Sheep hunt turned into wolf hunt. Success photo included.

[MT4XFore]

Big Bore, Did not mean to enflame your pro wolf feelings. Just wanted to put a little perspective on your comments. I am refering to the Northern Yellowstone Elk herd, not beavers, not moose or elk in the little belts. As for the peer review, those are commonly quoted numbers from recent articles from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the same FWP biologists that are claming such success with the re-introduction. And yes, the re-intoduction has been a resounding success if more wolves are the sole criteria. As for elk numbers 300 and 500 years ago, I cannot give that info, and I suspect neither can you. As for the the original head of the food chain in this area, I'm afraid the good ole Grizzly was there rather than the wolf. Finally, and this is my last word on the subject, your attack on my beliefs , ie. my signature line, proves that it is right on.
Have a good day, and God Bless.
Jim

 

[Michael Eichele]

Somwhow I had a feeling this would lead to the ever heated debate about wolves. I understand that as humans increase and wish to take more game, other competetors such as wolves become less liked.

I have always had a soft spot for wolves and I struggled for a day and a half as to whether or not I was going to go harvest these magnificent animals.

My theory is all things in balance. Because the lower 48 protects wolves, they are hardley kept in balance, hence everyones hatred for them. I also understand that in Idaho a much smaller wolf was native, perhaps the gray wolf and when they reintroduced them, they brought the timber wolf which is much larger than the original. Bottom line: elk herds and other species herds will suffer. It was flat wrong to introduce a sub species that never existed in that region.

As for Alaska, we have so many wolves that we dont know what to do with them and as more and more hunters move in, something has got to give. As the top of the food chain, that would be mankind and it is our right to manage game accordingly. Unfourtunatly, some organizations dont always think of the right way to go about it. As for me, I will do my part to help "manage" the areas I like to hunt by harvesting predators (with-in the limits of the law) and also by sharing vital information with the game department so they can make the right choices, as well as not over harvesting game even if the law states I can have more. I like to be able to return year after year and have a good experiance instead of 1 or 2. I have had several friends tell me that they would have shot all 7 of them and left them lay. This is wrong due to the fact that the legal limit is 5 and you are required to salvage the hide(s). Like I said, all things in balance. I can tolerate wolves as well as other hunters in my areas as long as it is all balanced.

 

[Guest]

Excellent Scientific America article on the Wolf reintroduction I highly recommend everyone read the outstanding article.

[ QUOTE ]
... And yes, the reintroduction has been a resounding success if more wolves are the sole criteria.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wolf count has never been the primary criteria for success. The goal has always been to stabilize the decay of the park and return the area to it's pre-extinction, god designed ecological balance. Wolf count is a secondary issue. Reducing the complex ecosystem to a trivial count of elk/wolves shows a complete misunderstanding. It's tantamount to the spotted owl issue. Spotted owls are only an indicator of an incredibly complex ecosystem destroyed by deforestation and tree farming.

[ QUOTE ]
... I am refering to the Northern Yellowstone Elk herd, not beavers, not moose or elk in the little belts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you willing to sacrifice beavers, song birds, and other Forrest diversity for the convenience of docile, overpopulated elk hunting?

[ QUOTE ]
As for elk numbers 300 and 500 years ago, I cannot give that info, and I suspect neither can you.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'll see if I can dig them up. It's simple pre-extinction biology.
[ QUOTE ]

As for the the original head of the food chain in this area, I'm afraid the good ole Grizzly was there rather than the wolf.

[/ QUOTE ]
That is incorrect. The wolf has been the top predator in the park for the last several hundred thousand years or more. Compared to wolves, Grizzlies are insignificant predators. Top predator is a well defined biological concept not based on who would win a fight in a ring. The subtitle of the SciAm article states <font color="red"> Bringing the top predator back to Yellowstone has triggered a cascade of unanticipated changes in the park's ecosystem </font>
[ QUOTE ]


Finally, and this is my last word on the subject, your attack on my beliefs , ie. my signature line, proves that it is right on.
Have a good day, and God Bless.
Jim

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sorry if I offended your beliefs; that was not my intention. But if you go quoting the bible and god, it seems to me you're other statements should be consistent. How can you believe man can design a superior ecosystem to the one your god designed?

I hope we get a surplus of wolves (like parts of Alaska now have) so we can go wolf hunting.

 

[MT4XFore]

meichele, I apologize sir for the unnecessary hijacking of your thread. Congratulations on a successful hunt. I agree completely with your last post. I envy your ability to help control your wolf population. Again, my apologies!
God Bless,
Jim

 

[MT4XFore]

A good article to be sure, but as it states not definitive. I will not debate this here any longer. If you wish more discussion feel free to open a new thread somewhere else. I will participate.
God Bless,
Jim

 

[Michael Eichele]

No problem MTX, I just wanted all to know that I am niether pro wolf or anti wolf. I am right in the middle and understand both sides. I do feel blessed to be able to have so many opprotunities up here being able to hunt alot and harvest game that you cant get anywhere else! I appreciate reading about how every one elses view of wolves and wolf hunting.

Regards!

