WDFW to Hold wolf Meeting Colville

[PA BEN]

Here is two other links. BTW, these reporters left the meeting before the County commissioners spoke.
http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-news/ranchers-express-frustration-over-wolf-management/29004584
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/oct/08/anger-over-wolf-attacks-rekindles-at-washington/
I didn’t have a note pad so I don’t have a lot of names; a commissioner from Okanogan County spoke first. The first words out of his mouth were, “we in Okanogan don’t shoot, shovel and shut up we just shut up.” People in Okanogan don’t want to go through what Ranchers in Stevens Co. went through, IE; Death threats and the lack of competent WDFW staff to handle wolf complaints. Mike Blankenship of Ferry Co. was next. Stevens Co. Commissioner Wes McCart started out with I’m pissed off. All the elected officials that spoke said that WDFW has no credibility and their wolf plan does not and will not work. They all said this State will not have their wolves just in the NE corner for their fell good policies. Phil Anderson,
Director WDFW was held responsible and was told that the WDFW was incompetent to handle wolves. This was said not only by all the elected officials but by all who spoke. He spoke again at the meetings end and didn’t look the crowd in the eye as he spoke. He was eating a lot of humble pie. I have to get off to work now.   

[wolfbait]

Welcome to WDFW and their wolf introduction-management> Did anyone really think it would be any different then the introduction into MT, WY, and Idaho? The rural folks complain, and WDFW listen and then continue on with their own agenda. In six years ID, WY, and Idaho had enough wolves to delist, why is it that WA wolves are so slow to populate? Or disperse? Because WDFW refuse to confirm wolves!

WDFW have and will continue to make delisting a very slow process, with minimal help to livestock producers who suffer from wolf predation, and like the Okanogan, other counties will learn to take care of their problem wolves themselves.

 WDFW's only objective is to use wolves as a tool to ruin hunting and ranching, and make rural lie as unpleasant as possible. Can anyone say more habitat for no game, and in the end wildlife corridors with public lands locked up and managed by an environmental group.

Thanks for posting Ridgeratt and PA BEN

[bearpaw]

Local radio is playing comments made by Commissioner McCart and Cattleman Ted Wishon. McCart lambasted WDFW for their response to the commissioners resolution on wolves. He pointed out that "purported" and "constitutional rights" do not belong in the same sentence. He also stated that Stevens County will move forward in any way possible to resolve these wolf issues.

It was also pointed out that the recent attack on cattle in Aladdin Valley had reports filed by the Stevens County Sherrif's Dept and by WDFW and that the reports were not alike at all. Something about WDFW tried to say the wolves were not endangering the cattle and people clearly saw the wolves chasing the cattle.

I expect the county to explore all options, this will get interesting.

[pianoman9701]

I didn't see anything about the new pet wolf given to Wolf Haven, and as to whether it would be spayed and DNA'd, inventoried. Anyone know?

[AspenBud]

I didn't see anything about the new pet wolf given to Wolf Haven, and as to whether it would be spayed and DNA'd, inventoried. Anyone know?

It's kind of hard to imagine that it won't at least have a microchip stuffed into its neck like most pet dogs these days. But I could be surprised.

[Southpole]

Washington State will NEVER delist the wolves in this state

[pianoman9701]

Letter to Nate and the Commission, copied reps and senator:

"Dear Mr. Pamplin and Members of the Wildlife Commission,

As you most likely know, I'm a Master Hunter, a member of several conservation groups, and a member of an active member online forum which has in excess of 16,000 members. I'd like to know a few things about the recent transfer of a captured problem female wild wolf to Wolf Haven. 1. Was or will this wolf be spayed to avoid breeding with other species or hybrids? 2. Was DNA profiling done on this wolf for use in possible future examinations or investigations? 3. Is there a program set up to monitor the life of this wolf at the facility to ensure it doesn't accidentally escape and become a problem in another part of the state?

There are many people who don't understand this transfer. The appearance of a relationship between the WDFW and and activist pro-wolf organization is definitely raising some eyebrows in the hunting and farming/ranching communities. In addition, as far as I can tell, no such transfer is outlined in the Wolf Plan and questions are being raised as to whether this transfer was 4. Even allowed under the program, 5. the decision of one person, or that of a group of people, and 6. who that person or people are. I'd like to get answers to all of these questions in a timely manner please. Feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your consideration of my request."

[baldopepper]

I'm pretty convinced that this whole issue will only come to a head with WDFW when and if packs are established on the west side and actually become a threat to the outlying major population centers.  Bottom line, when 75% of the votes come from the west side, wdfw is going to listen to what they want (or be replaced by people who do).  That's just plain and simple the way it works.  Polls consistently show the majority of voters in the state (i.e.-the westside) want wolves reintroduced.  It's sad and not right, but unfortunately that's the way it works.  Keep in mind that when I tell people I have a home on the eastside near Lake Roosevelt the majority admit they don't know for sure where that's at.  (and that includes people who were born and raised in this state)  It's sad, but a whole lot of westsiders only know that Spokane and Pullman are on the eastside  and outside of that, anything that happens over there may as well be happening on Mars.  Until wolves start showing up in Issaquah or Bellevue they have no interest in the problem, they just watch channel 9 on tv and think wolves are poor, misunderstood, cuddly little animals that occasionally kill an elk in Yellowstone.  When wolves finally start taking cats out of peoples backyards over here or get seen near a school, you may get something other than lip service out of state agencies. Hate to say it, but you can't really think they're going to pay much attention to what Stevens county thinks when there are less votes coming out of  there than are coming out of  Federal Way.  Just my 

