Wolf Wars have moved to Washington

[True Sportsman]

So, what can be done?

1.  Vote our dems out of office?  Good luck with that.  Besides, having a conservative gov't body hasn't helped Montana or Idaho fight this battle.

2.  Voice our concerns?  Seems like after the past decade of doing this, it falls on deaf ears.'

3.  Try to work with those in power to come to an amicable resolution?  Doesn't seem like their interested.

4.  SSS?  Illegal if caught.  Tough to find the animals and probably too many to shoot, especially without getting caught.

I hate feeling like there is nothing that can be done but, I'm starting to feel like that about the wolves.

First, I'd like to say, I don't care for wolf threads because they never seem productive, but I will take a stab at this... To answer the previous post, there is always something to be done.

I feel that all hunters are governed by laws. Some laws I feel are ridiculous, but I follow them anyway. Other laws i vehemently disagree with and choose to not follow.

I am in the woods a lot. I would love to run into a wolf in the wild, or heaven forbid, find myself amidst a pack of wolves up in the NE.

When the majority of hunters feel a specific way about control of a certain population, it is up to us to do what we think is correct. Unwritten rule, I say...

 
 

[Malottguy]

My stance is nature put balance into the ultimate predator-- HUMANS. We domesticated early canines for our use for certain tasks mainly protection from what else other predators especially wolves or their canine predecessors.

Where humans live we are top dog(pardon the pun) and in places that we can't live well the wolf is more the top predator. It is a balancing act NATURE has intended. There was a reason we killed wolves off. One being they were our competition and we are the species that succeeded, not the wolf.

So to answer the question NO we DO NOT need wolves here. If I want to see a wolf in the wild I will go to places that humans are not in enough numbers to be the top predator, like Siberia.

[rtspring]

15 Breeding pairs? Then what are we going to be promised after they get their 15? 50  90  100 pairs.  I say they can take their wolves and shove them straight up their arse, I ain't buying what they are try to sell us hunters. If the state were to lose all the revenue we put in from hunting activities they would be in the hurt locker. That my friends is where we will be headed if we let these tree huggin sons a bitches in washington.  I know many people in Idaho that have given up completely on hunting due to the loss of game from the wolves. 

I have given a whole hell of alot to this state as far as time and energy and money in wildlife conservation.
I refuse to just sit and hope that some politician of judge will make things right. We all know that *censored* don't work, anyone look in the whitehouse lately???  I am sick and tired of all the bickering and money spent fighting these idiots who don't have a clue on what they are trying to do. Like I said in a earlier post, the state has there plan and I have mine...

[Lowedog]

Has WA ever had 15 breeding pairs?  Maybe before white man was here.  My understanding is a wolf pack has a large territory encompassing 100+ square miles.  IMO 15 breeding pairs is a number that will never be obtained and will keep the wolf a protected species in WA. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

hub, those 3 to the left ignore everyone that doesn't share their own agenda. And they are one the other side of this one.   We have seen native wolves in the wild and they would be wiped out by the invasive Northern greys. How about ZERO breeding pairs

[jackelope]

Has WA ever had 15 breeding pairs?  Maybe before white man was here.  My understanding is a wolf pack has a large territory encompassing 100+ square miles.  IMO 15 breeding pairs is a number that will never be obtained and will keep the wolf a protected species in WA.

Especially with the distribution requirements of those 15 breeding pairs.

[bearpaw]

Has WA ever had 15 breeding pairs?  Maybe before white man was here.  My understanding is a wolf pack has a large territory encompassing 100+ square miles.  IMO 15 breeding pairs is a number that will never be obtained and will keep the wolf a protected species in WA.

Especially with the distribution requirements of those 15 breeding pairs.

very good points....

I am going to add a HW poll for this topic. I want to use discussion from the entire HW membership to make a proposal for a position to be taken by WFW.

Please everyone, keep adding your comments and any ideas you may have on the wolf issue.

[bearpaw]

Distribution?

Should wolves be allowed everywhere in the state?
Should wolves be kept only in wilderness and the most remote areas of Washington?
Should all wolves be removed from Washington?

