I love wolves. Seriously.

[jackelope]

To me, this thread and the resulting comments are more about people labeling others just because of differing views. Some hate wolves, some don't mind them and some love them. If you're not in the wolf haters club, you're labeled a lover. It happens. It's happened to me. It's happened to the guy who started this thread and now it's going to happen to the guy from WI.
 
That is unfortunate.

[Skyvalhunter]

So you are a wolf lover?

[KFhunter]

To me, this thread and the resulting comments are more about people labeling others just because of differing views. Some hate wolves, some don't mind them and some love them. If you're not in the wolf haters club, you're labeled a lover. It happens. It's happened to me. It's happened to the guy who started this thread and now it's going to happen to the guy from WI.
 
That is unfortunate.

I'm not labeling anyone that didn't already label themselves.  Yes, I have a beef with environmentalists, they (as a whole) seek to keep people from using the forest for various reasons and no hunter can abide by that if they're informed.  Some don't want people at all in the forest while others seem content with zero mechanization and zero impact, by definition they are political. 


As for wolves I've already stated that I have no hate, love or any other human emotions ascribed to them.  I'm against Anthropomorphism, humanizing animals, because then management is based on emotion rather than science.  Which is exactly what we have in WA.

That is unfortunate.

What's unfortunate is hunters systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights, and the rights of other user groups. 

[singleshot12]

I love wolves they're delicious! if you cook them right with plenty of teriyaki and hot sauce 

[trophyhunt]

So you are a wolf lover?

[Special T]

The "Hate" for wolves has more to do with the USFWS and WDFW dishonesty  than anything else. The wolf issue is well documented on this forum and there is plenty of reading.

The fact that the USFWS is pushing grizzly importation into the northcascades despite it being against state law, and any kind of common sense is a current example.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[jackelope]

To me, this thread and the resulting comments are more about people labeling others just because of differing views. Some hate wolves, some don't mind them and some love them. If you're not in the wolf haters club, you're labeled a lover. It happens. It's happened to me. It's happened to the guy who started this thread and now it's going to happen to the guy from WI.
 
That is unfortunate.

I'm not labeling anyone that didn't already label themselves.  Yes, I have a beef with environmentalists, they (as a whole) seek to keep people from using the forest for various reasons and no hunter can abide by that if they're informed.  Some don't want people at all in the forest while others seem content with zero mechanization and zero impact, by definition they are political. 


As for wolves I've already stated that I have no hate, love or any other human emotions ascribed to them.  I'm against Anthropomorphism, humanizing animals, because then management is based on emotion rather than science.  Which is exactly what we have in WA.

That is unfortunate.

What's unfortunate is hunters systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights, and the rights of other user groups. 

Genuine question. I don't understand the part I highlighted. Someone doesn't want mechanization, and that is political? Please expand.....

[Skyvalhunter]

My dislike for wolves(bears but I can hunt them) has more to do with the fact that they are lessening my chances to harvest a game animal and possibly be able to hunt in the future. If they only ate grass then I wouldn't dislike them.  I know there are groups out there that want to take away my right to hunt. It's not all about harvesting an animal for me as I just like being out there in the outdoors. But if you are hunting your goal is to harvest an animal. With that being said I do respect wolves as they are a cunning and majestic animal just not a game animal in Wa. (If ever in my lifetime)

[KFhunter]

To me, this thread and the resulting comments are more about people labeling others just because of differing views. Some hate wolves, some don't mind them and some love them. If you're not in the wolf haters club, you're labeled a lover. It happens. It's happened to me. It's happened to the guy who started this thread and now it's going to happen to the guy from WI.
 
That is unfortunate.

I'm not labeling anyone that didn't already label themselves.  Yes, I have a beef with environmentalists, they (as a whole) seek to keep people from using the forest for various reasons and no hunter can abide by that if they're informed.  Some don't want people at all in the forest while others seem content with zero mechanization and zero impact, by definition they are political. 


As for wolves I've already stated that I have no hate, love or any other human emotions ascribed to them.  I'm against Anthropomorphism, humanizing animals, because then management is based on emotion rather than science.  Which is exactly what we have in WA.

That is unfortunate.

What's unfortunate is hunters systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights, and the rights of other user groups. 

Genuine question. I don't understand the part I highlighted. Someone doesn't want mechanization, and that is political? Please expand.....

I refer to the holy grail for environmentalists, creating more wilderness areas. 

[OutHouse]

I hate to jump too far into this debate as there does not seem to be room to disagree with the “wolves don’t belong” crowd.  Those of us who don’t mind wolves sharing our forests are categorized as wrong and are pigeonholed as crazy environmentalists.  Hunters can be environmentalists and I would argue that hunters are (or should be) environmentalists.  Threads like this with some of the inflammatory comments seen here are used by the “crazy environmentalists” to belittle the entire group of hunters.  We need to work together – we’re on the same side.   

