Feds will try again to delist wolves

Idaho Statesman ^ | November 28, 2008 | Rocky Barker

[jazusamo]

Environmentalists say deciding now on Idaho and Montana populations will prolong the legal battle over U.S. wolves.

Federal wildlife managers hope to remove wolves from the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana before President-elect Barack Obama takes office.

But environmentalists say a decision before President Bush leaves office will simply delay final resolution by throwing the dispute back into the courts. They say the best course is to take modest interim steps now and then let the Obama administration take a fresh look at wolf management nationwide next year.

Either way, a new administration more favorable to environmentalists will inherit the job of sorting out a controversy that has raged since the 1980s.

The Bush administration is moving forward with plans nonetheless.

Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said this week that his agency will analyze comments on the administration's proposed wolf-management plan, which are due Friday.

"I'm hoping we can get to a final rule by the end of the year," Bangs said.

In March, wolves were removed from the protections of the endangered species list in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and northern Utah. That action gave primary responsibility for managing the animals to the states, which proposed to loosen conditions under which wolves could be killed and to allow hunting. Environmentalists challenged that action, and in July a federal judge in Montana stopped the delisting, placing the predators back on the endangered species list.

[jazusamo]

Another article in The Oregonian re wolves killing too many elk in No Idaho.

Idaho F&G: Wolves hitting North Idaho cow elk hard

[jazusamo]

Wolf Ping!

[george76]

Ed Bangs and his friends have government pay checks for life.

[jazusamo]

Isn’t it the truth. No matter which way it goes they’re to oversee forever. Sheesh!

[CommerceComet]

I think that we are learning why our ancestors got rid of wolves. Keeping the range of wolves limited is a good thing.

[jazusamo]

Exactly...Our ancestors were right, IMO.

[montomike]

It’s happening in Montana, too.

[Vaquero]

one must practice the 3 S’s

SHOOT...SHOVEL and SHUT-UP.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Except for ranchers, I’m in favor of wolf populations increasing until natural controls kick in. There are several good reasons for this.

Too many deer have been a problem for a decade or two. Wolf will also compete with coyote, which all told are far more pestiferous dogs.

Wolf are also big in helping to keep the rodent population down, which has lots of other benefits.

Finally, wolves are superior dogs, and when they cross breed with dogs like huskies, keep the breed fit and healthy. While wolves can still have hip displasia, which is the bane of several large breeds, it is far less common in wolves.

Since 96% wolves are legal for domestication, they make for highly intelligent open range dogs. Oddly enough, if used for that purpose, they would fend off wild wolves who wanted to hunt on that ranch. The wild wolves would smell the dogs territory and avoid it.

[jazusamo]

Yes, ranching is where the big problem lies. Ranchers have to show proof of wolf kills to be reimbursed for losses and they lose more livestock than they are reimbursed for.

Depredation of wildlife can be managed by state wildlife departments but only if the wolf is delisted and the animal rights activists don’t take over their jobs through lawsuits and that’s whats been taking place.

[proxy_user]

I saw the headline and thought they were going to kick short sellers off the NYSE.

[girlangler]

Hi Jaz,

I’m a few days late to this topic (haven’t been on FR), but here’s a good read:

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com:80/vault/article/magazine/MAG1148866/index.htm

[jazusamo]

Thanks so much for the link, Girl.

That is a very good article on hunting or I should say dwindling hunting. I believe therein lies many of the reasons for the ever increasing encounters of predators (coyotes, bears and cougars) with humans and their livestock and pets in even populated areas.

It’s an article that all animal rights activists and the anti hunting crowd should read and take heed, they could find themselves or their much loved pets as the prey one of these fine days.

[george76]

We taxpayers spent lots of money for the introduction of Canadian wolves.

These Canadian wolves are much bigger than American wolves.

Now , we will get the future tax bills for managing these Canadian wolves.

[george76]

Geist has thought about that subject a lot.

Until recently, he says, “I was very much of the opinion that wolves were a fairly harmless group of predators.” But then the wolf population exploded.

“When I walk my dog now [on Vancouver Island, B.C.], I carry a gun,” he says. “My wife has been threatened by wolves twice.”

[Myrddin]

The local hunters in Pocatello came home empty handed this year. These are seasoned hunters that feed their families with an annual elk. There was nothing to bring home this year. We had a very harsh winter last year. Between the winter and the wolves, there is little or nothing left of the elk herds. The wolf packs have grown far larger than was ever agreed. The animals are non-native species. They are Canadian wolves, not the wolf that previously inhabited the area. As is common when a non-native species is introduced, they devastate an ecosystem. Canadian wolves also "sport kill" elk and moose. It isn't a matter of food. It's pure entertainment. When they run out of wild game, they enter cities and towns looking for food. We already have a problem with mountain lions hunting on the Idaho State University campus for want of sufficient game in the surrounding mountains.