'Bold' wolf that bit researcher weighed 100 pounds, records show; most attacks n

[wolfbait]

'Bold' wolf that bit researcher weighed 100 pounds, records show; most attacks now on another farm

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/09/wolf_attack_michigans_top_pred.html

[AspenBud]

"Many cattle casualties were notably due to one farmer’s neglect. Dead cattle were left on his field, and packs prowled. He was reimbursed by taxpayers. The farmer was charged after an MLive.com investigation and has closed his primary farm."

This is key.

"Kolpack has tried to fend off wolves. He believes some have migrated north from the previously notable farm, to his place. "

This is too.

"“I can’t quite get my head around how polarized this issue has become.”"

Amen brother.

"Michigan voters on Nov. 4 still will cast ballots on two wolf-related proposals in November. The ballots may be a public opinion poll at most. Lawmakers muted the impact, but wolf-hunting opponents are hoping to win in the court of public opinion.

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, will be lobbying in Michigan next month, as will a leading state wolf researcher, John Vucetich."

They, HSUS, are the enemy. Hunter's, farmers, and ranchers get that in Michigan. For some oddball reason people here would prefer to worry about the government instead.

[KFhunter]

"reimbursed by taxpayers"

Somehow I don't think it's 100% of his losses,  if the reimbursement is like what Washington's livestock owners are seeing it's more like 3-5% of the total losses. (that being generous)

A couple of facts are clear.

The 1st rancher in the story closed his ranch as a direct result of wolf depredation.  Did DNR offer to remove the carcasses? 
The 2nd rancher did not have carcasses laying around but started suffering losses anyways.
The DNR officials were surprised how far the wolves traveled to find the 2nd ranch and start killing their livestock. 

Tells me that once wolves taste livestock, they must be eliminated.  It's impossible to find and remove all the carcasses on open range in brush country, so in that the neglect of the 1st rancher would play out here as well when finding all the carcasses would be extremely difficult.

If only the wolves would consume everything they killed the losses would be much more manageable, but they kill for sport and leave partially consumed animals to rot.

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Sound familiar......??

"There are more than 600 wolves in Michigan. The first hunt was last fall. Some Upper Peninsula residents believe downstate voters should butt out of the issue."

[pianoman9701]

"They, HSUS, are the enemy. Hunter's, farmers, and ranchers get that in Michigan. For some oddball reason people here would prefer to worry about the government instead."

A typically untrue and misleading statement. How unusual (sarc). Worrying about the animal rights wackos and the government are not mutually exclusive. Both have done a great job of ensuring the extreme entrenchment of the wolf in WA and both will be hurdles to cross in finally getting to the steady management of wolves in our state. MI, WI, MT, WY, and ID haven't seen anything compared to the damage and havoc they'll create here before management starts. Much of that has to do with our wildlife commission being in bed with (or actual members of) extreme environmental groups. We need to be vigilant of the actions of these groups and our government.

[AspenBud]

"They, HSUS, are the enemy. Hunter's, farmers, and ranchers get that in Michigan. For some oddball reason people here would prefer to worry about the government instead."

A typically untrue and misleading statement. How unusual (sarc). Worrying about the animal rights wackos and the government are not mutually exclusive. Both have done a great job of ensuring the extreme entrenchment of the wolf in WA and both will be hurdles to cross in finally getting to the steady management of wolves in our state. MI, WI, MT, WY, and ID haven't seen anything compared to the damage and havoc they'll create here before management starts. Much of that has to do with our wildlife commission being in bed with (or actual members of) extreme environmental groups. We need to be vigilant of the actions of these groups and our government.

Every time the issue of wolves or anything else anti hunting in Michigan comes up, guess who is there sending thousands, if not millions, of dollars to try and make it swing their way? Oh, that's right, it's HSUS. Guess who sends in people from out of state to push their agenda? Oh that's right, it's HSUS. Guess who shows up and actively works in Washington doing the same thing? That's right, HSUS.

HSUS us a giant lobbying organization that pumps a lot of money into political campaigns both directly and indirectly. You cut the head off that snake and you have much easier going with any issues with government as it relates to wildlife management.

When hunters and livestock owners take on the issue of wolves or any threat to hunting out there they often make HSUS enemy number one and their primary target and find ways to work with government to prevent HSUS from succeeding. They don't sit around threatening civil war or worrying about conspiracy theories and spend essentially no time fighting them.

