http://trib.com/news/state-and...ab-a3401facb586.html


Wildlife officials consider wolves to control elk


Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2012 11:33 am


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Federal officials are considering using wolves to control the number of elk in Baca National Wildlife Refuge, a proposal that is drawing criticism from hunters and ranchers and support from environmentalists.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planner Laurie Shannon says it's not the preferred alternative, but it's an option for controlling elk herds that have taken a heavy toll on the cottonwoods and willows lining stream banks.

"Right now, it's a question. You have a lot of elk, a lot of people would say you need a large predator. We may not move forward with it, but right now it's on the table," she told The Pueblo Chieftain ( http://bit.ly/x5FxbA) in a story Thursday.

Federal officials have drafted four possible options for managing the Alamosa, Baca and Monte Vista national wildlife refuges as they develop a comprehensive conservation plan. The wolf proposal is one of four presented at public workshops this week, but wildlife officials don't expect to select one until 2014.

Other options include largely keeping things as they are now, allowing hunting to help control elk populations and maximizing public uses.

Researchers cite the 1996 reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park for scattering elk herds and allowing the recovery of park lands, but wolves outside the park's boundaries have aroused opposition from ranchers, hunters and other groups.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar reached an agreement last year on a plan that would turn wolf management over to the state. The plan, which has drawn criticism from environmentalists, would classify wolves as predators that could be shot on sight in most of the state.

Congress recently stripped language out of an Interior appropriations bill that would have blocked legal challenges to the Wyoming plan. The Wyoming Legislature is set to consider its adoption nonetheless in the session that starts next month.

Mead said this week that he's still hopeful that Congress will restore the no-lawsuit provision. Congress already has passed such language blocking legal challenges to delisting wolves in Idaho and Montana as an endangered species.

Environmental groups advocated releasing wolves in Rocky Mountain National Park in northern Colorado. The National Park Service rejected that plan as a way to reduce the elk herd that is overgrazing the park and instead is using sharpshooters to help cut the number of elk.

Last thing Colorado needs is wolves. Look at the problems Wy, Mt and Id have had with them. But, this is the federal government we're talking about.

If the elk poplulation is really that big in those refuges, it would be pretty easy to open up the number of tags issued to thin the herds down. They had a problem with elk in the potato fields in the San Luis Valley area and they began a summer elk hunt to thin the elk in the fields. That's worked pretty well. They could do the same thing here.

But, if the Feds are involved I have no doubt they will fuck it up. If the solution is releasing wolves everywhere then you can begin to kiss hunting in the west goodbye if the results are the same as arounf Yellowstone.

Shee-it! Talk about pissin up a rope. And, the best part is, these clowns spend our tax dollars to do it.

How about a large, elk tag buying predator that puts money into the system, that would probably appreciate the opportunuty to do a little elk hunting. How about a herd management system that has some degree of control.

One big circle jerk make work project for these idiots. The fact that it does,nt make a lick of sense must make it that much more appealing.

Reckon the good news is, this will have some PETA jackass wettin him/her/itself with excitement.

Don't let them do in Colorado what has been done in Idaho. As a resident of Idaho I have seen tremendous decreases in elk and deer numbers as well as other big game animals. Any attempt to comply with these outside pressure groups to use wolves will be viewed by them as a green light to push onward and keep increasing demands for additional increases in the wolf population once the programs begins.

Target population numbers in Idaho were constantly being revised upward and the total inventory of wolves is still unknown in Idaho.

I was recently given a email of a picture of wolf pack in Stanley Idaho area that numbered 26 in one pack. The Stanley area was once a pristine elk and deer area along with wonderful fishing and camping. The local economy in that small town is dead but yet there are willows growing on the "riparian" zones.

What do you want....willows or elk?

The only way to safely control an elk population is to have controlled hunts. If done properly a specific number of tags would be issued. This could produce revenue which should go to the Game department involved.

Government hunters (shooters) will only upset legitimate hunters and cost millions.

Introducing wolves is the worst solution, as it is not controllable, and will have unwanted consequences such as the depletion of all game.

That last time we dealt with too many elk here, the state hired sharp shooters to take out a number of them in Estes Park. Pissed off a lot of hunters, but dear god give me that option over wolves ANY DAMN DAY!

The area they are talking about is only about an hour and a half by car, that means I'd have wolves decimating in my hunting lands in what, 2 years? 5 at the most? After the state just spend nearly 20 years and millions of dollars trying to restore the mule deer population to one of the best in the world. Kiss that goodbye too.

speaking from experience, this is the dumbest
idea anyone ever came up with.
the real downer is
they will be there before long,if not already.
And they will be protected until its too late...
sad story all the way around....

