Wolf supporters, you happy ?

[buglebrush]

Years of no hound hunting for cats is having a serious impact.  In the NE wolves are the straw that broke the camels back, but the overabundance of cats is a huge concern as well. 

[jackelope]

Years of no hound hunting for cats is having a serious impact.  In the NE wolves are the straw that broke the camels back, but the overabundance of cats is a huge concern as well. 

Agreed fully.

[KFhunter]

x2

[HookedOnQuack]

I’m no wolf supporter but honestly if your game department would manage them it would eventually even out. 10 years ago there was going to be no elk left in Idaho in 10 years. Just pulled some trail cams while setting up bait and low and behold, elk. Wolves aren’t going anywhere. Your going to need to learn how to hunt with them and get your game department managing them. 

You are correct, ive hunted 10A for many years and when we first started we would see elk everywhere! Then the wolves took off and elk we nowhere, in the last few years since the wolves have been hunted the elk have slowly made their way back. Unfortunately the same jacka$$ that ruined Idaho came here and did the same! i just hope the new person has some common sense and is able to bring the numbers back up just like they have in Idaho

[trophyhunt]

I’m no wolf supporter but honestly if your game department would manage them it would eventually even out. 10 years ago there was going to be no elk left in Idaho in 10 years. Just pulled some trail cams while setting up bait and low and behold, elk. Wolves aren’t going anywhere. Your going to need to learn how to hunt with them and get your game department managing them. 

You are correct, ive hunted 10A for many years and when we first started we would see elk everywhere! Then the wolves took off and elk we nowhere, in the last few years since the wolves have been hunted the elk have slowly made their way back. Unfortunately the same jacka$$ that ruined Idaho came here and did the same! i just hope the new person has some common sense and is able to bring the numbers back up just like they have in Idaho

Do you think it will ever be the same? Like before the wolves?

[idahohuntr]

find a bunch of elk laying dead in the snow I bet a bunch of them have bite marks, wolves will drag them down and they die in the snow then off to the next one that didn't run far due to low energy reserves.

oh but it's all winter kill........2016 was such a harsh winter



give me a break    2016 wasn't even a hard winter

This just demonstrates your ignorance on the topic...or your desire to ignore major factors affecting wildlife abundance so you can exaggerate other causes of decline.

https://www.gohunt.com/read/life/will-the-winter-kill-of-2017-be-one-for-the-records#gs.8Sk_rGw
https://idfg.idaho.gov/press/winter-kill-was-less-expected-mule-deer-and-elk-fared-better
http://wyo4news.com/news/99-fawn-mortality-observed-wyoming-range-mule-deer-project/

[KFhunter]

This just demonstrates your ignorance on the topic...or your desire to ignore major factors affecting wildlife abundance so you can exaggerate other causes of decline.

No, it shows where you ignore depredation that affects wildlife abundance and instead exaggerate other non-depredation causes of decline. (habitat, winter kill, etc) 
You've been preaching tired old mantra ever since your arrival on HW, I told you 5-6 years ago that wolves will prove me correct and we'll see a marked decline in hunter opportunity. 


You said wolves will make us all better hunters....

Here we are, you can't be a "better hunter" if you can't get a tag.

[Bob33]

This just demonstrates your ignorance on the topic...or your desire to ignore major factors affecting wildlife abundance so you can exaggerate other causes of decline.

No, it shows where you ignore depredation that affects wildlife abundance and instead exaggerate other non-depredation causes of decline. (habitat, winter kill, etc) 
You've been preaching tired old mantra ever since your arrival on HW, I told you 5-6 years ago that wolves will prove me correct and we'll see a marked decline in hunter opportunity. 


You said wolves will make us all better hunters....

Here we are, you can't be a "better hunter" if you can't get a tag.

The number of "Any Moose" permits has been stable since 2012.

[KFhunter]

You forgot the one moose for the youth draw

[Bob33]

You forgot the one moose for the youth draw

It's antlerless. The permit data is for "any moose" permits..

[KFhunter]

It's still not a good indicator of herd numbers or quality of the hunt, WDFW is so out of touch they allow this any moose hunt despite declining numbers.  They needed to end all anterless and any moose hunting years ago. 