Here, I invite you to do a search for the term HSUS on this site, it is just one among many examples out there where people have figured it out.

https://www.facebook.com/truthaboutkeepwolvesprotected

There is nothing misleading, HSUS is the root of many of our problems here just as they are elsewhere. People here just don't seem to get it and would rather add it to their list of government gripes that they talk about when they play capture the flag on Militia Weekend.

If you want change in government you need to go after the money. That means going after HSUS any way you can.

[pianoman9701]

So, you're of the opinion that we're ignoring the HSUS, the Defenders, and all the other wacko groups, then? You'd be wrong. Again, and I'll try to type slowly so you get it, there's no reason we can't be vigilant of both the wacko groups and the WDFW, and we are. You seem to have some screw loose that makes you think we can only identify one culprit in this mess. Not sure where you get that but it's completely and utterly wrong.  The HSUS is on everyone's radar and so is the WDFW. It maybe for different reasons, but both have contributed to the adoption of an outrageous plan and both will be obstacles to timely management of the eaters.

[AspenBud]

So, you're of the opinion that we're ignoring the HSUS, the Defenders, and all the other wacko groups, then? You'd be wrong. Again, and I'll try to type slowly so you get it, there's no reason we can't be vigilant of both the wacko groups and the WDFW, and we are. You seem to have some screw loose that makes you think we can only identify one culprit in this mess. Not sure where you get that but it's completely and utterly wrong.  The HSUS is on everyone's radar and so is the WDFW. It maybe for different reasons, but both have contributed to the adoption of an outrageous plan and both will be obstacles to timely management of the eaters.

And I'll type this slowly for you, politicians follow the money like flies on wolf poop. Take away the money or out spend it and the politics change.

[Elkaholic daWg]

   Psssssssssst,Aspen

 Similarities.... Lower Michigan=BLUE as it gets with Detroit as it's shining star

                       Pugetropolis......Also as blue as it gets...................
               ........and both bullies want control the rest of their state
 now just what party do HSUS, DOW, CNW Sierra Club Nature conservancy and so many others Support?? And who fills the Commission seats?


Any Ideas on just HOW to take away that $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[AspenBud]

   Psssssssssst,Aspen

 Similarities.... Lower Michigan=BLUE as it gets with Detroit as it's shining star

                       Pugetropolis......Also as blue as it gets...................
               ........and both bullies want control the rest of their state
 now just what party do HSUS, DOW, CNW Sierra Club Nature conservancy and so many others Support?? And who fills the Commission seats?


Any Ideas on just HOW to take away that $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Yes, Michigan is so blue that it has a Republican governor who supports hunting and turned the heavily unionized state into a Right to Work state and they have a Republican legislature.   

Oh yeah, and they have a wolf season, they still trap, and you can run hounds on bear.

The comparison works to a point, but at the end of it HSUS spends a lot of money on TV ads and on political campaigns to manipulate the issues there and in recent years they have not faired well because sportsmen and livestock owners aimed both barrels at them and fought back and started engaging the public as HSUS does.

HSUS has lost political support there so now they try and take on things through initiative and that's where the LP's influence matters because initiatives circumnavigate the politicians. They pulled it off with dove hunting there and that's why hunting groups have fought so hard to ensure game management decisions are decided and approved by the NRC and not the public. Something HSUS and their affiliates hate.

[KFhunter]

WDFW deserves all the criticism it gets by having CNW members sit on their commission and by accepting funds from various groups to bolster their reward for wolf poaching, range riders and other "wolf deterrents".   They make livestock owners enter into a binding agreement that's full of red tape and beurocracy then give unfettered access to HSUS type groups to run around their private property. 

Then once all the deterrents fail they openly mock and criticize the livestock owner who just a week prior was "very cooperative with WDFW and various NGO groups" next thing you know they got 200 sheep gone and now have to foot the bill to find new grazing range and only get compensated for something like 18 animals.  No compensation for all the fuel, manpower, loss of private grazing lands, 186 sheep unaccounted for and the PTSD like suffering of the rest of the sheep, aborted lambs, open and unbred ewes the list goes on and on.  That sheep owner is lucky to see 2% compensation for his real losses.

Yet they won't take money from the Cattlemen's association to help collar and track wolves.     