Raven, the wolves are confirmed in the NW part of the state. Not sure how familiar you are with our state, but what they are talking about is down in the SW, several hundred miles apart. But, I guess they just want to speed up the process of the wolves spreading and give them a helping hand from the south! Then they'll be in NM, AZ and Utah promptly.

MileHighShooter:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been releasing wolves in Arizona and New Mexico for some time now.

The federal plan calls for reintroducing Mexican wolves to a wide swath across Arizona south of Grand Canyon to below the Mogollon Rim. Don't know what the long-term objective is in New Mexico, but no one should be surprised if there are similar plans there.

Meanwhile, the Mexican government has announced it will release wolves just below our mutual border.

There is some controversy as to whether the animals being introduced to Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico are purebred Mexican wolves or wolf/dog hybrids.

Bill Quimby

I run thru the valley every sept. and have killed elk from Chama to Stonewall to folsom.
Wild country, from the state line (Wy/Co)
to south of Trinadad.
Right down the backbone of the Rocky Mts, And
Right thru the heart of the Greatest Elk herd
in the nation.
Folks... there's no stopping them.
I know of the reproducing pack on the wy/co line.
I70 will stall them for a few yrs or maybe not.

NATIVE wolves, I'd have no problem with, such as restoring the Mexican wolf to its original place in nature. But like we all know, the Canadian wolf is an illegal introduction of a non-native species. What a shame.

Raven hope you didn't think I was trying to insinuate anything! Just curious if you knew the lay of the land here. One of those wolves was killed on I-70....halfway to NM from up north already.

no offense taken

quote:

NATIVE wolves, I'd have no problem with, such as restoring the Mexican wolf to its original place in nature. But like we all know, the Canadian wolf is an illegal introduction of a non-native species. What a shame.

Problem is, if you believe what some people are saying is true, the Mexican wolf is extinct and the animals the government is introducing in Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico have domesticated dogs among their ancestors.

Bill Quimby

Dear Kathi:

Thanks for the article.

As to RMNP, back in 2002, I was informed by a summer park staff ranger, who was also a wolf expert, that RMNP is not big enough to hold a wolf pack.

He told me that wolves are opportunists, and once they realized the easy pickens' were on the front range in the form of babies, dogs and cats, they wouldn't waste their time hunting in RMNP. This guy seemed to know what he was talking about.

Was RMNP overloaded with elk in 2002? Sure it was.

But it wasn't in the 1970's, when the rangers were allowed to shoot them to keep the herds down.

This is a political problem that needs to be addressed as such.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Yale,

They hired shooters a few years back to clear out a few elk around Estes Park, which is the gateway to RMNP. Hopefully this is the route they will take instead of wolves, cause lord knows they'll never trust hunters to do their job, make use of all the meat, and you know, put a lot of money into the system!

Saskatewan has some interesting stuff going on. Seems they had more mule deer in certain places than they thought they needed. Their answer was two doe tags issued and filled, before a hunter could get a buck tag. One of the provisions was no wasted meat. The venison could be donated to the food bank, certain correctional facilities, etc.. Or, 2 does and a buck, full freezer, whatever.
Probably does,nt fit some ideals of nature finding it,s own balance. What it does instead, is acknowledge the fact that we,re trying to manage the wildlife, and act accordingly. Cut down on the deer numbers somewhat,less insurance claims from deer/ vehicle collisions, more browse for the deer that are,nt hunted, which means a healthier, non starving winter deer population.

quote:

Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
NATIVE wolves, I'd have no problem with, such as restoring the Mexican wolf to its original place in nature. But like we all know, the Canadian wolf is an illegal introduction of a non-native species. What a shame.

Raven hope you didn't think I was trying to insinuate anything! Just curious if you knew the lay of the land here. One of those wolves was killed on I-70....halfway to NM from up north already.

The Canadian wolves brought down to Idaho and Yellowstone NP are the same species, Canis lupus. In fact they are the same subspecies. They may be a different ecotype though, I don't know for sure. But since they are so close areas, I doubt it. I haven't seen any data that shows that the reintroduced wolves are any larger than the native wolf of of the Rocky Mountains. Size in elk or wolves is more of a function of their environment than genetics in the same subspecies. If that is correct we should see the wolves in Idaho get smaller as time goes on if indeed the native population was smaller in size. If anyone has data to show that they are indeed a different species, please provide that data. It is no different than reintroducing California bighorns into North Dakota, in fact thet are different subspecies. Did any of you complain that that was an illegal reintroduction?

465H&H

Have any of you read the plan? I have and it involves a number of possibilites the USFWS has for the Baca and several other areas out that way. Out of the entire document there is ONE sentence that says they may think about wolves as a control method. There is presently an open comment period until Feb 25th, so go online and voice your preferences like I did. If you do, please be civil and don't let emotion drive you to saying things you shouldn't! The plans for those areas will not be finalized until 2014 at the earliest.