Descendants of the first settlers reveal the truth about returning wolves to Yel

[wolfbait]

Descendants of the first settlers reveal the truth about returning wolves to Yellowstone

http://getzone.com/descendants-of-the-first-settlers-reveal-the-truth-about-returning-wolves-to-yellowstone/

[JLS]

Bill Hoppe is a real gem.  He is pretty much single handedly responsible for the closure of a bighorn sheep district near Gardiner.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_0713.html

http://www.yellowstonegate.com/2015/03/pneumonia-kills-dozens-of-bighorn-sheep-north-of-yellowstone-park/

Regardless of how one feels about wolves, he's certainly no steward of wildlife. 

[wolfbait]

Sounds more like a BS  article by wolf lovers that don't like Bill killing their prize wolves. I wonder how loud they complain when the wolves are killing the sheep?


"Wolf advocates protested after Hoppe shot one of two Yellowstone wolves that killed eight of his lambs."


"FWP warden Sam Sheppard said no FWP employees have seen any bighorn sheep in Hoppe’s pasture and that Hoppe also hadn’t seen any.:

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html




"It is not possible to detect the exact source of this pneumonia outbreak.
Pneumonia outbreaks have occurred in bighorn sheep populations with no known contact with domestic sheep (or goats)."

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_0713.html

[JLS]

A BS article?  Here's one with a photo.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html

You make a living on here "connecting dots".    Domestic sheep show up, comingle with bighorns.  Hoppe refuses to cooperate to keep them separate.  Bighorns get sick the next year and begin to die off, district closes.  If you can't connect those dots, I can't help you.  Whether the pneumonia came from Hoppe's sheep or not, it is clear he did not and does not care.  Some wildlife steward.

But, yes, this is all about wolf lovers.

[wolfbait]

The pro-wolf crowd never has cared about the wolves slaughtering the ungulates, so you might want to rethink your fake concern.

Bill Hoppe has done a heck of a lot more then most people in trying to get wolves controlled. I think what bothers the pro-wolf crowd is the fact that he started raising sheep in order to kill more wolves.  He's probably saved more sheep etc. with just the wolves he has shot that were killing his sheep.




Yellowstone is Dead

Yellowstone is Dead Theatrical Trailer

[bearpaw]

A BS article?  Here's one with a photo.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html

You make a living on here "connecting dots".    Domestic sheep show up, comingle with bighorns.  Hoppe refuses to cooperate to keep them separate.  Bighorns get sick the next year and begin to die off, district closes.  If you can't connect those dots, I can't help you.  Whether the pneumonia came from Hoppe's sheep or not, it is clear he did not and does not care.  Some wildlife steward.

But, yes, this is all about wolf lovers.

The way you repsonded I though Hoppe had done something purposefully...

“I caught a motion out of the corner of my eye and saw a ram coming off the hill,” Hurley said. “He crossed over to the fence and hopped over at a low spot like he knew right where to go.”

The ram had jumped into a pasture where Jardine resident Bill Hoppe has moved his sheep.

I hate to see anything happen to wild sheep, but the domestic sheep were in a pasture and the wild sheep jumped the fence to get in. I think you are really stretching to say what you said about Hoppe!   

[bearpaw]

A BS article?  Here's one with a photo.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html

You make a living on here "connecting dots".    Domestic sheep show up, comingle with bighorns.  Hoppe refuses to cooperate to keep them separate.  Bighorns get sick the next year and begin to die off, district closes.  If you can't connect those dots, I can't help you.  Whether the pneumonia came from Hoppe's sheep or not, it is clear he did not and does not care.  Some wildlife steward.

But, yes, this is all about wolf lovers.

The way you repsonded I though Hoppe had done something purposefully...

“I caught a motion out of the corner of my eye and saw a ram coming off the hill,” Hurley said. “He crossed over to the fence and hopped over at a low spot like he knew right where to go.”

The ram had jumped into a pasture where Jardine resident Bill Hoppe has moved his sheep.

