Should make for interesting debate!

Idaho wolf removal in Clearwater Region

IV

IdahoVandal

That is great news. Have hunted the Lolo and have friends that hunt it. Three years ago we were in our camp early one morning at o dark thirty. Just getting ready to go out and hunt it was the beginning of our forth day. We had 10 inches of frest snow on the ground. My cousin had seen a big 6 point Bull the prior day. Just about the time we were getting ready to head out for the days hunt we heard a wolf howl. I'll tell you it was loud and not far off. We didn't see another thing with hair on it for the next 6 days.

It surely will create a lot of debate. The Lochsa elk herds have been declining for at least 40 years that I know of. The large herds were the result of the forest fires that occured in the early 1900's. Those fires created huge brush fields that created vast amounts of winter forage. As the seral brush fields were replaced by evergreen trees the elk herds declined. In the 1970's the USFS and IDF&G were burning brush fields to regenerate the brush fields. I don't think they are still doing this. Killing wolves, lions and bears is a band aid approach. Elk herds will continue to decline until the brush fields are restored. I have no problem with killing predators for management purposes but I am concerened that many people will expect elk herds to increase to large numbers and will be disapointed when they don't. USFS and IDF&G need to get to the real problem.

465H&H

It should provide an opportunity for some empirical research, one thing I find interesting about the whole Wolf vs. Elk debate is that neither of them evolved in N. America! They are both Siberian invaders (along with the Griz, moose, caribou and wolverine.)

I am obviously biased but (in a minute, purist kind of way) I would love to see them all go in return for a mule deer/cougar/whitetail ecosystem....

IV