[hogsniper]

In my opinion 15 breeding pairs in Washington is an Unattainable goal.  It would be one thing to have 5.  Hell they cant keep track of the ones they currently have, and to think of the manpower and resources it would take to do analyze the impacts they are having is wayyyy out of reach at this point. I think wolves are fine if they are managed and in the proper ecosystem.  To put them in a place where they are going to come into direct contact with peoples livelihoods and tie their hands behind their back is crazy.   A proper compensation program along with the ability to protect what is yours is a must to ever have this coexistance. I just did a project on wolves and what an amazing amount of B/S one has to wade through to get information or ideas that are practical.  Anyways   I hope things change in a hurry as many states are currently getting gutted of thier wildlife. 

[HighCountryHunter88]

first off i think distribution to the west side of the state is dumb and will result in alot of human wolf conflict in the winter. 15 breeding pairs is absolutly insane. we have roughly half the animals and wilderness of idaho and twice the human population. i could tolerate a couple wolves in wilderness areas but they wont stay there... i also agree that 15 breeding pairs will likely not happen, at least for a very very long time, thus keeping them endangered. the wdfw is stretch thin already, there is no way they can keep track of 15 breeding pairs.

[DoubleJ]

All wolves removed.  Period.  If the native species migrates naturally, more power to them.  If not, oh well.  Man has more than enough capability, and money, to effectively control ungulate populations.  Wolves are a revenue killer for the state.  I don't understand why they can't see this.

[alecvg]

I don't want wolves in this state, especially a non native species.  But lets be honest here, there is no way in hell that we are gonna be able to go back to having zero any more.  I think now, we need to push for a managed population.  What that would be?  I don't know, but we need to treat them like any other species, and manage them.

[greenhead_killer]

its one of the worst ideas they have ever had. the wolves have been gone for so long that to reitroduce them is going to be MORE damaging to wildlife than if they never came here. it almost calls for a need to cut the state in half. westsiders are trying to make rules and implement things on the eastside, quite frankly i think because they will never have to personally deal with anything that passes. why are they so intent on placing wolves on the eastside? they have been found on the westside. why not plant 6 breeding pairs between bellevue and north bend? that way there, people who are pushing this will have to deal with the consequences of their actions. vote wolves in, they get dropped in YOUR backyard. you want them, perfect, you deal with them. dont try to push them on everyone else in the state where you will never deal with them. i think that with the ranchers and farmers, raising the prices of their goods would come as well. they start losing cattle, sheep, horses, pigs etc, the price per animal is going to have to go up so they can maintain their profit margin. we have plenty of predators with plenty of overbearing laws on them as it is, why add another, non- native species mind you, of predator that will make the current preds seem like kittens. they will destroy and decimate everything that people have worked for the last 60 years in the wildlife world. antelope, cya. bhs, cya. moose, cya. elk, deer, you guessed it, cya. we will go on outdoor hikes to look at bronze statues of what these animals looked like becuase there wont be any if these pukes have their way

[robertg]

I don't want wolves in this state, especially a non native species.  But lets be honest here, there is no way in hell that we are gonna be able to go back to having zero any more.  I think now, we need to push for a managed population.  What that would be?  I don't know, but we need to treat them like any other species, and manage them.

gray wolves are a native species. The population will be managed when there are 15 breeding pairs. you hunters who are advocating "sss" are no better than poachers.

[robertg]

its one of the worst ideas they have ever had. the wolves have been gone for so long that to reitroduce them is going to be MORE damaging to wildlife than if they never came here. it almost calls for a need to cut the state in half. westsiders are trying to make rules and implement things on the eastside, quite frankly i think because they will never have to personally deal with anything that passes. why are they so intent on placing wolves on the eastside? they have been found on the westside. why not plant 6 breeding pairs between bellevue and north bend? that way there, people who are pushing this will have to deal with the consequences of their actions. vote wolves in, they get dropped in YOUR backyard. you want them, perfect, you deal with them. dont try to push them on everyone else in the state where you will never deal with them. i think that with the ranchers and farmers, raising the prices of their goods would come as well. they start losing cattle, sheep, horses, pigs etc, the price per animal is going to have to go up so they can maintain their profit margin. we have plenty of predators with plenty of overbearing laws on them as it is, why add another, non- native species mind you, of predator that will make the current preds seem like kittens. they will destroy and decimate everything that people have worked for the last 60 years in the wildlife world. antelope, cya. bhs, cya. moose, cya. elk, deer, you guessed it, cya. we will go on outdoor hikes to look at bronze statues of what these animals looked like becuase there wont be any if these pukes have their way

I don't know where you are getting your misinformation from, but gray wolves are a NATIVE species and always have been.