I hate to see anything happen to wild sheep, but the domestic sheep were in a pasture and the wild sheep jumped the fence to get in. I think you are really stretching to say what you said about Hoppe!   

the best part... 

FWP warden Sam Sheppard said no FWP employees have seen any bighorn sheep in Hoppe’s pasture and that Hoppe also hadn’t seen any.

[JLS]

The photo was taken by a WSF person, hardly a wolf lover.  Bill Hoppe rejected any efforts by WSF/FWP to help keep a barrier between the domestic sheep and the bighorns, relocate them, or provide any other measures to prevent interaction.

I could care less about the pro wolf crowd.

It's a free country and Bill Hoppe can put sheep wherever he wants.  That doesn't make what he did right.

Bill Hoppe has made a lot of money off of a public resource.  This is how he returns the favor I guess.

Edit:  This has nothing to do with Bill Hoppe's stance on wolves.  I really could care less whether he loves them or hates them.  It's about his blatant disregard for a resource that he put at extreme risk and very likely had a hand in destroying.  I see him as a hypocrite, pure and simple.

[bearpaw]

The photo was taken by a WSF person, hardly a wolf lover.  Bill Hoppe rejected any efforts by WSF/FWP to help keep a barrier between the domestic sheep and the bighorns, relocate them, or provide any other measures to prevent interaction.

I could care less about the pro wolf crowd.

It's a free country and Bill Hoppe can put sheep wherever he wants.  That doesn't make what he did right.

Bill Hoppe has made a lot of money off of a public resource.  This is how he returns the favor I guess.

Edit:  This has nothing to do with Bill Hoppe's stance on wolves.  I really could care less whether he loves them or hates them.  It's about his blatant disregard for a resource that he put at extreme risk and very likely had a hand in destroying.  I see him as a hypocrite, pure and simple.

I only read the one story, so maybe there's more to the story, but it sounds like Hoppe's sheep were in a private pasture and it sounds like nobody knows if his sheep actually affected the wild herd. I see speculation, too often people are blamed without both sides of the story or all the facts being known. If I remember correctly this man used to be an outfitter before wolves were planted in YNP, if true I imagine he had to ramp up his ranching operation to offset the loss of outfitting, now it sounds like you don't like him ranching, not even on private land! 

Bill Hoppe rejected any efforts by WSF/FWP to help keep a barrier between the domestic sheep and the bighorns, relocate them, or provide any other measures to prevent interaction.

Were these efforts focused on Hoppe having to do something? My guess is yes they likely were expecting Hoppe to do the work to keep the wild sheep out! What would keep FWP from putting a fence around the outside of the property to keep the wild sheep out? That reminds me of this wolf fiasco, the F&G plants wolves and expects ranchers to make all kinds of efforts to keep the wolves away from their cattle.

I suspect there is more to the story if we heard Hoppe's side of the story!

[JLS]

Too funny, on one hand you talk about speculation as it pertains to the sheep and the die off.  Then, you turn right around a speculate as to why Hoppe wouldn't take any measures to keep the herds separated.

I won't disparage Wolfbait's hero anymore.  They are likely cut from the same conservation ethic cloth.  Anyone that defends this kind of behavior needs their head examined.

[bearpaw]

Too funny, on one hand you talk about speculation as it pertains to the sheep and the die off.  Then, you turn right around a speculate as to why Hoppe wouldn't take any measures to keep the herds separated.

I won't disparage Wolfbait's hero anymore.  They are likely cut from the same conservation ethic cloth.  Anyone that defends this kind of behavior needs their head examined.

You can say what you want, it's your opinion, no rules broken. But I think you and I took much different approaches, you accused Hoppe, I suggested a possible scenario and I want to know more before I condemn the guy. Too many times the other side of the story isn't known!

[wolfbait]

Too funny, on one hand you talk about speculation as it pertains to the sheep and the die off.  Then, you turn right around a speculate as to why Hoppe wouldn't take any measures to keep the herds separated.