 

[Guest]

Great Post Michael. I should have spun off another thread on the wolf. I'm guessing most of us share your philosophy ( I will do my part to help "manage" the areas I like to hunt by harvesting predators (with-in the limits of the law) ... not over harvesting game even if the law states I can have more. I like to be able to return year after year and have a good experiance instead of 1 or 2. I have had several friends tell me that they would have shot all 7 of them and left them lay. This is wrong due to the fact that the legal limit is 5 and you are required to salvage the hide(s).
I don't see how any rational person could argue with that. My only compliant is YOU DIDN'T GET a PIC of ALL THREE. When you get a chance, post of pic of all three hides.

The YNP packs continues to split, grow and force other packs to new areas. I'm hoping in 10 years we will be able to draw wolf tags in Montana &amp; ID.

I also hope your post isn't perverted by <font color="green"> Rain Barrel Liberals </font>, ie, this guy Michael drove down and road and shot 3 wolves and therefore accelerated global warming. I'm guessing it took considerable skill (acquiring target), stealth, wind/scent management, patience, physical effort. It's got my brother, nephews and I excited about an Alaska wolf hunt.

For those wishing the definitive article on Yellowstone after Wolves, this paper is much higher quality than the watered down SciAm article. It's written by the leaders in the field and comes from my Alumni, MSU Biology

 

[Michael Eichele]

Well put and thank you for understanding. BTW, [ QUOTE ]
I'm guessing it took considerable skill (acquiring target), stealth, wind/scent management, patience, physical effort.

[/ QUOTE ]

You hit the nail on the head. These critters are among the sharpest in the world. They are VERY elusive and shy. I am sure there was quite a measure of right place right time, but I did feel very gratified that I was able to keep the patience and focus through the over 2 hour stalk in which I had to maintain physical care as well decending over 1300 feet with a 45 pound pack after sidehilling around the face of a peak to put myself in the shadow of the ridge that would hide me from them. And then having to accend back up the 1300 feet with an even heavier pack, dehydrated, hungy and physically drained from days of hiking in mountainous terrian all the while getting soaked to the bone from off and on rain showers and cold from the off and on winds.

I will remember every step of this experiance and would not trade it for anything. The high country has a tight hold on me and I will return year after year in search of these great experiances however much it hurts mentally and physicaly. That is part of what makes those trips so memorable!

Thank you for your insight and the links.

 

[Sandman]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes the AMAX is my ussual sheep load. Hair splitting accuracy, ultra high terminal performance and low velocity expansion for the long shots.

[/ QUOTE ]

Meichele, I have followed your posts with interest over the past year as I lived in Eagle River for 3 years and love Alaska and sheep hunting. I also shoot a .308 quite often. I have a question about your load. What distance do you consider max for this load/bullet for adequate low velocity expansion?

 

[Michael Eichele]

Hello SM,

I am stuck in the Denver airport on my way home and am on a limited time internet terminal. I will post another post tomarrow or the next day.

 

[sscoyote]

Great story and pics. Michael-- u oughtta consider writing that up for Varmint Hunter magazine. They get very few articles about wolf hunting, and they might just pay u for it. The custom LR rifle/equipment/wolf/good pics article has a lot of clout in the writing industry.

 

[gator378]

While looking high and low for a few days for a 160 class dall ram I have been trying to get and not finding him, I watched a pack of 7 wolves for a couple of days. By mid day Sunday, the temptation was too much too bear and I stalked these wolves to 360 yards. A close setup but by the time I dissapeared out of sight and reappeared, that was the range. I watched one wolf poke his head up out of the tundra every 2 minutes to look around while the others just slept. I timed it just right and when his head dissapeared, I stalked the last 20 yards to get onto some good level ground. I thought to myself, the next time I see your head pop up, it will be in my crosshairs! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I got into position and set the scope up 5 clicks to be dead on. I peered through and 10 seconds later, his head popped up. I thought about it and decided if all I can hit is his face it will ruin the hide. I waited for one to get up. After only a minute one stood up to stretch. I aimed and fired. I could see it was a hit, but he didnt drop. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif I waited for another clean shot and within a few seconds another wolf assesed the wounded wolf's situation and ran him off as if to say "Get out of here, you cant help us anymore." He stopped facing my direction, I quatered up his chest and fired. BANG!, flop. Another wolf ran over to see what happened facing me again. I though to myself, this is like dejavoo! I quartered his chest, BANG!, flop. The first wolf never presented another clean opprotunity and he fled, which I gave him some time and went to recover him a bit later. (Turns out he didnt go far.) I went over to the 1st kill site and set up for some photos. I only got a few then my battaries died.

Up here we are allowed 5 wolves per year under our hunting license. No tags required for a resident. We have so many wolves that the game department wants them thinned out. Non residents pay only 30 bucks for a tag. Season is 8-10 through 4-30 each year. It was quite gratifying to stalk that close to a pack of one of the greatest and most efficient land predators this world has seen during our era.

Equipment used:

Swarovski EL 10x42 binos, Swarovski 20-60 spotting scope, Swarovski LG range finder, semi custom rem 700 in 308 win, Mark 4 fixed 10x scope and hornaday 155 AMAX bullets. BTW, the AMAX's were awesome!! Very lethal and explosive.

CHEERS!

For some reason I could not find the picture

 

[dirtball]

Probably because the last post before yours was over 4 years ago.
Dave