Areas Idaho F&G didn't know had wolf packs....

[bearpaw]

this is pretty good..... 

Idaho Hunters Bringing Home More Wolves

Jessica Robinson
01/04/2012

In the first year Idaho has no overall cap on wolf kills, hunters have bagged more wolves than ever. New numbers show — so far — hunters have taken 197 wolves in Idaho, compared with 181 for the entire 2009 season.

No one knows why exactly the numbers are up. Wolf trapping is allowed for the first time in Idaho — but that alone doesn't explain for the increase, says Jim Hayden. He's the Fish and Game regional manager for the Idaho panhandle.

"They're a difficult animal to hunt. People are learning a little bit more about it," Hayden explains. "We have some minor networks that formed so people start talking to each other -– 'Oh yeah, I bumped into something up in so-and-so drainage.' 'Oh I didn't know there was anything there, I'll look there.' So we have more communication there, a little more experience."

Though Hayden thinks the biggest reason for hunters' success is -– more wolves. He says at least half the wolves hunters have brought in came from areas Fish and Game didn't know had wolf packs.

But some environmentalists think the population is much smaller. According to federal counts, gray wolf numbers dropped between 2009 and 2010 in Idaho.

Wolf advocates worry hunting could destabilize the wolf's return. So far, a lawsuit to stop the hunts in Idaho and Montana has been unsuccessful.



Wolf management in Idaho:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/wolves/

Copyright 2011 Northwest News Network
Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=144707031&ft=3&f=144707031

[Special T]

Unfortunatly i think hunting and trapping cannot reduce the numbers alone. I t will however "train" wolves to leave man alone... We can only hope... Amazing that a state like ID that is more interested in wolves can't keep tabs on them, yet we only have 1 WA trapper to attempt to documnet them. 

[Wenatcheejay]

From places they did not know they had wolves. What is said here? That they are not counting/seeing wolves. Huh, that's wierd these professionals are not aware.

"I was unaware that there was gaming going on in this establishment."

(Casablanca)

[358NM]

Looks like the anti wolfers claims that wolves were undercounted by a big margin may have been correct.
I wonder if the undercount is due to politics, count criteria or just not getting the whole picture.
I am not trying to be critical here, but it sure looks from the information in this article that the wolves have been undercounted by a lot!

[BOWHUNTER45]

I mean seriously man  iF they are taking that kinda numbers 2 yrs in a row they obvliously have no idea what they have !!! 

[bearpaw]

Looks like the anti wolfers claims that wolves were undercounted by a big margin may have been correct.
I wonder if the undercount is due to politics, count criteria or just not getting the whole picture.
I am not trying to be critical here, but it sure looks from the information in this article that the wolves have been undercounted by a lot!

Bingo, my thoughts too..... there's obviosly many more packs than they knew about or admitted to.

[Special T]

there are something like 60 planes that have gone down in Washington state that have NEVER been found. Just think about that... These are stationary objects that leave evidence behind, and often had some kind of aerial search done to look for them... How could you tell how many wolves you have in a rugged area with trees? I think the tree cover in ID is nearly as dense as it is in W WA.... If the aerial gunning wasn't too successful in ID then ya they are gona need to kill a bunch and just have faith that they can make a difference.

[seth30]

The boys in Montana had some sure fire ways to rid there areas of wolves back in the frontier days   Too bad we can no longer use those methods

[bugs n bones]

what was that poison they used to use back in the old days for wolves?

[buckhorn2]

Just had a wolf thing on tv about the wolf called journey and how many miles he has traveled to find a mate the people in california are following his every step.

[Wenatcheejay]

The boys in Montana had some sure fire ways to rid there areas of wolves back in the frontier days   Too bad we can no longer use those methods

We could use those methods, we choose not to. What we want is a balance that keeps our programs that work and to not replace it with a policy that will bring yet more economic ruin upon us, abolish tradition, and really piss me off.

[Elkaholic daWg]

there are something like 60 planes that have gone down in Washington state that have NEVER been found. Just think about that... These are stationary objects that leave evidence behind, and often had some kind of aerial search done to look for them... How could you tell how many wolves you have in a rugged area with trees? I think the tree cover in ID is nearly as dense as it is in W WA.... If the aerial gunning wasn't too successful in ID then ya they are gona need to kill a bunch and just have faith that they can make a difference.

 
Notice  we haven't seen Sitka on this thread?

 How about they're running low on food where they KNOW they are.

[seth30]

The boys in Montana had some sure fire ways to rid there areas of wolves back in the frontier days   Too bad we can no longer use those methods

We could use those methods, we choose not to. What we want is a balance that keeps our programs that work and to not replace it with a policy that will bring yet more economic ruin upon us, abolish tradition, and really piss me off.

Gotta love those everychanging policies

[bearpaw]

there are something like 60 planes that have gone down in Washington state that have NEVER been found. Just think about that... These are stationary objects that leave evidence behind, and often had some kind of aerial search done to look for them... How could you tell how many wolves you have in a rugged area with trees? I think the tree cover in ID is nearly as dense as it is in W WA.... If the aerial gunning wasn't too successful in ID then ya they are gona need to kill a bunch and just have faith that they can make a difference.

 
Notice  we haven't seen Sitka on this thread?

 How about they're running low on food where they KNOW they are.

Sitka could be posting on numerous different boards lobbying for wolves, I doubt he spends much time on this forum, he has his topic he's probably using to bait in responses, unless he just happens to see this topic I wouldn't expect him to reply.

[Humptulips]

The boys in Montana had some sure fire ways to rid there areas of wolves back in the frontier days   Too bad we can no longer use those methods

We could use those methods, we choose not to. What we want is a balance that keeps our programs that work and to not replace it with a policy that will bring yet more economic ruin upon us, abolish tradition, and really piss me off.

Although they used strichnine, the most effective poison that has been used was 1080. Initiative 713 banned the use of 1080 and cyanid in WA in addition to bodygripping traps.