I won't disparage Wolfbait's hero anymore.  They are likely cut from the same conservation ethic cloth.  Anyone that defends this kind of behavior needs their head examined.

Where does one start? Why waste the time, just another pro-wolfer who's story turned sour once it was analyzed.

I would be honored to call Bill Hoppe a friend, that being said you sound like you don't like it too much when someone questions your articles. Perhaps next time  post it on a DoW or CNW sites, sure you will get plenty of Atta boys.

[JLS]

Too funny, on one hand you talk about speculation as it pertains to the sheep and the die off.  Then, you turn right around a speculate as to why Hoppe wouldn't take any measures to keep the herds separated.

I won't disparage Wolfbait's hero anymore.  They are likely cut from the same conservation ethic cloth.  Anyone that defends this kind of behavior needs their head examined.

Where does one start? Why waste the time, just another pro-wolfer who's story turned sour once it was analyzed.

I would be honored to call Bill Hoppe a friend, that being said you sound like you don't like it too much when someone questions your articles. Perhaps next time  post it on a DoW or CNW sites, sure you will get plenty of Atta boys.

Where do you get the pro-wolfer aspect?  You're like the kid on the playground that runs around calling names and whose favorite retort is "I know you are but what am I?"

Question the article all you want.  It's based on facts that were observed by folks who are not pro wolfers as you allege them to be.  I don't belong to Defenders of Wildlife or Conservation Northwest.  I am a hunter and conservationist.  If that doesn't fit your myopic view of wildlife management, so be it.

Edit:  For the record, I don't believe Hoppe's original intent was to infect the bighorn sheep herd.  I fully believe his original intent was to create a wolf conflict, which it did, and which blew up bigger than he anticipated.  I believe that the bighorn sheep were just collateral damage incident to his primary agenda.  His willful indifference and refusal to work with WSF (who BTW covers the cost of these projects) is what I find appalling.

[4fletch]

Anybody have free sheep , thinking I want to start raising some

[bearpaw]

Edit:  For the record, I don't believe Hoppe's original intent was to infect the bighorn sheep herd.  I fully believe his original intent was to create a wolf conflict, which it did, and which blew up bigger than he anticipated.  I believe that the bighorn sheep were just collateral damage incident to his primary agenda.  His willful indifference and refusal to work with WSF (who BTW covers the cost of these projects) is what I find appalling.

You really should have said that in the first place! But I still think you may be wrong because if Hoppe was trying to bait the wolves or if he didn't care about the wild sheep coming close, why would he put bells on his sheep? It seems he wanted wildlife to avoid his sheep by putting bells on them, we do that with our hounds to try and deter wolves and it seems to work most of the time. Either way, I really doubt Hoppe intended for the sheep to get sick and die if in fact that was caused by his sheep. I honestly don't see any mention in the articles of what the WSF proposed and what Hoppe refused to do? I've got a lot of friends who are ranchers, most have a real concern for the land and the wildlife and take better care of the land and wildlife than what agencies do with our public lands.

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/wildlife/bighorn-sheep-mingle-with-gardiner-domestic-sheep/article_67966a20-5baf-11e3-a220-0019bb2963f4.html

Hurley, a Wyoming Game and Fish bighorn biologist for 30 years, said the ram was initially startled by the sound of the bells on Hoppe’s sheep. But the urges of the breeding season caused the ram to get within about 6 feet of the sheep.

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/fishAndWildlife/nr_0713.html

In the Gardiner area, bighorn sheep have experienced a small number of pneumonia cases each of the last few years, but not to this extent.

It is not possible to detect the exact source of this pneumonia outbreak.

Pneumonia outbreaks have occurred in bighorn sheep populations with no known contact with domestic sheep (or goats). However, research has shown bacteria can be transmitted from healthy domestic sheep (or goats) to bighorn sheep, causing pneumonia in the wild sheep. There are currently domestic sheep flocks in the area.