Washington House committee OKs bill to move wolves

[bobcat]

I already said this once but I’ll say it again- the wolf plan only says the wolves need to be south of I-90, but not on the west side. Look at the map that shows the wolf management zones.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I already said this once but I’ll say it again- the wolf plan only says the wolves need to be south of I-90, but not on the west side. Look at the map that shows the wolf management zones.

This map.

[Taco280AI]

With all these wolves human interaction is going to go up. I've seen wolves in Idaho, from a safe distance, starting back in 2003, have always left them alone. I will say if one gets too close to me or my dog, it's going to die. Just a fact.

[JimmyHoffa]

So, spreading the misery around is the only way to get a problem fixed?  The thoughts here are that it will pressure WDFW to actually address the problem?  If that is the case, then maybe some westside reps (Blake?) will draft a bill to move multiple herds of hoof rot elk throughout eastern Washington.  Maybe when half the elk in the NE corner are limping and leaving bloody tracks, WDFW will get enough support to really tackle hoof rot.

[Special T]

If you think documenting wolves on the relatively open east side is hard.... how do you think its gonna happen on tye wey side where it is THICK?

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They'll trap them.

Lol we know that there are more packs In E WA than they have documented... by a long shot.  The only way folks over here are going to get the department to belive they saw one is to have it bounce off thier truck!

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[Special T]

I already said this once but I’ll say it again- the wolf plan only says the wolves need to be south of I-90, but not on the west side. Look at the map that shows the wolf management zones.

Which is why there are none "documented" south of 90. It will be way easier to find them on the east side, if there was a will to do so.

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[Gobble Doc]

All the hype to get wolves moved all over the state will only convince the wolf lovers that they were right all along. In the end WA will end up with more wolves and there will never be hunting for them in this state. Olympia will hire more biologists for WDFW to conduct studies. Getting a bill passed like this is only going to further spending for dumb ideas. Eco lovers like the protesters with the kayaks are never going to be convinced that wolves are bad, even if they are predatory on people. Expanding wolves and thinking you are going to teach people a lesson is a fools errand.


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[HighlandLofts]

It's really funny, everyone says that something should be done to help out the Northeast part of the state, but "noooobody" wants them moved anywhere near where they live. I bet the wolf lovers don't want them where they live either.

Kill them, end of problem.

[Buckblaster]

Coming from sparsely populated part of the state, I think Kretz is making a statement to be heard for a change.  It has long been understood that the voters along the I-5 corridor have always made the decisions for the whole state based on their perspectives of the issues and how they will affect them.  In eastern Wa, many of the issues that we face are different in some ways and affect us differently than the west side.  The wolf hugger mentality is one of those things.  I know that not everyone on the west side is sympathic to the wolves, but those in the big city environments that don’t have to deal with them have a different attitude.  Kretz is saying that maybe you should consider how the wolves affect us by turning the tables, then maybe something will be done to control them.  I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, but that’s where I believe he’s coming from.

[wolfbait]

You guys better all start calling your REPS and SENATORS and tell them you don't want wolves! My legislator is doing his job, the only way we can get delisted in the NE is for western WA to have wolves. Maybe if enough of you complain to your legislators that you don't want wolves your legislators will pass something so we can manage wolves in Northeast WA.

Make the calls or get the wolves!

We already have them, 3-4 years I figure 5-6 packs on this side from Canadian border south to Seattle area.

The peninsula is going to take a lot longer. 

It's been a while since I viewed the wolf plan but I have read the entire plan in the past and if I remember correctly we need at least three packs that produce surviving pups three years in a row in each area of the state, the westside is one area, I could be wrong but don't remember that there was a distinction that the Peninsula had to have wolves if the westside had three breeding packs for three consecutive years.

That’s correct.

I  bet the the numbers explode once they get to the Olympic National Park, lots to eat there.

My guess is there's already wolves in the ONP, they just haven't been documented yet, meaning they haven't killed anyones dogs.

You need to remember how the wolf introduction works: Release and Discover.

Have to laugh when you think about the "lookout pack" that travel through some prime elk etc. hunting country to settle a mile outside of Twisp. And after WDF&wolves were finally forced to confirm a pack in the Methow, every wolf in the Okanogan was a part of the lookout pack for years.

[wolfbait]

Coming from sparsely populated part of the state, I think Kretz is making a statement to be heard for a change.  It has long been understood that the voters along the I-5 corridor have always made the decisions for the whole state based on their perspectives of the issues and how they will affect them.  In eastern Wa, many of the issues that we face are different in some ways and affect us differently than the west side.  The wolf hugger mentality is one of those things.  I know that not everyone on the west side is sympathic to the wolves, but those in the big city environments that don’t have to deal with them have a different attitude.  Kretz is saying that maybe you should consider how the wolves affect us be turning the tables, then maybe something will be done to control them.  I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, but that’s where I believe he’s coming from.

 

[DaveMonti]

Seems like a lot of folks on here are hoping that by moving wolves to the west side, there will be a significant number of human/wolf interactions around the I5 corridor.  With wolves in many states, I can't say I've heard of many human/wolf interactions (unless wolves killing livestock are considered human/wolf interactions).  Has there been many of these types of interactions documented?  Have these interactions actually led to mass reductions of wolf populations anywhere?

I think that betting that human/wolf interactions along the I5 corridor will change the way this state manages wolves, or change the way the pro wolf crowd thinks of wolves is just a pipe dream.  I have bobcats and coyotes in my yard all year long, and not far away are plenty of cougars and bears, and hearing of human interactions with these animals is very rare.  No mass killings of unsupervised children or pets. 

I don't know what the answer is, but I highly doubt the government or wolf lovers will change their tune in my lifetime, regardless of where wolves roam.  They are here to stay and multiply, and there is not a single group out there that has the organization or money to change that.  Gripe all you want.  It changes nothing. 

[Gringo31]

IF Washington State has wolves from east to west, wouldn't that put a hamper on all the predicted money coming into Yellowstone from folks looking to see the majestic wolf?   



Fact is (as stated), the NE guys are stuck sitting and waiting for wolves to be all across the state before they'll get the green light to manage them.  So they have 2 choices.

1.  Wait for years with an overabundance of wolves in their area and be stuck dealing with it, waiting for them to move west.
2.  Move them already and get to the finish line faster.

[Curly]

or choice #3:

Get the wolf plan revised to delist the wolf in the eastern third of the state.

If they can get a bill passed to move wolves, they can make a deal to delist.

[Tbar]

or choice #3:

Get the wolf plan revised to delist the wolf in the eastern third of the state.

If they can get a bill passed to move wolves, they can make a deal to delist.

This is the correct course of action (#3)  The translocation was proposed by the non consumptive quite a while back.  They played those against it like a fiddle.  They will embrace the wolves in the west side.  There is very little chance of Human attack.  There is a cult like following of wolves on the west side.