I have lived with wolves, been followed by them (both with and without meat on my shoulder), have scared them much more than I have been scared by them, and have watched them both while hunting and hiking in Wisconsin.  I have seen their effect on deer numbers in Northern Wisconsin and applaud their subtle management. 

The only issue I have with this discussion is the assertion that they are bad because they are “invasive.”  If you use that argument for wolves it should be used for other invasive species.  For example, use the same argument for the overabundance of “slow elk.”  Cattle are ridiculously overpopulated on our public lands; they are invasive in the truest sense as they do not occur naturally -- anywhere.  They do not belong on public land; feed lots are great.  Keeping our public lands rich in vegetation is important to our game animals; cattle destroy this.  I have come upon too many herds of burgers eating the vegetation that could be used to further support elk.  I have talked with cattlemen who believe they own our public lands because their meal ticket eats there.  If the argument was actually about wolves being invasive the same should apply to cattle.  As hunters and lovers of wild game on our tables, we should be arguing against any invasive animal that takes resources away from what we live to pursue.

I am not actually arguing against grazing on public lands (even though I hate cattle) but the argument can be applied to both wolves and cattle.  The only difference is that wolves have actually lived here before people; cows didn’t live anywhere.

 
What a thoughtful, reasoned, and pragmatic approach to this debate. You wolf lover you! Just kidding. I have no doubt your use of the word environmentalist, while appropriate, will anger those with extreme viewpoints because they are easily triggered by anything that could associate them with the left. I'm hearing a lot of gripes from those completely against wolves but it can all be summed up with their fear that it will be harder to fill their tag if we have wolves in this state. I don't have a problem competing with wolves for my animal. Done it before. Maybe some will just have to get better at hunting or take up a new hobby.

[WAcoueshunter]

As for wolves I've already stated that I have no hate, love or any other human emotions ascribed to them.  I'm against Anthropomorphism, humanizing animals, because then management is based on emotion rather than science.  Which is exactly what we have in WA.

   Which is why I shake my head every time someone posts wolf kill pics.  Doing nothing other than trying to stir an emotional response, exactly the same thing as wolf puppy pictures.  By nature, wolves kill other animals, just like a lot of other animals.  Sometimes they eat them, sometimes they don't.  Happens everywhere else in nature too.  I think our arguments for scientific management are stronger if we actually stick to the science ourselves. 

[KFhunter]

Ah the tired old "wolves will make you a better hunter" argument.  Fully debunked eons ago on this very forum.


Wolves don't make you a better hunter    they expose more elk to more hunters benefiting road hunters/opportunistic type hunters, and make it harder for hard core "hike in 20 miles and call" type hunters.  They flush elk out of the deep dark holes they use to escape the incoming orange tide of hunters. 

Less opportunity discourages new hunters, it doesn't create more hunters. 

[jackelope]

To me, this thread and the resulting comments are more about people labeling others just because of differing views. Some hate wolves, some don't mind them and some love them. If you're not in the wolf haters club, you're labeled a lover. It happens. It's happened to me. It's happened to the guy who started this thread and now it's going to happen to the guy from WI.
 
That is unfortunate.

I'm not labeling anyone that didn't already label themselves.  Yes, I have a beef with environmentalists, they (as a whole) seek to keep people from using the forest for various reasons and no hunter can abide by that if they're informed.  Some don't want people at all in the forest while others seem content with zero mechanization and zero impact, by definition they are political. 


As for wolves I've already stated that I have no hate, love or any other human emotions ascribed to them.  I'm against Anthropomorphism, humanizing animals, because then management is based on emotion rather than science.  Which is exactly what we have in WA.

That is unfortunate.

What's unfortunate is hunters systematically advocating, legislating, and voting away each others rights, and the rights of other user groups. 

Genuine question. I don't understand the part I highlighted. Someone doesn't want mechanization, and that is political? Please expand.....

I refer to the holy grail for environmentalists, creating more wilderness areas. 

10-4
So someone who is in favor of more wilderness is an "environmentalist" in your eyes, regardless of their history or views as a hunter or outdoorsman?

[KFhunter]

Are you in favor of more wilderness? 

Wilderness creation was just one aspect, another one I alluded to is things using ESA to drive out certain land users

[ribka]

I don't mind wolves as long as they can be managed. I saw my first wolf bow hunting under my tree stand in NW WI in 1977. Have seen them all over Canada hunting and fishing, in Russia hunting and here in WA Idaho Montana.Wolves have always been here in Washington. Why the need to add more through artificial introduction?

No other apex predator reproduces a the rate wolves do. So introduce them and how do you control the numbers without trapping and poison ?

Those are the only 2 methods that have been proven to control their numbers. I highly doubt that they will ever allow hunting them here either.

Those methods will never be approved in WA and Oregon. Does not take a genius to see what future holds for sportsmen here. Ever year fewer and fewer hunting opportunities now add uncontrolled wolf introduction.