Breaking wolf news

[nwwanderer]

Looks like a charlois/angus cross and yes, the Canadians killed several of our wolves for us, might deserve a thank you note.

[bearpaw]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/updates/update_on_washington_wolves_20170731.pdf

Update on Washington wolves
Latest reports on key wolf activities, conservation efforts, and management actions.
July 31, 2017

Second wolf removed in Smackout pack; WDFW evaluating impact on pack’s behavior

Background
WDFW’s 2017 Wolf-Livestock Interaction Protocol describes tools and approaches designed to influence pack behavior with the goal of reducing the potential for recurrent livestock depredation while continuing to promote wolf recovery.

On July 20, WDFW notified the public that non-lethal deterrence measures were not achieving that goal in the Smackout pack territory, and that the director had authorized incremental lethal removal of wolves as another tool to address recurrent depredations.

Protocol and management action
The department’s approach to incremental removal consists of a period of active operations followed by an evaluation period to determine if those actions changed the pack’s behavior.

The protocol states that once a removal operation has begun, the department will update the public weekly on the number of individuals removed. Since July 20, the department has removed two wolves from the Smackout pack. As called for in the Protocol, the department has begun the evaluation period.

Evaluation
The duration of the evaluation period is largely based on the behavior of the wolves. If the department confirms another livestock depredation by the Smackout pack after the removal period (in other words, a fresh depredation, not one that likely occurred during or before the removal period), the department may initiate another lethal removal action.

Meanwhile, both proactive and responsive deterrence measures are being deployed. Range riding activity will continue daily on grazing allotments. The cattle are currently enclosed in a fenced pasture surrounded by fladry (a type of fence with streamers designed to deter wolves). The rancher who experienced the most recent depredation will continue to check his cattle daily. Also, Fox Lights (strobe light designed to haze large predators) have been installed around his private pasture as a further deterrent.

The department will provide a final report to the public on the wolf-livestock interactions in the Smackout pack, including details about the lethal removal action, after the summer grazing season ends.

[bearpaw]

WDFW Update on Washington wolves: http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/updates/update_on_washington_wolves.pdf

[Duckslayer89]

WDFW Update on Washington wolves: http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/updates/update_on_washington_wolves.pdf

Funny the proactive deterrent section. Sounds really expensive doing all these study's and tests. Glad my money is going to a good cause 

I was thinking the exact same thing, they mention numerous employees acting as range riders too. The cost of wolves is astronomical!

[nwwanderer]

Beyond frustrating, paying double for all the wolf predation would be a fraction

[CGDucksandDeer]

Funds for wolf conflict reduction activities and research come from WDFW's general fund revenue (particularly from revenue from special license plate sales) and federal grant allocations, NOT from fishing and hunting license revenues.

Not saying that wolf management work isn't expensive, in both agency dollars and staff time, but the Department has on multiple occasions confirmed that they aren't directly spending hunter and angler license dollars on wolves.

[pianoman9701]

Funds for wolf conflict reduction activities and research come from WDFW's general fund revenue (particularly from revenue from special license plate sales) and federal grant allocations, NOT from fishing and hunting license revenues.

Not saying that wolf management work isn't expensive, in both agency dollars and staff time, but the Department has on multiple occasions confirmed that they aren't directly spending hunter and angler license dollars on wolves.

Anything coming out of the general fund for wolves isn't going toward other projects, new LE hires, conservation. We know that PR funds have gone into wolf hugging, at least by the feds. Any salaries for gamies working on the wolf hugging aren't going into poaching reduction and investigation. Whether or not you believe hunter and angler dollars aren't being directly spent on wolf hugging directly (I don't), the rest of the department's programs suffer as a result.

[bearpaw]

   exactly

[ribka]

Funds for wolf conflict reduction activities and research come from WDFW's general fund revenue (particularly from revenue from special license plate sales) and federal grant allocations, NOT from fishing and hunting license revenues.

Not saying that wolf management work isn't expensive, in both agency dollars and staff time, but the Department has on multiple occasions confirmed that they aren't directly spending hunter and angler license dollars on wolves.

Youre not winning many folks over here when you refer to them as "tinhats" because they dont hold the same views

you mentioned you helped author an article with conservation nw  head Mitch Friedman on another website regarding the reintroduction of wolves to WA and co existing with them

What are your and Mitch Friedman's target numbers for wolves in Washington? Please give real numbers and how to manage the future populations. Wildlife managers in Idaho, Nontana WI advised that wolf numbers cannot be controlled by limited sport permits. Idaho can sure attest to this

Anyway you stated before that were against trapping to control wolf populations. Why?

What are your credentials that you speak on the reintroduction of apex predators such as wolves and grizzly bears?

Is your organization conservation NW pro hunting because the few articles I found made it look like an anti hunting organization

I encourage people on here to look up Friedman, the director of conservation NW, radical background. He was a long time member of Earthfirst! a radical group classified as eco terrorists by the FBI before he started conservation nw. members of earthfirst! have been convicted of arson, spiking trees that injured lumbermen, major property damage, vandalism on large amounts of personal property, terrorizing people and their families whose views they do not agree with etc

http://www.targetofopportunity.com/earth_first.htm

Mr. Friedman, because of his background, is the last I would contact when it came to wolf management but I may be wrong and feel free to convince me otherwise

i look forward to some of your feedback

[ribka]

Funds for wolf conflict reduction activities and research come from WDFW's general fund revenue (particularly from revenue from special license plate sales) and federal grant allocations, NOT from fishing and hunting license revenues.

Not saying that wolf management work isn't expensive, in both agency dollars and staff time, but the Department has on multiple occasions confirmed that they aren't directly spending hunter and angler license dollars on wolves.

Where are you getting this information from?
On another forum you came accross as speaking like an expert on grizzly bears

Do you have a close association with Mitch Friedman?