Not sure if I should post this here or in the Ignorance Crater.

Looks like the Willamette Vally is dictating policy to rural areas again.



Oregon to protect wolves



Oregon to protect wolves

By CHARLES E. BEGGS

The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. — The final plan for managing protected gray wolves that migrate into Oregon will prohibit ranchers from killing wolves that attack livestock and will not include compensation for losses to wolf attacks.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission had included compensation and authority for killing wolves in the management plan adopted in February, pending approval by the Legislature needed to change state law.

But lawmakers failed to agree on those two provisions, and bills to make the changes went nowhere. So the commission intends to remove them from the plan at a Nov. 4 meeting.

Wildlife officials say what remains is a solid plan, while cattle ranchers say it does nothing for them when the federal government has the final say, anyway.

The gray wolf is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, as well as under the state's equivalent law. The wolf-management plan sets a goal of seven breeding pairs in Eastern Oregon.

There have been no confirmed recent sightings of gray wolves in Oregon, said Craig Ely, wolf-plan coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Between 1999 and 2000, at least three wolves made their way from Idaho into Oregon. One was hit by a car, one was shot, and one was captured and returned to Idaho. Experts say it is just a matter of time before a pack takes up residence in Oregon.

The proposed compensation fund and right-to-kill provisions of the plan "were about getting some additional tools into landowners' hands," Ely said.

The rest of the wolf plan stands, he said, because it did not require legislative endorsement.

Under present law, wolves cannot be killed except in self-defense or by wildlife managers. Ranchers must contact federal authorities if their livestock is attacked and wait for an agent to decide if wolves were responsible.

Even if state law had been changed to give ranchers authority to kill wolves, federal law would have banned it until the animals' protected status was downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened."

Without the change in state law, Ely said, livestock owners will be prohibited from killing wolves even if federal protection is reduced. Such a downgrade could occur once enough breeding wolf pairs are established in the state.

Sharon Beck, a past president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association and La Grande-area rancher, said the organization opposed the right-to-kill provision because it put too many restrictions on livestock owners.

The measure would have allowed ranchers to kill wolves only when caught "in the act" of killing livestock. It would have been meaningless for ranchers whose herds can be scattered over hundreds or thousands of acres, she said.

Beck said many ranchers believe the state's general wildlife laws allow them to kill any species damaging their livestock, including wolves. But she said she expected a legal battle over the issue because of the federal protection for wolves.

No body, no crime.

Habeas Lupus

-Steve

Shoot, shovel, and shut up.

Oregon: Welcome to the club!

IV

Seven breeding pairs? Ha, here in Wisconsin they were going to change the classification when there were 200 wolves. Now we have over 300 that the DNR wil admit to, and even have wolves right here in central wisconsin dairy country. They can't be delisted cause the neighboring states need to be included, too.Nothing but double talk and lies is what you will get. SSS, If you don't act now, it will be too late.

I agree... shoot, shovel and shut-up is the answer. Screw the liberals and their BS policies that have no regard for the damage to game populations or livestock. No provision for thinning their populations? No compensation for ranchers who lose livestock??? Ya right, kiss my A$$

This is the beginning of the end of Elk Hunting in oregon!
Thanks for nothing rmef!
To bad, I have had some good Hunts down there!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

What bothers me about the bunny-hugger stance on wolves is that they feel if they can just get enough wolves into this country we won't need hunters to control populations of game animals. They are right in that assessment, but seem to feel that a pack of wolves taking down an elk is much more humane than a hunter's quick kill. I watched some wolf lovers on a TV special almost become orgasmic when a pack of wolves was killing a cow elk in Yellowstone. Sick behavior indeed, but it is what they believe. Get used to it. Wolves are here to stay. If they have their way, wolves will be coming to a hunting area near you. I fully expect them to be in some of the eastern states fairly soon. It will not be because of authorities introducing them, but will be due to natural spreading out of the overpopulations elsewhere.

Just remember that when you SSS a collared wolf, be sure to render the radio transmitter inoperative. A .30-06 round into the center of the transmitter should do the job.

The beginning of the end of elk hunting started a few years back, when the west side of the state voted to ban dogs for cougar and bait for bears. Game management should never be by popular vote. These decisions should be left to the people in the field.

Why do all the tree huggers protect the predators??? Do they not feel any compasion for all the fawns and calves that the wolves kill every year, not to mention all the older wild life they hamstring and just let die a slow death. I just don't understand there thinking!!!

It's going to come down to hunters having to take the wolf population control into their own hands...just don't talk about it after the matter.

Scratch

KILL A WOLF, SAVE A HUNDRED ELK!!

Not everyone who supports the wolf reintroductions is a "bunny-hugger" or a "tree-hugger"--- if you want to slow down wolf reintroductions (or maybe you don't really care and just want to vent...by all means continue....)I really hope that hunters quit taking the same old liberal vs. conservative, Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up mentality. Those who are running the show with respect to trying to ram wolves down your throats love it when the best you (we, them, us....) can come up with is SSS and fancy "descriptives" for the opposition. Its the same the anti-gunners try to defeat us. It DOES not work!

IV