[AspenBud]

I'm pretty convinced that this whole issue will only come to a head with WDFW when and if packs are established on the west side and actually become a threat to the outlying major population centers.  Bottom line, when 75% of the votes come from the west side, wdfw is going to listen to what they want (or be replaced by people who do).  That's just plain and simple the way it works.  Polls consistently show the majority of voters in the state (i.e.-the westside) want wolves reintroduced.  It's sad and not right, but unfortunately that's the way it works.  Keep in mind that when I tell people I have a home on the eastside near Lake Roosevelt the majority admit they don't know for sure where that's at.  (and that includes people who were born and raised in this state)  It's sad, but a whole lot of westsiders only know that Spokane and Pullman are on the eastside  and outside of that, anything that happens over there may as well be happening on Mars.  Until wolves start showing up in Issaquah or Bellevue they have no interest in the problem, they just watch channel 9 on tv and think wolves are poor, misunderstood, cuddly little animals that occasionally kill an elk in Yellowstone.  When wolves finally start taking cats out of peoples backyards over here or get seen near a school, you may get something other than lip service out of state agencies. Hate to say it, but you can't really think they're going to pay much attention to what Stevens county thinks when there are less votes coming out of  there than are coming out of  Federal Way.  Just my 

Truth on so many levels right there.   

Stevens County has a little over 43,000 people...there are A LOT of cities, even outside of King county, on the west side that have more people than that and there are plenty of counties comprised of small towns west of the mountains that dwarf that.

[pianoman9701]

This is true and the reason why I can't wait until there are wolves on our side of the state. We won't have meaningful management until it hits people where they live. I won't go as far as saying i think it'd great if a couple of future liberal tree huggers got chewed up, but I'd like to see a few Fidos disappear to wake em up.

[AspenBud]

The problem with hoping they hit the west side is people here already have a lot of contact with wildlife that takes out pets and even attacks people. Through sheer numbers of people you have a much higher chance of that. People are kind of numb and accepting that wild animals can hurt pets and people here.

That said, I suspect that if wolves start showing up regularly west of the mountains many will be convinced they don't need as strong a set of protections as we see today. They won't be in the streets demanding delisting, but they will be more open to it at the ballot box.

[baldopepper]

So, I'm very much for introducing some new packs!!  I want to see a Tiger mtn. pack, a small discovery park pack, a Snohomish pack, an Enumclaw pack , a Snoqualmie summit pack as starters.  That way people who love wolves and want to see them up close and personal won't have to travel as far.  Heck, let em see them out their back window or, better yet, their kids can see them out of the school bus window.  We've all been taking the wrong tact, instead of getting rid of them-lets ask for more and share the wealth. I'll bet their would be lots of volunteers to live trap some on the eastside and help move them over here. 

[wolfbait]

I'm pretty convinced that this whole issue will only come to a head with WDFW when and if packs are established on the west side and actually become a threat to the outlying major population centers.  Bottom line, when 75% of the votes come from the west side, wdfw is going to listen to what they want (or be replaced by people who do).  That's just plain and simple the way it works.  Polls consistently show the majority of voters in the state (i.e.-the westside) want wolves reintroduced.  It's sad and not right, but unfortunately that's the way it works.  Keep in mind that when I tell people I have a home on the eastside near Lake Roosevelt the majority admit they don't know for sure where that's at.  (and that includes people who were born and raised in this state)  It's sad, but a whole lot of westsiders only know that Spokane and Pullman are on the eastside  and outside of that, anything that happens over there may as well be happening on Mars.  Until wolves start showing up in Issaquah or Bellevue they have no interest in the problem, they just watch channel 9 on tv and think wolves are poor, misunderstood, cuddly little animals that occasionally kill an elk in Yellowstone.  When wolves finally start taking cats out of peoples backyards over here or get seen near a school, you may get something other than lip service out of state agencies. Hate to say it, but you can't really think they're going to pay much attention to what Stevens county thinks when there are less votes coming out of  there than are coming out of  Federal Way.  Just my  :two cents:

There are already wolf packs on the west side, and just like the east side, WDFW will not confirm any of them until they are forced to do so. The same pony show that is going on here on the east side will happen all over again on the westside. The wolves are about driving people out of the country and into the city. Watch and see.

The only wolf control, will come from people who take it into their own hands, people that are tired of suffering losses or harassment from wolves, WDFW will continue to pretend just like a steer.

[KFhunter]

I recognize a good dozen faces in those pictures at the SR link,  good honest hard working people who've never been arrested, or cited for much more than a speeding ticket.

WDFW is going to turn them into law breakers with their lies and mismanagement of wolves.  They've already lost the public's trust, next their going to loose their compliance.

[pianoman9701]

The problem with hoping they hit the west side is people here already have a lot of contact with wildlife that takes out pets and even attacks people. Through sheer numbers of people you have a much higher chance of that. People are kind of numb and accepting that wild animals can hurt pets and people here.

That said, I suspect that if wolves start showing up regularly west of the mountains many will be convinced they don't need as strong a set of protections as we see today. They won't be in the streets demanding delisting, but they will be more open to it at the ballot box.

You said this about predators before. They've not seen predators like wolves before. Nothing like them. Once we get a few packs over here and they get into the rural parts of King and Pierce Co.s, the support for wolves will dissipate quickly.