[Caseyd]

I don't think it's possible to point the finger at wolves anywhere specifically. I think there are a metric crap ton of things, all contributing to the problem at hand. It's safe to say that the wolves don't kill a lot of elk in NE WA. I'm sure they kill some, but due to low elk densities, they don't kill a lot of elk(obviously). More deer and moose and grouse and rabbits and whatever else they happen on.
Likewise, I don't think the wolves kill a lot of deer in the southeast part of the state. Deer densities are low. See above.  Speaking of the southeast....remember my trail camera pictures I posted 3-5 years ago?  A dozen elk standing in a field? Huge bulls? A friend had that tag 2 years ago. They saw 1 immature bull  and they hunted the entire season, bell to bell. There's not enough wolves there to make a difference. Where did they go?
Too many factors. Too many different locations. Habitat loss is a factor...maybe not in 1 specific area, but it's a factor. Bad winters, maybe not the primary cause but it's a contributor. Mountain lions...they're bad.  Etc Etc Etc.

Maybe the passion on the wolf topic is blocking the overall picture for some.
 

Many would argue there’s plenty around those parts. They make their way all the way to the river.  Constant sightings north of town out in the fields where they can put a hurt on since small pockets of protected coverage.

[Cougartail]

A couple of years ago I had a cougar move into the canyon I live in. Since then I've seen 1 deer and 2 sets of tracks. This is the second time this has happened in the 12 years I've been up there. When they're not around it was common to see deer 3 or 4 times a week and new tracks every night on the dirt road. The coyotes disappear also. Rarely see tracks and have seen coyotes 3 times in the last 2 years..
No wolves, bear or deep snow in the sagebrush so I know who the culprit is. (and food sources are stable, orchards down below.)

The only up side is quail and cottontail numbers definitely increase when the cougars are around.

[HookedOnQuack]

I’m no wolf supporter but honestly if your game department would manage them it would eventually even out. 10 years ago there was going to be no elk left in Idaho in 10 years. Just pulled some trail cams while setting up bait and low and behold, elk. Wolves aren’t going anywhere. Your going to need to learn how to hunt with them and get your game department managing them. 

You are correct, ive hunted 10A for many years and when we first started we would see elk everywhere! Then the wolves took off and elk we nowhere, in the last few years since the wolves have been hunted the elk have slowly made their way back. Unfortunately the same jacka$$ that ruined Idaho came here and did the same! i just hope the new person has some common sense and is able to bring the numbers back up just like they have in Idaho

Do you think it will ever be the same? Like before the wolves?

I think we both know the answer to this Trophy! Was just agreeing that if WA would ever allow them to be hunted (i dont believe we will ever get that chance) it would help the populations rebound. Im just basing this on what i have personally seen in Idaho, i know you have been in 10A yourself quite a bit and i think you would agree that as soon as the hunting pressure started for the wolves they became less concentrated in certain areas and the ungulate numbers started to increase

[trophyhunt]

I’m no wolf supporter but honestly if your game department would manage them it would eventually even out. 10 years ago there was going to be no elk left in Idaho in 10 years. Just pulled some trail cams while setting up bait and low and behold, elk. Wolves aren’t going anywhere. Your going to need to learn how to hunt with them and get your game department managing them. 

You are correct, ive hunted 10A for many years and when we first started we would see elk everywhere! Then the wolves took off and elk we nowhere, in the last few years since the wolves have been hunted the elk have slowly made their way back. Unfortunately the same jacka$$ that ruined Idaho came here and did the same! i just hope the new person has some common sense and is able to bring the numbers back up just like they have in Idaho

Do you think it will ever be the same? Like before the wolves?

I think we both know the answer to this Trophy! Was just agreeing that if WA would ever allow them to be hunted (i dont believe we will ever get that chance) it would help the populations rebound. Im just basing this on what i have personally seen in Idaho, i know you have been in 10A yourself quite a bit and i think you would agree that as soon as the hunting pressure started for the wolves they became less concentrated in certain areas and the ungulate numbers started to increase

completely disagree, there are no elk left in 10a...... .