Posted on 08/05/2006 6:38:38 PM PDT by george76
The dispute between dominant species over shared habitat in the West is escalating.
The proposal emphasizes continued protections for endangered species, and it states that such measures "shall be directed at the offending animal" while not jeopardizing the "viability of predator populations."
The "offending animal" is the one perceived as a threat to people and livestock.
There now are more than 1,000 wolves in the Northern Rockies region.
In Idaho alone, the offspring of 35 Canadian wolves now number more than 500.
Their main prey are...deer and elk.
But they have attacked domestic animals as well...through 2005...( at least ) 588 cows and 1,422 sheep.
But that has not satisfied opponents of growing wolf populations. The "Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition" is pushing a voter initiative that would mandate the removal of more than 500 wolves in the state's backcountry "by whatever means necessary."
Ron Gillett of Stanley, Idaho, head of the antiwolf coalition.
In fact, he says, the Forest Service proposal will make no difference because of the state's rugged terrain and topography.
What's more, says Mr. Gillett, Canadian wolves are considerably bigger than wolves that were native to Idaho, making them more of a threat to livestock and wildlife.
"There's only one way to manage Canadian wolves in Idaho," he says. "Get rid of them."
In other parts of the West, cougar populations are growing as well. In Oregon ( since ) 1994...
The state's cougar population has grown from about 3,000 to more than 5,000. The big cats have been spotted in residential areas, including near schools...
dogs, cats, and goats have been killed, and horses have been injured...
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. It looks like my doggie.
Anyway, this is why it's important to elect Republicans.
ping
People I know over near Libby, MT woke up on morning to find 3 wolves on their porch. I have seen tracks while hunting, but not the wolves themselves.
It can be dangerous in your own yard.
Some parents will not let the kids go out at night at all and if the kids want to play in the yard during the day...a parent goes along with a loaded shot gun.
Mountain lions will also stalk kids.
Pombo needs to get re-elected and we need to keep our Congressional majority so that Pombo will stay the Chairman.
Living in prime bear territory, our kids learned the "bear rules" early in life.
BTW, my wife & I saw the "Slough Creek (Wolf) Pack" 2 days ago while fishing. Still see more bears than wolves, but they (the wolves) definitely are on the rise.
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have been working for years on a wolf management strategy that the Feds have been pushing them on.
Idaho and Montana have come up with plans that make the cut. Wyoming hasn't yet. It wants to make any wolf off the National Parklands a varmit, and this has been a sticking point.
When and if they get the details worked out, there will be hunting seasons on wolves in Idaho, unless they've changed the concept.
If they don't control the wolves, it will put a world of hurt on the elk and deer seasons, which will hurt the states' conservation monies, since these things are mostly funded through things relating to hunting.
Hubby makes noises time to time to move to Salmon ID, but between the winter cold, bears and wolves, I don't have as much enthusiasm for that as he does.
This excellent idea needs to gravitate to sourthern Arizona and New Mexico.
These Canadian wolves that were released in Yellowstone are showing up in Colorado and Utah...soon South Dakota and California ?
Many small ranchers are losing livestock that otherwise would help pay their bank loans and taxes.
I hope that Wyoming wins the right to set their own state laws to control predators. Brown bears and wolves that are leaving Yellowstone are a very real and growing problem.
Hunting ( as we both know, but some lurkers may not ) not only generates fees for habitat protection but also puts food on the table for many families.
Many urban liberals would love us to leave our homes.
GRRR.
wonder what they are willing to do to make up the lost conservation $$$....probably next to nothing...
I'm beginning to think they ought to ban Bambi. The cutsie images of innocent wildlife against brutal man are just too wrong.
Same here Concho, the National Park Service pays someone to kill the European boars that are destroying native fauna and habitat for other critters in the Smokies.
They could be charging the public to hunt them and making money (of course they are always crying about not having enough money).
But, they can't because the citified PETA type wildlife managers would scream like crazy.
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