Kill the wolf?

[The Hock]

This from Forbes

33,715 views|May 6, 2016,12:29 pm
Why Wolves Are The Unsung Heroes Of Healthy Ecosystems
QuoraContributor
Consumer Tech

This article is more than 2 years old.

What should everyone know about wolves in the wild?

Answer by Oliver Starr, wolf handler and wilds advocate, on Quora:

Wolves are critical to healthy ecosystems – we need wolves more than wolves need us! Please watch this amazing video that helps put in perspective the role wolves play in restoring a damaging ecosystem back to health.

Unlike human trophy hunters, wolves take targets of opportunity – the young, the sick, the injured, the invisibly genetically inferior – in so doing they maintain the health of their prey species. Human hunters kill the fittest animals because they can – wolves improve the strength of their prey, humans consistently diminish it.

Wolves are considered both an apex predator and a keystone species. This means they are at the top of the food chain with no natural other animals that prey upon them for food.

Their reputation as dangerous animals or creatures that kill for enjoyment is simply inaccurate. As predators, wolves consume the flesh of other creatures. Unlike humans, their biology dictates a diet that consists almost entirely of meat. Wolves are the largest of all wild canids and they typically require large prey or a very high density of smaller prey to maintain their presence in an area.

Wolves have been known to eat moose, elk, deer, caribou, bison, musk ox, and virtually every other ungulate species that shares their range. Wolves will also eat smaller animals such as beavers, rabbits, squirrels, mice and, unfortunately, sometimes domestic livestock and pets.

Some people claim that wolves "decimate" they populations of the species they prey upon; however the facts do not bear this out. In the United States we've been documenting wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies for 25 years. We've also been documenting ungulate populations, particularly elk, for even longer.

While it is true that there are a few management units across the whole of the wolf recovery area that do show some reductions in elk numbers, by and large the presence of wolves has resulted in increases in elk populations nearly everywhere they've returned.

Wolves form very close social bonds. Wolf "packs" are actually families that typically consist of one or more breeding pairs, siblings of the breeders, and the offspring from one or more previous litters.

Lone wolves –perhaps the worst of all the mischaracterizations and vilifications heaped upon wolves is the idea that "lone wolves" are particularly killers or out to cause harm.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Lone wolves are technically known as dispersers and they're not looking for trouble, they're looking for love!

Not all wolves have the makeup to leave their natal group and set off on their own. It's a tremendously risky undertaking that very often results in the dispersing wolf dying in his or her effort to find a mate and start a family of their own.

 

[WYO300RUM]

The American Indians were known for their ability to manage wildlife with the presence of predator's and they passed that on to the early American Settlers.

Somewhere along the way those skills have gone astray.

"When you disturb the balance of nature you create an imbalance that is hard to reverse."

It doesn't mean that introducing Predator's into a Wildlife Area works, anymore than Hunting them to point of instinction would work.

"A strong Herd will keep any Predator at bay when protecting their young."

I'm sorry but I had to read this again. Indians managed wildlife and a strong herd kept predators at Bay... Were you talking about cape buffalo ? Wait... Lions usually win there too. Unbelievable .

 

[WYO300RUM]

Disney like huh ?

 

[The Hock]

The problem with that whole point of view is it is based upon a fallacy. Wolves addres NOT the benevolent creatures they are purported to be. I have a book written in the early 20th century entitled "wolves in the northwest". It chronicles the movement of wolves from the east across the continent as the areas were developed. As they arrived in the area that became Denali National Park their impact upon wildlife was devastating. The author gave as an example the historical calving grounds of the caribou. Herds were so devastated the animals stayed in the less hospitible winter grazing areas and the herds dropped precipitously. Wolves most definitely do not only take the weak. They meticulously take healthy animal and eat only choicest parts. Kills aren't normally eaten in their entirety

5 years ago Washington had no identifiable wolf packs. Yet sheep were showing up dead and shepherds reported seeking wolves killing them. Three solution? The game department told them owners to move their sheep! What would you suppose happened? Yup, wolves followed the sheep and kept killing! The state was forced to officially give the folks owning cattle and sheep cart blanch to kill wolves eating their sheep. Since there was not officially a wolf pack they were treated as if they were coyotes!

 

[WYO300RUM]

The problem with that whole point of view is it is based upon a fallacy. Wolves addres NOT the benevolent creatures they are purported to be. I have a book written in the early 20th century entitled "wolves in the northwest". It chronicles the movement of wolves from the east across the continent as the areas were developed. As they arrived in the area that became Denali National Park their impact upon wildlife was devastating. The author gave as an example the historical calving grounds of the caribou. Herds were so devastated the animals stayed in the less hospitible winter grazing areas and the herds dropped precipitously. Wolves most definitely do not only take the weak. They meticulously take healthy animal and eat only choicest parts. Kills aren't normally eaten in their entirety

5 years ago Washington had no identifiable wolf packs. Yet sheep were showing up dead and shepherds reported seeking wolves killing them. Three solution? The game department told them owners to move their sheep! What would you suppose happened? Yup, wolves followed the sheep and kept killing! The state was forced to officially give the folks owning cattle and sheep cart blanch to kill wolves eating their sheep. Since there was not officially a wolf pack they were treated as if they were coyotes!

