that they have "coyote" problems.  I think the anti's (they know who they are) are wanting above all else for someone to get caught so they can make an example out of them.  Hence the 20,000 + dollar reward for the last wolf.  I'm betting the next person caught killing a wolf (without proof of damages caused by said wolf) is going to be a pretty big target.  I'm betting the anti's will swarm.     

[wolfbait]

I don't work in an area with wolves (at least not yet) so I am not an expert on the matter, but I will say this.

It's amazing how many people are 100% sure what they saw was a wolf, bear, cougar. Then they show you the picture of the "cougar" and it's fluffy the 10 lb garfield cat, or sparky the yellow lab. But by god they know it's a cougar! Don't believe me? Look at the cougar reports.

There's a link on the WDFW website that shows all the wolf reports, for some reason I have a hard time believing the wolf reports coming out of Tacoma or Seattle streets.

Are there reports that are being ignored? Probably, but find me an agency that doesn't ignore something. Is it getting to a point where 100% of the reports are ignored? No. Could WDFW do better? Yes

Sometimes people get more stuck on "the guy who's reporting it is a good guy" so it must be true! I've known hardcore hunters who reported a "cougar" and it was a fat yellow lab...

How many times did WDFW lie to the McIrvin's of the Diamond M ranch in Stevens County? How many times has WDFW lied about livestock etc. attacked or killed in other areas of WA? I can name several.

Ranchers, generally know what is killing their stock, they have been at the business of protecting their stock for quite a while, and yet WDFW lie to them, even when the evidence clearly points to wolves.

So if WDFW will lie to ranchers, would it be hard to believe that WDFW would ignore wolf reports from the public, or say they probably saw a cougar, a coyote, the neighbors dog, anything but a wolf? Remember John Stevie's dog, first thing that popped out of WDFW's mouth was, are you sure it wasn't a cougar?

There are probably a few people who might mistake a coyote for a wolf, but not too many when comparing the size. Take the wolf that attacked John's dog. Some folks saw a wolf that looked just like the one that jumped on John's dog, they said they thought it was huge coyote, but it acted strange, when the guy whistled the wolf stopped and then started pacing back and fourth. This was just outside of their yard.

"Are there reports that are being ignored? Probably, but find me an agency that doesn't ignore something. Is it getting to a point where 100% of the reports are ignored? No. Could WDFW do better? Yes"

 
What happened to Honesty? WDF&Wolves has not equaled honesty. All though we do now have a new wolf specialists who told WDFW's biologist there would be no more lying to the public about wolf attacks. WDFW still came out in the papers that the wolves were only trying to get the little dog to submit.    Yep I think WDFW could do a lot better. 

[buckfvr]

Early on, it was a bit harder to put a finger on, but now that theres been enough people involved to compare first hand experience with wdfw regarding wolves,  make no mistake, BLATANT dishonesty is rampant. 

WHat else are they being dishonest about   Nothing   Ya , right.

[bearpaw]

I watched a program last night about the wallowa area in NE oregon,elk populations are dropping and the conclusion they seem to be arriving at is cougar and bears are killing calves at an alarming rate...Now toss in the wolves in that area which of course dont cause many problems ..and the were not mentioned I might add...cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball?

"cullling bears and cougars seem to be where oregon might go with their problem,why and when will wa state get on the ball? "

Never, would be your correct answer, Rasbo. WDFW won't even admit they have a bear/cougar problem. Remember Oregon and WA came out with the first wolf pack in 70 years the very same day, Oregon's wolves showed up in the middle of cattle country and look at ODFG and the USFWS's record of confirming livestock kills,, and then look at WDFW. As pitiful as ODFG confirmed wolf kills are, WDFW is far worse.

They can admit they have a problem with bear and cougars all they want, but the citizens of this state tied their hands. What part of the initiative process don't you understand?

Actually that's not very true at all. The voters only tied WDFW hands on hounds and baiting. The WDFW themselves have limited boot hunting of cougars to ridiculously low quota levels in most units that need twice as many cougar taken. WDFW has full control of bear seasons and could easily harvest more bear in every unit if they desired. The high numbers of bear and cougar are definitely the product of WDFW policy. 

You and I both know the best way to reduce bear and cougar numbers is with hounds. Even with increased harvests hunters are at a disadvantage in this state.

Again not correct. WDFW purposefully limited boot hunting of cougar because they said too many cougars were being taken. They also have limited bear seasons in areas where they wanted more bear.

[idahohuntr]

Here is a fact, please feel free to review the job description WDFW had posted for their wolf trappers:

I have nothing against college grads, I have a daughter attending college. But if you will please remember that was the primary qualification for their new hire wolf trappers. Most any knowledgeable trapper (who can catch wolves) will probably tell you that they should have hired experienced trappers as the first priority qualification if they wanted to catch wolves. 

A couple years ago my neighbor who's kenneled german shepherd dogs were being attacked in his backyard had to fire shots to scare away 5 wolves that were attacking his dogs. I wanted to be sure this was reported, he told me OK to report it.

The region 1 manager Steve Pozzanghera called me from Spokane to tell me my neighbor did not see wolves attacking his german shepherds. Pozzanghera  told me in a not so pleasant manner they were coyotes from his office desk in Spokane. That is how WDFW seems to handle wolf sightings and everyone knows it.

Maybe that will give you something new to bring up at your next GMAC meeting. I know from experience exactly why people are saying what they do about how WDFW reacts to wolf reports! We have coyotes all over Stevens County, these ranchers see coyotes every week of their life. It's one thing if WDFW said they can't find proof that a sighting was wolf, but it's quite a different story when they insist you saw a coyote when you know it was a wolf and they won't even consider your report a wolf report. 

I am with you on the hiring qualifications issue...I don't think they are getting the right people for the job either and I raised this issue at a meeting...they reiterated that its just darn tough to trap wolves and they didn't feel like the staff were the problem    I asked if they could get that fella IDFG sent into the Frank that killed what 8 wolves in like a week! I have college degrees too and I completely agree they are overrated for most jobs...particularly wolf trapping 

Still not sure what motive wdfw would have to say without any evidence (i.e., sitting at their desk) that someone didn't see a wolf.