WOLVES CALLED BLESSING AND BANE

Albuquerque Journal ^ | April 7, 2004 | Jeff Jones

[JesseHousman]

SILVER CITY— The state Game Commission set up an open microphone in an auditorium here Tuesday to hear what people thought of the agency taking a bigger role in the federal government's Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program.

The mike was in use nonstop for more than two hours as dozens of people— most of them supporters of the wolf program, along with a handful of opponents— lined up for their allotted three minutes.

The wolves were called scourges, treasures, killers and symbols of a healthy ecosystem.

Six years after wolves first hit the ground in the Southwest, it was clear that opinions about them still run fiery hot or ice cold.

"I feel very fortunate— I have heard the howls of wolves," Grant County resident Sharon Morgan told the three state game commissioners heading the meeting at Western New Mexico University.

"Everyone thinks this wolf is such a great animal. He's a killer," countered Gila Wilderness outfitter Jack Diamond. "Does anybody care about our deer or elk? They're the ones that are going to suffer."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing the endangered wolves into southeastern Arizona in 1998, near the New Mexico border. Others have since been released into southwestern New Mexico. There are now an estimated 50 to 60 free-roaming wolves in both states combined.

New Mexico and Arizona had wanted a more active and equal role in the wolf reintroduction program and more than a year ago the states began leading day-to-day management activities, including trapping problem wolves and monitoring the packs.

A memorandum of understanding that would formalize the new state-federal cooperation arrangement is being circulated. The Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona and a few other key players have already signed on. The New Mexico Game Commission, which oversees the Game and Fish Department, is to vote on whether to lend its signature to the memo at its monthly meeting today.

Tuesday's forum was set up to get input on New Mexico Game and Fish's role under the proposed memo. But many people who spoke spent little or no time on the memo itself.

A long list of wolf supporters criticized the Fish and Wildlife Service for not implementing several changes to the program recommended by a team of scientists in 2001.

Those scientists said the program should immediately change its rules to allow the wolves to roam outside specified recovery-area boundaries. Critics say that leads to unnecessary captures. Currently, wolves that wander outside those invisible boundaries can be trapped, even if they are causing no trouble.

The scientists also said ranchers should be made responsible for clearing livestock carcasses that wolves can scavenge on, thereby getting a taste for livestock.

Michael Robinson, a Pinos Altos resident and representative of the Center for Biological Diversity, said Tuesday he's not a fan of the proposed memo of understanding because he believes it takes control of the program away from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

He said state wildlife agencies aren't responsible for looking at the "big picture" of wolf recovery like the Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency. "It's like you're trying to fight a drug war, and you're getting rid of a drug czar," he said.

He told the commissioners that if the commission does decide to sign the memo, the board should use its political sway to urge the Fish and Wildlife Service to adopt the 2001 recommendations.

Jason Dobrinski, president of the Grant County Area Cattle Growers Association, said he opposed the Game Commission's involvement in the memo.

"The Fish and Wildlife Service has a history of deception," he said.

F.E. Baxter, a Grant County resident who owns burros and takes her llamas on pack trips into the Gila Wilderness, voiced her support for the wolves.

"If we really intend for the wolves to have success, we've got to do a better job at it," she said. "I'm willing to risk my own livestock to save a species."

Copyright 2004 Albuquerque Journal

[JesseHousman]

"I feel very fortunate— I have heard the howls of wolves," Grant County resident Sharon Morgan told the three state game commissioners heading the meeting at Western New Mexico University.

Its a cinch this bimbo is no rancher.

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[prion]

including trapping problem wolves and monitoring the packs

Problem wolves? Boy, if that expression doesn't have the smell of disaster about it.

Can't wolves interbreed freely with domestic dogs? That strikes me as being a serious risk.

[theDentist]

"I feel very fortunate— I have heard the howls of wolves," Grant County resident Sharon Morgan

Must've been born ugly. 2 howls and she feels pretty....

[JesseHousman]

Can't wolves interbreed freely with domestic dogs?

The government only introduces homosexual wolves.

[BipolarBob]

The solution is easy. We genetically engineer a vegetarian wolf.

[joesnuffy]

It took our ancestors many years to rid of us of large numbers of predators...both two and four legged...

And what do liberals love....predators...more than children more than calves or lambs or even 'fly over' American's family pets...

Perhaps this is because liberals and predators have so much in common...they both make their livings in much the same way...they wait for someone to build, to husband, to sell, to shepherd, to raise....and then they swoop in to steal, to savage, to rape and plunder...of course liberals dress differently than other predators...they like wearing suits and ties while they ply their trade...as they also have an aversion to getting their hands and clothes dirty...

Too bad they dont have an equal aversion to getting their souls dirty...

imo

[Wolfie]

Hooowwwwwwllllll!

[grellis]

Can't wolves interbreed freely with domestic dogs? That strikes me as being a serious risk.

The DNA of wolves is so similar to that of domestic dog breeds that they are coming to be thought of as just another breed.