Just like wolves documented in Idaho killing cow elk and eating only the fetus.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Dear Don:

I have long supported the delisting of the gray wolf in Wyoming from the endangered species list. One of my priorities in Washington is ensuring that Wyoming's rich hunting, fishing and outdoor tradition is preserved for future generations and doing our best to ensure we are responsible stewards of the environment.

I believe we must find a balance to ensure that our wildlife populations are healthy and also need to maintain populations that afford Wyoming residents the opportunities to which they're accustomed. I trust Wyoming wildlife managers over environmental groups for how to best manage our state's wildlife.

Sincerely,

Michael B. Enzi
United States Senator

MBE:SO
#ICEBA1e435db074d548ffad999c978

 

[WYO300RUM]

I like the last line. If he can do anything about it than just say it. I hope so.

 

[Recoil Junkie]

There is a reason they were hunted to extinction... they are amazing predators and if they keep protecting them they will come after us after they have killed all of their prey

 

[Bro Dave]

The American Indians were known for their ability to manage wildlife with the presence of predator's and they passed that on to the early American Settlers.

Somewhere along the way those skills have gone astray.

"When you disturb the balance of nature you create an imbalance that is hard to reverse."

It doesn't mean that introducing Predator's into a Wildlife Area works, anymore than Hunting them to point of instinction would work.

"A strong Herd will keep any Predator at bay when protecting their young."

I like the last line. If he can do anything about it than just say it. I hope so.

The last line used to be true, but now we have more non-hunters and non-game biologists running the show it is becoming the scenario of the fox maybe guarding the hen house. The only thing that can keep that from happening is for this community to be very active and visible. In Montana we have a lawyer as department head.

 

[5.56×250]

Yep. natural balance my... Destroy what we have built up for a 100 years. All in the name of what ??? Let the wolves do what hunters do. Eliminate hunting . The grand finale . They hope so .
I think he tapped out. Or fell asleep. Howl!

The grand finale is the taking of our firearms and ol rainbow warrior doesnt even realize it cause he bought the pack of lies that got handed down to him by the powers that be.

 

[Pmacc60]

I love how some romanticize the wolf as some honorable guardian of the natural resources. Only taking the weak and sick and my favorite line ' the invisible genetically inferior' I guess that's the calves they spy out with their great powers to look into the future. Maybe at one time the wolf had its place in the lower forty eight and of it is subject to nature's rules and man can shoot them on site , the wolf can stay. Let the wolf live on its terms oh mighty self proclaimed experts and hunt and be hunted 24/7. Now to me that's balance.

 

[BW64]

Here's one from another forum!!

As frustrating as it may be that wolves and other predators impact game populations, it is important to remember that they are an important part of the ecosystem. I am persuing a wildlife biology major so maybe I'm a bit biased here, but the elk and deer aren't more valuable than other organisms in the ecosystem.

There was recently a short video put out about how the reintroduction of wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem ended up changing the course of the river. Predation of the elk (as well as predation of coyotes) allowed plant species to recover, reduced erosion, improved small game populations and those of non game species, increased bear populations due to more berry bushes growing, and changed the course of the river. All because a handful of wolves were reintroduced. The elk are still in good numbers (clearly lower but still) in Yellowstone, they just aren't where they used to be. Under this additional year round hunting pressure the elk move out of areas where they can be easily trapped by the wolves. Guides in states that recently had wolves introduced say the same thing; you can still get elk it's just going to be a bit harder.

It is frustrating no longer being the only hunter on the block anymore. Wolves are an important part of an ecosystem at the end of the day, a keystone species if you will. Here on the east coast we've finally got coyotes, even in Deleware. You can't get rid of them either, coyotes are just too smart and reproduce too quickly. Plus they're here because we got rid of the wolves, so I guess we had that coming haha.

If a wolf is after you or you livestock by all means defend yourself and shoot the thing in the face, and feel free to hunt them as fish and game laws allow, but as outdoorsmen it is important to remember there are other things out there just as important as us and the game we pursue. You can't just shoot a wolf because it did a better job of bagging an elk or a deer this season.

Just drinking the kool aid!!

BW

 

[SHDeersniper]

^i hope that persons dog gets eaten by a wolf. Can't shoot it for doing that in at least a few states. Then I hope the wolf eats him/her. After all they are equal to us.

 

[WYO300RUM]

^i hope that persons dog gets eaten by a wolf. Can't shoot it for doing that in at least a few states. Then I hope the wolf eats him/her. After all they are equal to us.

Amen to that brother.