Yes, HSUS is the enemy; and WDFW is their enabler and co-conspirator.

[idahohuntr]

So, you're of the opinion that we're ignoring the HSUS, the Defenders, and all the other wacko groups, then? You'd be wrong. Again, and I'll try to type slowly so you get it, there's no reason we can't be vigilant of both the wacko groups and the WDFW, and we are. You seem to have some screw loose that makes you think we can only identify one culprit in this mess. Not sure where you get that but it's completely and utterly wrong.  The HSUS is on everyone's radar and so is the WDFW. It maybe for different reasons, but both have contributed to the adoption of an outrageous plan and both will be obstacles to timely management of the eaters.

Wrong.  HSUS et al. will be obstacles but WDFW is the biggest ally sportsman have in this state when it comes to any kind of wolf management.  I am simply amazed that people think WDFW has no interest/desire in managing wolves...do you not realize how easy and painless it would be for them to NEVER authorize killing wolves?  Three county commissioners and 4 or 5 of their followers might gripe if they don't do anything with wolves...nobody important in state politics would care.  They authorize wolf killing they probably fill the governors inbox with messages to end it and to fire all the people who supported such a state action.  We can argue all day that wdfw should have only had 5 bps in the wolf plan not 15...it does not take away from the fact that without wdfw in the middle of this polarized issue trying to inject reasonableness and compromise sportsmen and ranchers would get hosed a lot more than you could imagine.

[pianoman9701]

What a surprise that you'd come charging in defending the WDFW. The outrageous wolf plan is their plan. And, the fact that management can't begin until 3 years after population and disbursement goals are met is ridiculous. They'll stick to the plan regardless of the damage it does to our state's economy and ungulate populations.

[AspenBud]

WDFW deserves all the criticism it gets by having CNW members sit on their commission and by accepting funds from various groups to bolster their reward for wolf poaching, range riders and other "wolf deterrents".   They make livestock owners enter into a binding agreement that's full of red tape and beurocracy then give unfettered access to HSUS type groups to run around their private property. 

Then once all the deterrents fail they openly mock and criticize the livestock owner who just a week prior was "very cooperative with WDFW and various NGO groups" next thing you know they got 200 sheep gone and now have to foot the bill to find new grazing range and only get compensated for something like 18 animals.  No compensation for all the fuel, manpower, loss of private grazing lands, 186 sheep unaccounted for and the PTSD like suffering of the rest of the sheep, aborted lambs, open and unbred ewes the list goes on and on.  That sheep owner is lucky to see 2% compensation for his real losses.

Yet they won't take money from the Cattlemen's association to help collar and track wolves.     


Yes, HSUS is the enemy; and WDFW is their enabler and co-conspirator.

No, HSUS and their affiliates is the enabler and the enemy. They front the money that gets people into positions that matter. What happens at WDFW is largely a direct result of that.

Money buys influence and power.

[idahohuntr]

WDFW deserves all the criticism it gets by having CNW members sit on their commission and by accepting funds from various groups to bolster their reward for wolf poaching, range riders and other "wolf deterrents".   They make livestock owners enter into a binding agreement that's full of red tape and beurocracy then give unfettered access to HSUS type groups to run around their private property. 

Then once all the deterrents fail they openly mock and criticize the livestock owner who just a week prior was "very cooperative with WDFW and various NGO groups" next thing you know they got 200 sheep gone and now have to foot the bill to find new grazing range and only get compensated for something like 18 animals.  No compensation for all the fuel, manpower, loss of private grazing lands, 186 sheep unaccounted for and the PTSD like suffering of the rest of the sheep, aborted lambs, open and unbred ewes the list goes on and on.  That sheep owner is lucky to see 2% compensation for his real losses.

Yet they won't take money from the Cattlemen's association to help collar and track wolves.     


Yes, HSUS is the enemy; and WDFW is their enabler and co-conspirator.

No, HSUS and their affiliates is the enabler and the enemy. They front the money that gets people into positions that matter. What happens at WDFW is largely a direct result of that.

Money buys influence and power.

Correct...but given those tremendous obstacles by HSUS et al., wdfw has still managed to be tougher on wolves than any of those groups and their politicians would like.  Sportsmen ought not to turn their backs on an agency that is fighting the good fight in a difficult and challenging political arena.