As far as interbreeding goes, it depends on the breed the wolf mates with. My pooch, now 13 years old, is a grey wolf/collie mix. I am very fortunate in that she seems to have the best of both breed characteristics. Her mother, who was a wolf, was born and raised as a housepet. As with any breed this early socialization can dramatically alter a dogs potential disposition, to the good.

As far as wolf reintroduction goes, as much as I love my dog, I can't say I'm 100% behind the idea. It can have devastating effects on livestock and, therefore, on the livelihood of ranchers. This comment really got me:

"Does anybody care about our deer or elk? They're the ones that are going to suffer."

Reintroduced wolves going solely after deer and elk is actually the best-case scenario because our Bambi friends are a wolf packs natural prey. The potential problem is that a wolf pack will go after ranched animals as opposed to wild prey because ranched animals are a far easier target.

JMO, of course. As I said, I'm still on the fence here.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Open mike and three minutes? I feel a song coming on, here we go.



"Amarillo by morning
Up from San Antone
Everything that I've got
Is just what I've got on
When the sun is high
In that Texas sky
I'll be bucking it to county fair
Amarillo by morning
Amarillo I'll be there

They took my saddle in Houston
Broke my leg in Sante Fe
I lost me a wife and a girlfriend
Somewhere along the way
Well I'll be looking for eight
When they pull that gate
And I hope that
Judge ain't blind
Amarillo by morning
Amarillo on my mind

Amarillo by morning
Up from San Antone
Everything that I've got
Is just what I've got on
I ain't got a dime
But what I've got is mine
I ain't rich
But Lord I'm free
Amarillo by morning
Amarillo's where I'll be

Amarillo by morning
Amarillo's where I'll be"


There. 40 seconds left. Uh we don't need no stinkin wolves.

Thank you

[grellis]

Its not pit bulls but I thought you might be interested!

[TigersEye]

F.E. Baxter, a Grant County resident who owns burros and takes her llamas on pack trips into the Gila Wilderness, voiced her support for the wolves. "If we really intend for the wolves to have success, we've got to do a better job at it," she said. "I'm willing to risk my own livestock to save a species."

Nice of her to speak for all livestock owners. We'll see how she feels after a wolfpack rips apart one of her pet llamas in front of her eyes.

[Slings and Arrows]

The wolves'll last until they go after a rancher's livestock, and no longer. S^3 is the rule in that part of NM.

[S^3 = Shoot. Shovel. Shut up.]

[narby]

The Wolf re-introduction is merely another trick the enviros are using to eliminate people from the land. When Wolves threaten campers (and huge amounts of land were available for camping in the AZ/NM mountians) the feds just simply lock out the humans.

As the Wolf packs grow, less and less land will be available for hunting and camping.

That's the idea, of course.

[Probus]

When you live in an area where hunting of deer and elk are a good part of the livelihood and lifestyle of the residents, and you see your deer, elk, and moose populations drastically fall along with all the livestock killings you too, will be incensed. Further, in spite of the B.S. the wackos spew, these animals kill for fun, leaving many dead, uneaten animals (domestic and wild) in their wakes.

These things are happening in WY and have happened in AK.

Further, as the USFW is telling the state of NM it will be one way you can bet it will be whatever way the enviro-Nazis say it will be. Here in WY our legislature made a serious effort to pass a state law which was approved by the USFW service last year. This year, after receiving many emails and letters loaded with "feelings" they decided our statutes were not good enough. They promised to use only science to make decisions on whether to release control of the wolves to the states, but they lied. . . again.

Now, our liberal governor is suing the USFW due to these lies and illusions. While this goes on, the wolf population thrives with NO CONTROL, so. . . once again the Feds have us over a barrel. By the way, the wolves do not, cannot and will not stay in certain areas designated by the state or the US, they do not recognize these boundaries. Here in Fremont Co. we have a law against grizzlies and wolves being in the county, but the predators ignore the law.

[Probus]

. . . as has happened in Montana and Idaho recently.

[sergeantdave]

Quite simply, I wouldn't trust the USFWS. I admit I'm not familiar with the New Mexico/Nevada wolf situation and what follows here may not be relevant to this matter. Then again, it may.

Back in 1988, Congress proposed wolf recovery and instructed the bureaucrats that hunting should not be hurt, the local economy may not be harmed, and the grizzly bear should be protected.

These instructions are clear. This legislation applied to the proposed Yellowstone pack.

If these packs are harming the local economy and hunting, residents may have cause to sue Fish & Wildlife under the congressional mandate and demand the packs be managed or removed. These agencies can't wing it and make things up as they go along, at least not legally.

Whether or not the 1988 congressional action applies to the southwest packs would need to be researched.

[Probus]

You are correct, we have huge areas in the west where we cannot go because of the grizzly bear "recovery" already. Next we will be protecting the wolves as well.

[Probus]

Not only do they wing it and make it up as they go along, they expand the recovery area incrementally at every opportunity.

They believe that because the Defenders of Wildlife pay ranchers (with extreme stipulations) for their livestock losses there is no harm.

[Little Ray]

Llamas can be pretty nasty. A herd of Llamas may be a match for a pack of wolves.