Grim Future for WA Ungulates: Call to Action

[Fl0und3rz]

Thinly sourced, but it paints a grim picture for WA ungulates, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen, and communities at large.

Idaho's wolf population was allowed to grow to approximately 6 times its federal delisting requirement before it was finally delisted and management was turned over to the state. Idaho has tried to manage this unrealistic population of wolves to minimize their adverse impacts on the prey base, with a Predation Management Plan. Elk calf-to-cow ratios and cow survival rates have declined to levels far too low to sustain elk populations for several reasons, including increased predation by apex predators, 90% of known deaths of marked cow elk were due to predation, 76% were caused by wolves, 88% of known-caused deaths of radio marked older calves were due to predation, of which 73% were caused by wolves.

In Idaho wolf-caused mortality is the major factor limiting elk calf recruitment and elk cow survival.

Idaho killed 395 wolves in 2018 to increase its fast declining ungulate base and to reduce livestock attacks while livestock depredations reached a record high with 175 confirmed wolf depredations in 17 counties.

Unlike Washington, Idaho contains large wilderness habitats that are becoming devoid of ungulates as wolves have changed ungulate patterns and pushed them onto the agricultural fringe for protection causing increased wildlife depredation on private grazing lands and cropland.

https://www.capitalpress.com/opinion/columns/commentary-a-call-to-action-on-wolf-planning/article_bef93e4c-e3a7-11e9-b306-fb880e8e2af6.html

Is the WDFW going to manage for healthy robust ungulate populations at or near their habitat carrying capacity along with a sustainable predator population in balance, which will minimize livestock depredations and maximize the public recreational and hunting opportunities for all citizens?

Or is WDFW going to manage for "predator pits" leaving predators to seek their protein sources in backyards and from production livestock while forcing hunters to spend their dollars in other states?

. . .

This is a call to action, as your comments are needed today on the scoping process draft environmental impact statement, which is a process to determine which issues are most important to be addressed for wolf recovery planning in Washington.

Send your email comments to http://wdfw.commentinput.com/?id=xDgH8

Or mail you can submit written comments to Liza Wood, SEPA/NEPA Coordinator, WDFW Habitat Program, Protection Division, P.O. Box 43200 Olympia, Wa, 98504

[ghosthunter]

Added my 

[wolfbait]

History repeating itself, this article shouldn't surprise anyone on H-W, we have been discussing the impacts since day one, while the pro-wolfers argue with the fake biologists.

WDFW partnered up with the fake environmentalist to the point it's hard to tell what separates them, looking at WDFW's thirty year plan tells the ending story for WA ungulates and hunting.

From the bogus wolf plan to their refusal to confirm wolf packs/wolves unless forced to do so through livestock predation, and the few wolves that have been taken out, leaves WA with a huge unknown number of wolves. Twenty plus years of wolves and no management to speak of, leaves WA infested with a plague that no amount of hunting will curtail.

The USFWS, WDFW, the Fake Environmentalists plus a few pro-wolfers on H-W have won with their love of wolves as a tool to ruin hunting and put ranchers out of business, while making life hard on rural communities.

Having watched the untold cruelty of their wolf tool over the years, I sometimes wonder what makes people like them tick.

[buckfvr]

There is a goal being achieved in all this.........its just not by our people and its not our goals.

[KFhunter]

ID has far far more SSS than Washington does, and SSS was sanctioned and even encouraged by the states government.

ID has foot hold trapping and snares, the only means of trapping wolves

ID has a .org reimbursing (F4WM) trappers for their time, expenses and effort up to $1000 per wolf.

ID had Butch Otter, and now Brad Little, who both strongly advocate for managing wolves

Even after all this ID still has a lot of problem with wolves.

Washington has the exact opposite of Idaho, very very little SSS and huge rewards to turn in wolf poachers, no trapping, no possible means of killing them and getting reimbursed for it, and WA has a governor who demands our wildlife managers not lift a finger to manage our wolves even when they're eating livestock. 

WA is screwed.

[huntnphool]

ID has far far more SSS than Washington does, and SSS was sanctioned and even encouraged by the states government.

 Any SSS suggestion on this site will get you ostracized.

[KFhunter]

ID has far far more SSS than Washington does, and SSS was sanctioned and even encouraged by the states government.

 Any SSS suggestion on this site will get you ostracized.

It wasn't a suggestion.

[Bango skank]

ID has far far more SSS than Washington does, and SSS was sanctioned and even encouraged by the states government.

 Any SSS suggestion on this site will get you ostracized.

Yeah, by the same people who whine about the decline in our game herds.  All about complaining, but dont you dare suggest they take any sort of action to help with the problem.

[Skyvalhunter]

ID has far far more SSS than Washington does, and SSS was sanctioned and even encouraged by the states government.

 Any SSS suggestion on this site will get you ostracized.

By who with a lame duck governor you do what you have to

[hunter399]

1) They need some funding cut off ,pittman Robertson ,and any type of federal funding.We as sportsmen need to get the word out on what's happening in Washington.And hold WDFW accountable for the lack of conservation and mismanagement ,hit em in the pocket book.

2) Every email we send to the commission should be more like a petition with let's say 500 signatures,is as sportsmen need to be more organized and let them know there not doing ther job very well.

3)hunters need to suck it up sometimes ,there has been a few rules changes brought up in the past .Like choose which side of the state u hunt deer on .That most hunters will disapproved on and when wdfw true to put rules through that may help herds rebound they are shot down by us.

Hitting them in the pocket is the only way there gonna change.Two people in my family ,my wife,my son, didn't buy licence this year .And I do think with herds as bad as they are that's gonna be a trend that continues.