Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Wolves => Topic started by: yakimarcher on October 05, 2011, 12:16:51 PM

Title: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: yakimarcher on October 05, 2011, 12:16:51 PM: Heres a link to an article about Wolf impact on our most endangered mamal in the lower 48.

http://daily.sightline.org/2010/05/27/caribou-update/ (http://daily.sightline.org/2010/05/27/caribou-update/)
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: boneaddict on October 05, 2011, 12:20:02 PM: real rocket science.
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: yakimarcher on October 05, 2011, 12:23:57 PM: heres another one Wolves and caribou: Idaho's endangered species paradox Submitted by Rocky Barker (http://voices.idahostatesman.com/user/RockyBarker) on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 9:42am Will wolves wipe out Idaho’s struggling Selkirk Mountain caribou herd? Or will the predators chase off the mountain lions that have kept the tiny herd from growing and stick to the ample supplies of whitetail deer?
That’s the question long-time Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologist Wayne Wakkinen has. The fate of this herd that wanders on both sides of the Canadian border is the subject of a Sightline update by veteran science journalist Jennifer Langston (http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2010/05/27/caribou-update)
.
Idahoans developed close ties with the herd, which is the most endangered population of a large mammal in the United States, beck in the 1980s. School children adopted each of the 60 caribou that were planted in the Selkirks to augment the small existing herd. It had mixed results
An ambitious plan was written to protect the old growth spruce and sub-alpine fir the caribou needs. Despite these plans much of the habitat was converted by logging into whitetail country. Then the cougars came in and made life harder for the caribou.
Some roads were closed but only recently has a large swath of its habitat but shut off to motorized use, giving the caribou finally the habitat protection envisioned when they were listed as an endangered species in 1982.
But even as the U.S. was strengthening its habitat protection, British Columbia was opening previously untouched caribou habitat north of the border to logging. That placed even more pressure on the already challenged animals.
And now there are wolves. In fact wolves have been in caribou habitat continuously, albeit in low numbers. BC reduced wolf killing in the 1960s and wolves began moving south into Idaho and Montana.
But it wasn’t until wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone and central Idaho in 1995 that the region’s wolf population hit critical mass and began its remarkable growth. Now there are several packs in the Selkirks and biologists are watching to see what that means to this majestic endangered species.
Legally, there is no issue about which animal should get the most protection, at least for now. Caribou are endangered in Idaho. Wolves are not.
But it sets up an ethical quandary for those who have sought to reduce wolf killing aimed at managing numbers of other wildlife populations. But first we need to see if the wolves actually help the caribou or hurt.
Fish and Game counted 43 caribou this winter, 3 fewer than the last two years. That’s not enough to start worrying about even though each animal counts in this small of a population. There is always the chanced they missed a few and the trend is what matters.
I’ve never seen a caribou in Idaho and I hope I do someday. But I also wanted wolves here. And I wouldn’t be surprised if somewhere in my life is some wood that came out of caribou habitat in Canada. That doesn’t even consider the impact of climate change.
We can’t just point fingers at others when it comes to endangered species protection, as the BP oil spill has taught us. We all have stakes on all sides.
Bookmark/Search this post with:

Read more: http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/01/rockybarker/wolves_and_caribou_idahos_endangered_species_paradox#ixzz1Zw9Tlkl8 (http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/01/rockybarker/wolves_and_caribou_idahos_endangered_species_paradox#ixzz1Zw9Tlkl8)
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: BurleyDog on October 05, 2011, 12:44:28 PM: interesting.

Has anyone ever seen them? I'd love to
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: yakimarcher on October 05, 2011, 12:47:39 PM: I've never seen them either, but i've always wanted to and im afraid that they will be gone before too long, and long gone before my kids can see wild caribou in the lower 48.
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 05, 2011, 01:06:37 PM: If your goal is to end hunting and introducing Canadian wolves is the way to achieve that, then the loss of an entire species is probably considered acceptable losses. The wolf advocates are after what ever gets in their way and unfortunately, that includes woodland caribou. Unless something huge happens to the wolf proposals, this is just the start.
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 05, 2011, 01:08:59 PM: It would be excellent if someone on our side of the table were able to use the ESA to stop the introduction of Canadian wolves with an injunction based on the danger to Woodland Caribou.
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: yakimarcher on October 05, 2011, 03:48:47 PM: :yeah:
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: MtnMuley on October 05, 2011, 03:51:33 PM: The caribou herd in the Selkirks was totally decimated by the wolves. All the more reason to start managing the wolves. :twocents:;)
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on October 05, 2011, 04:08:06 PM: They're not decimated yet. Wolves are smart and when they figure out how to hunt/kill caribou effectively we are going to have problems.
In the "preferred alternative" the current plan does not allow wolves to be destroyed until they change listing status, even if they're working on another, more imperiled species. :bdid:
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: MtnMuley on October 05, 2011, 04:10:05 PM: Jeez, work with me...........
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: Special T on October 06, 2011, 10:44:00 AM: This is yet another example that the Wolf issue is about $$$. The ability of DOW and others to get legal feels from the Pitman-Robers fund, and to shake down ignorant donors for cash. :bash:
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: boneaddict on October 07, 2011, 03:19:35 PM: You never see a title....

Never Cry Caribou
Julie and the Caribou
etc.

They'll lose.
Title: Re: Wolf Impact on Woodland Caribou in the Selkirks
Post by: pianoman9701 on October 07, 2011, 03:20:42 PM: A Caribou is wolf's clothing?