WDFW suspends lethal action against Profanity Peak wolf pack

[pianoman9701]

This is horrible news for cattlemen and private homeowners. The WDFW has broken its word and turned its back on the NE residents of this state in favor of people who have no skin in the game; the wolf huggers, animal rights groups which have infested the WAG and administration, and the ignorant masses of Seattle and Olympia.

.........and Vancouver, Tacoma, Spokane.......

I would agree except that Vancouver is more conservative than not. I live here, after all! 

[Curly]

Well, seeing how Vancouver has 3.5 times the population of Olympia, you can bet that there are just as many or more wolf lovers in Vancouver. 
 

[pianoman9701]

Kidding aside, Clark Co. normally elects conservatives, unlike Thurston Co. or Pierce Co. It's a nice change from most of the I-5 corridor and that which lies directly across the river.

[Curly]

Sometimes I wish I would have taken the job offer I got right out of college in Vancouver instead of the offer in Tacoma. 

[Eric M]

Wolves provide nothing for us.

 Are you sure? I read the wolf proposal, it was estimated that wolves would bring $millions$ in revenues to the state from outdoor/wildlife viewers.

Are they counting on people to pay to watch them eat cattle? I wonder who comes up with these fantasy numbers?

[KFhunter]

There's no garbanzo beans in the 101

I prefer to deal with things regionally, and in the 101 there's a problem with wolves killing livestock. 
That's enough to take action alone and I applaud WDFW for doing so, but I also agree that cows are gone so there's no ongoing depredation at this time which opens WDFW to court injunctions and costly headaches.  The problem is next spring there'll be pups on the ground and adult wolves with a taste for beef, so the can is being kicked down the road and the can is getting bigger as well.  WDFW wasn't successful in killing the wolves during the grazing season (that's a bummer) either because it was too difficult or the willpower to get it done wasn't all there.  Probably a mixture of both. 
It isn't easy to kill wolves a brushy as the NE is.  It isn't easy to kill wolves when visibility is 1000's of yards either.

2nd issue is there's not enough Elk in the 101 and too much hunter competition for resources.  That is another good reason in my book to reduce wolves and more importantly all the predator populations, especially cougar the #1 killer of Elk calves in 101 and wolves is probably the #2 killer of Elk because they take down good breeding cows.  Bears take some as well but I'm not sure how many calves they kill each year, it's a small window that bears do their damage.  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

[JLS]

There's no garbanzo beans in the 101

I realize that 

I prefer to deal with things regionally, and in the 101 there's a problem with wolves killing livestock. 
That's enough to take action alone and I applaud WDFW for doing so, but I also agree that cows are gone so there's no ongoing depredation at this time which opens WDFW to court injunctions and costly headaches.  The problem is next spring there'll be pups on the ground and adult wolves with a taste for beef, so the can is being kicked down the road and the can is getting bigger as well.  WDFW wasn't successful in killing the wolves during the grazing season (that's a bummer) either because it was too difficult or the willpower to get it done wasn't all there.  Probably a mixture of both. 
It isn't easy to kill wolves a brushy as the NE is.  It isn't easy to kill wolves when visibility is 1000's of yards either.

I agree with all of these points.

2nd issue is there's not enough Elk in the 101 and too much hunter competition for resources.  That is another good reason in my book to reduce wolves and more importantly all the predator populations, especially cougar the #1 killer of Elk calves in 101 and wolves is probably the #2 killer of Elk because they take down good breeding cows.  Bears take some as well but I'm not sure how many calves they kill each year, it's a small window that bears do their damage.  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

I too would like to see the elk managed so as to promote herd growth.  For many years they've been managed to keep them at a bare existence.

[pianoman9701]

There's no garbanzo beans in the 101

I prefer to deal with things regionally, and in the 101 there's a problem with wolves killing livestock. 
That's enough to take action alone and I applaud WDFW for doing so, but I also agree that cows are gone so there's no ongoing depredation at this time which opens WDFW to court injunctions and costly headaches.  The problem is next spring there'll be pups on the ground and adult wolves with a taste for beef, so the can is being kicked down the road and the can is getting bigger as well.  WDFW wasn't successful in killing the wolves during the grazing season (that's a bummer) either because it was too difficult or the willpower to get it done wasn't all there.  Probably a mixture of both. 
It isn't easy to kill wolves a brushy as the NE is.  It isn't easy to kill wolves when visibility is 1000's of yards either.

