I hunted the Malheur National Forest in Eastern Oregon for Elk in 1997. In 1998 a couple of mature Grizzlies trapped a ranger in his truck on the next range to the North of that area, and they had not been seen since 1905 south of the Dalles. We were told by folks in the know that the bears had been re-introduced on the QT.
In 2007, I hunted Mount Adams in Southern Washington for elk, without taking precautions for large predators other than carrying my .375-338. Now they’ve got wolves being managed by the same people that have let the cats and black bears by kill off the young elk, decimating their money making elk herds. (The last stats that I saw for Washington showed a 15% tag fill on elk.)
At least Montana tells its hunters about the possibility of running into bears and wolves so they won’t have a fatal surprise.
I just looked it up. Apparently forest fires have driven grizzlies into Eastern Oregon. There are plans to hunt them down.
High power, large magazine, semi auto or assault rifles may be the next popular hunting rifle.
I have a feeling that the leaders have decided if they reintroduce wolves into our forests, camping will cut back, the need for herd management through hunting will be reduced and consequently people just won’t be buying rifles and handguns.
Who is going to go out shooting, camping or hunting if there’s a danger that you might be attacked by a pack of wolves? Keeping in mind that someone who goes out hunting deer once a year is nowhere close to being what I would consider a woodsman.
Hunters who drink in the evenings, and there’s lots of them, when they run out of beer they must go to town to buy more. Would you go to sleep half plastered if you knew there was wolves in the area?
Over the next twenty five years I won’t be surprised if the sales of hunting licenses drops significantly.