Free: Contests & Raffles.
Very nice, another meeting far away from the problem.......typical !
This meeting is being hosted by the Audubon society. What is to be expected by this crowd? Pro wolf, anti hunting? Middle ground?
I think it will be a very different presentation than hunters get. It should be very informative if you/we could keep our mouth shut or ask questions that do not give away your position.
Quote from: Special T on April 23, 2019, 11:36:46 AMI think it will be a very different presentation than hunters get. It should be very informative if you/we could keep our mouth shut or ask questions that do not give away your position. Whenever I think about this sort of thing, it reminds me of this Rinella video. It's a good example of how these conversations should go. Logical and civil.https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=STEVEN+RINELLA+LIBRARY+TALK&&view=detail&mid=1C7CA8E867F595C75E461C7CA8E867F595C75E46&&FORM=VRDGAR
The reason why I point this out is because if you were to remain silent/unknown what and how they talked about wolves would show you what issues about wolves are important. It is really hard to understand some one that holds a drastically different view of an issue...If I were going to try and make a pitch that predator/wolf # control was important to the general population, the opposing views understanding is necessary. This event IMO is an opportunity to LISTEN and think critically about how the opinions are formed.
Quote from: Special T on April 23, 2019, 12:08:41 PMThe reason why I point this out is because if you were to remain silent/unknown what and how they talked about wolves would show you what issues about wolves are important. It is really hard to understand some one that holds a drastically different view of an issue...If I were going to try and make a pitch that predator/wolf # control was important to the general population, the opposing views understanding is necessary. This event IMO is an opportunity to LISTEN and think critically about how the opinions are formed.Agree wholeheartedly. Understanding this and living by it is one of the issues that our community will always struggle with if you ask me. We get way too fired up(guilty!!) way too quick and don't slow down and LISTEN!!
Quote from: jackelope on April 23, 2019, 12:15:48 PMQuote from: Special T on April 23, 2019, 12:08:41 PMThe reason why I point this out is because if you were to remain silent/unknown what and how they talked about wolves would show you what issues about wolves are important. It is really hard to understand some one that holds a drastically different view of an issue...If I were going to try and make a pitch that predator/wolf # control was important to the general population, the opposing views understanding is necessary. This event IMO is an opportunity to LISTEN and think critically about how the opinions are formed.Agree wholeheartedly. Understanding this and living by it is one of the issues that our community will always struggle with if you ask me. We get way too fired up(guilty!!) way too quick and don't slow down and LISTEN!!Most of us think we are better at changing others minds than we actually are... I know i suffer from it.
I agree with the comments above and I will be listening from the back of the room. There was a presentation about wolves bt a WDFW biologist in Walla Walla last winter. The meeting time was changed and since I don't do facebook, I was late. There must have been at least 100 people there and the speaker basically explained the wolf plan with a slide show.The questions at the end were not the type one would expect from hunters and sportsmen....impossible to tell of course. A couple questions about the likelihood of an attack and ways to protect pets. Pretty general in nature and not from someone who knew much or anything about predators.There was a livestock producer there that spoke up about his losses from wolves and cougar and asked about more effective predator control and expressed his displeasure with the current situation.
I agree with gramps that Bens presentation was essentially just going through the PowerPoint that is posted. There was nothing new to be learned except for one item that I personally found interesting. Ben basically said that there is no doubt in his mind that there are wolves in the southern cascades, either passing through or established, just not enough evidence to officially declare a pack. I was much more interested going into this meeting what the attitude towards hunters was and what there stance on wolves would be. My observations by just gauging the room and listening to comments and questions are as follows.I did not get the impression that they were either Pro or Anti wolf. It was an "animal lives matter" and anti hunter sentiment that i felt. I was surprized at the lack of in depth knowlege on the wolf issue and what is happening due to there unchecked epansion. They basically had no idea of the damage that that is being done to ungulates, property, and livelihoods. Maybe this is because they dont have any skin in the game, but I believe that if you strongly support one position you should understand all outcomes, good and bad.Most outlandish comment of the night was one member suggesting releasing wolves on Hanford to control elk populations.I would not want Bens job no matter how much I love the outdoors and wildlife. That guy does not have a single ally in the room and this was a very respectful environment.Finally, there were were other hunters/outdoorsmen in attendance. Everyone was very courteous and respectful. This is the exact group of people that have the opinion that hunters are rednecks that kill without remorse. I believe that many can be convinced that we are not bad through civil discourse which is exactly what happened last night.
Quote from: CAMPMEAT on April 22, 2019, 08:39:40 PMVery nice, another meeting far away from the problem.......typical !Well considering there are now 4 confirmed packs in the Blues we are a lot closer to the problem than what some might think. Certainly a lot closer than others that reside in Arizona. It is my understanding that this meeting is to address wolf populations in southeast and southcentral Washington specifically.And please don't interpret this as a lack of compassion for what those in the north east are experiencing.
