By the way, Thank you Kudu56.

Just spent 6 days hunting in my primary elk spot. Saw very few elk and heard very few bugles where we used to see herds of 150-300. Saw some elk tracks and talked to other hunter who heard some wolf howls. This area had over 800-1200 draw permits available for a few years and that combined with the wolves have dramatically reduced the elk population. ID F&G are also resonsible for the demise of the elk, not JUST the wolf. Saw three wolves too.

Seems like bureaucracy always screws things up in a bad way whenever attempts are made to meddle in mother nature with politically motivated "feel good" policies. Such policies are normally based upon limited and/or selective knowledge and/or controversial theory. Often the end results are along the lines of a literal Frankenstein's monster roaming the countryside reeking havoc amongst the innocent. I’m of the opinion that some of these nut jobs would push for and would create a Jurassic Park if it were scientifically possible. I’m sure they’d have some sort of park official on the outdoor channel expounding the great benefits of the Federally protected dinosaurs as they run wildly throughout the countryside preying upon the citizenry.

I'm not going to Stanley,ID this year, My brother lives there and the Idaho deer season has been a regular family reunion for many years. Brother said don't bother, no deer or elk left it's not worth paying for a non-resident tag. Sad as it's beautiful country, I'm only getting older, and the air is very thin up there.

Sorry to hear that.... it isn't what it used to be.

about 17 years ago i purchase a cabin on a lake in n.w. Montana. the whitetail, moose, elk hunting was exceptional. i couldnt wait to retire and enjoy hunting trophy whitetails. After the wolf introduction my dreams are history. I would not shoot a deer in the GMU for fear of killing the last of it s kind. very sad. the population of whitetails and even moose are down enormously. There are still spots of decent hunting and we hope it comes back but it has been a very destructive experiment.

I have seen the same public tv program. Last Sat. night to be exact. They also point to no willows growing on stream banks in Zion Nat. Park. from an over population of deer and not predators. This is what happens when no one manages these populations. Well managed hunts would be the best soloution in all the areas mentioned on the documentory. The documentary was very biased with some real jumps in logic required to come to the same conclusions as the producers. Look at Utah. We have the biggest elk population we have ever had. Still plenty of aspens and willows here. The only predator the elk have is a hunter. DW

quote:

The only predator the elk have is a hunter. DW

What about Moutain Lions,Black Bears and coyotes? I hope for Utah, you folks don't end up with a bunch of wolves in the future.

Steve

quote:

Look at Utah. We have the biggest elk population we have ever had. Still plenty of aspens and willows here. The only predator the elk have is a hunter.

Don't worry, DWheels, those big transplanted Canadian Grey wolves are coming your way from both Idaho and Wyoming. They don't recognize State borders, they just recognize dinner.

It is only a matter of time.

L.W.

They are already here. North slope of the Unita's, Coalville, who knows where else? These are only the confirmed places.

Steve, the other natural predators are here but from the information I get, they don't compare to a bunch of wolves. Big Game forever has information that the packs travel during the elk calving season just so they can rip a cow open and eat the calf only. Check into it, get the pictures. Its a real eye opener then numbers of elk, moose and deer that are lost. DW

dwheels

I agree with you 100% on what the wolves are doing to our game herds. I live in west central Wyoming and every elk or moose track has a wolf track on top of it.

Best of Luck

Steve

At the rate the wolves are reproducing, compared to the rate that elk, moose, and deer herds are declining due to their predation, It is already way to late. By the time any legal resolution is reached, hunting as it is known in several densly wolf populated areas will be finished. It won't likely recover in my lifetime. I'm 63.

last year the feds killed 270
hunters in idaho and montana killed 260
and yet the population in the mountain west increased.
theres talk of congressional involement
and a rider/ryder on the federal budget bill
that is on Obama's desk, allowing states to manage their own wolves.
no more federal protection !!!
may be the answer to this insanity and long overdue in my book

Lets hope so!

The bill mentioned above by Ravenr is the bill that Big Game Forever is lobbying for. Go to the Big Game Forever website. Look over the information and photos there, the write your Senator and Congressman and tell him/her to support this bill. It Is Really Important!!
DW