2nd issue is there's not enough Elk in the 101 and too much hunter competition for resources.  That is another good reason in my book to reduce wolves and more importantly all the predator populations, especially cougar the #1 killer of Elk calves in 101 and wolves is probably the #2 killer of Elk because they take down good breeding cows.  Bears take some as well but I'm not sure how many calves they kill each year, it's a small window that bears do their damage.  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

This is just what many of us voiced as a fear when the program was first proposed and something the WDFW indicated would never be needed. We were basically told that our fears were unfounded.

[huntnphool]

There's no garbanzo beans in the 101

I prefer to deal with things regionally, and in the 101 there's a problem with wolves killing livestock. 
That's enough to take action alone and I applaud WDFW for doing so, but I also agree that cows are gone so there's no ongoing depredation at this time which opens WDFW to court injunctions and costly headaches.  The problem is next spring there'll be pups on the ground and adult wolves with a taste for beef, so the can is being kicked down the road and the can is getting bigger as well.  WDFW wasn't successful in killing the wolves during the grazing season (that's a bummer) either because it was too difficult or the willpower to get it done wasn't all there.  Probably a mixture of both. 
It isn't easy to kill wolves a brushy as the NE is.  It isn't easy to kill wolves when visibility is 1000's of yards either.

2nd issue is there's not enough Elk in the 101 and too much hunter competition for resources.  That is another good reason in my book to reduce wolves and more importantly all the predator populations, especially cougar the #1 killer of Elk calves in 101 and wolves is probably the #2 killer of Elk because they take down good breeding cows.  Bears take some as well but I'm not sure how many calves they kill each year, it's a small window that bears do their damage.  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

This is just what many of us voiced as a fear when the program was first proposed and something the WDFW indicated would never be needed. We were basically told that our fears were unfounded.

 What? WDFW never said that, in fact "necessary adjustment" to the hunting seasons is written into the proposal/plan.

[KFhunter]

  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

This is just what many of us voiced as a fear when the program was first proposed and something the WDFW indicated would never be needed. We were basically told that our fears were unfounded.

To be fair, I was screaming this before wolves came to the spotlight in NE WA.  Elk have never been managed for the hunter in NEWA, however it still holds water regarding other species (moose) and it is happening elsewhere.  Just wanted to point out the fact that ELK in NEWA wasn't managed for the hunter long before wolves.  It's a shame, the NE could hold a *lot* of Elk.

[pianoman9701]

There's no garbanzo beans in the 101

I prefer to deal with things regionally, and in the 101 there's a problem with wolves killing livestock. 
That's enough to take action alone and I applaud WDFW for doing so, but I also agree that cows are gone so there's no ongoing depredation at this time which opens WDFW to court injunctions and costly headaches.  The problem is next spring there'll be pups on the ground and adult wolves with a taste for beef, so the can is being kicked down the road and the can is getting bigger as well.  WDFW wasn't successful in killing the wolves during the grazing season (that's a bummer) either because it was too difficult or the willpower to get it done wasn't all there.  Probably a mixture of both. 
It isn't easy to kill wolves a brushy as the NE is.  It isn't easy to kill wolves when visibility is 1000's of yards either.

2nd issue is there's not enough Elk in the 101 and too much hunter competition for resources.  That is another good reason in my book to reduce wolves and more importantly all the predator populations, especially cougar the #1 killer of Elk calves in 101 and wolves is probably the #2 killer of Elk because they take down good breeding cows.  Bears take some as well but I'm not sure how many calves they kill each year, it's a small window that bears do their damage.  We also need to limit hunter take each year and cancel all antlerless Elk hunts.

This is just what many of us voiced as a fear when the program was first proposed and something the WDFW indicated would never be needed. We were basically told that our fears were unfounded.

 What? WDFW never said that, in fact "necessary adjustment" to the hunting seasons is written into the proposal/plan.

They sure downplayed the effect down here on the wetside in the meetings. "It'll make the herds healthier. This will ultimately help hunting."

[JLS]

Just wanted to point out the fact that ELK in NEWA wasn't managed for the hunter long before wolves.  It's a shame, the NE could hold a *lot* of Elk.

I look at a lot of country in Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, and PO Counties and wonder at how many elk it COULD support.  However, I also remember it being a "brown it's down" season from back into the 80's. 

It really is a shame.

[boneaddict]

Look at the elk the Colville Rez produces. 

[JLS]

Look at the elk the Colville Rez produces.

Yep, world class and lots of 'em.

[pianoman9701]

 And, they're controlling their wolves.