longrangehunterII
Well-Known Member
I received this email yesterday below from Idaho Fish & Game Dept. So I've been thinking over the last 4-5 years why I keep paying for a Sportsman's License when the Deer and Elk has been decimated by the sheer numbers of Wolves in Idaho.
I live surrounded by the Panhandle National Forest. A decade ago I used to have 30-50 Elk on my property everyday from 1 hour before Sunset, throughout the night to 1-1 1/2 hours after Sunrise. Along with a healthy Whitetail Deer population.
Slowly each year those numbers dwindled to now I'm lucky to even see a few Elk on my property once a month, and only 3-4 deer. BTW I don't hunt on the 40 acres I own, in fact I made it a conservation Ranching for Wildlife area as a place to feed, breed, rest, and access to running water.
Each year I kept seeing less and less Elk Calves, and healthy Cows without any Calves at all now in 2018. The funds hunters spend on hunting still remains high yet the Elk and Deer populations certainly aren't keeping up with what we once enjoyed.
So why not boycott for something worthy of a great cause? Can't eat a Wolf, certainly doesn't put food on the table, what about the trickle down effects? Frank at CdA Taxidermy rarely sees any huge deer anymore, same for the number of Elk, less butchers seeing game, motels and guides... I doubt it's even half of what it used to be even in States like Montana. Montana used lotteries for the overwhelming numbers of hunters that wanted Deer & Elk Tags, and I was one of those people too. They can't give them away for the price they are asking nowadays vs the glory days of hunting in MT, and ID.
Seems like the people who wanted Wolves introduced got what they wanted, and yet I'd bet there are a far greater number of hunters who hunt then the anti-hunters....... So why not do something about it, we already had Mountain Lions and even their litters are suffering to the point we are seeing them around downtown Coeur d'Alene. I'd bet like the Deer, and Elk hanging out on Ranchers land for security the Mt. Lions are thinking why not head to the city life.
I've tried to make my point(s) heard at the Fish & Game Department(s), and yet still nothing much gets done to increase the Deer, and Elk populations. We once had the greatest Deer and Elk numbers nationwide, a Billion dollars spent on hunting only to have it go down the drain....... Now our Big Game animals are fearing for their lives 24/7 vs what was only during legal hunting hours and dates!
A wolf vs a human hunting a Game Animal really isn't a fair comparison even with our skills, and high tech weapons considering a Wolf has 365 days a year to chase and hunt its quarry. I'd like to put my money elsewhere in this case, and why I tend to shoot more and more PRS Events then hunt much anymore. It's a shame what happened IMO, I loved to go out hunting regardless if I took an animal or not! But to not see the game I used to see makes me what to hunt less not more, and if I don't take an animal at least it's one more that might make it through another season to breed and hopefully help their own dire situation. If you'd like your opinion(s) heard please speak up, the ID F&G didn't give a lot of time to get involved...... Naturally!
Proposed Big Game Hunting Rules for 2019 - 2020
Fish and Game has proposed big game hunting seasons and rules changes based on new information from biologists, public input, and surveys over the last year.
The proposed seasons are broken down by region, then for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, lion, and wolf.
Hunters can view by region and comment on the proposed hunting seasons and rules changes using this online survey: Big Game Seasons and Rules Proposals
Comment deadline, February 24, 2019
I live surrounded by the Panhandle National Forest. A decade ago I used to have 30-50 Elk on my property everyday from 1 hour before Sunset, throughout the night to 1-1 1/2 hours after Sunrise. Along with a healthy Whitetail Deer population.
Slowly each year those numbers dwindled to now I'm lucky to even see a few Elk on my property once a month, and only 3-4 deer. BTW I don't hunt on the 40 acres I own, in fact I made it a conservation Ranching for Wildlife area as a place to feed, breed, rest, and access to running water.
Each year I kept seeing less and less Elk Calves, and healthy Cows without any Calves at all now in 2018. The funds hunters spend on hunting still remains high yet the Elk and Deer populations certainly aren't keeping up with what we once enjoyed.
So why not boycott for something worthy of a great cause? Can't eat a Wolf, certainly doesn't put food on the table, what about the trickle down effects? Frank at CdA Taxidermy rarely sees any huge deer anymore, same for the number of Elk, less butchers seeing game, motels and guides... I doubt it's even half of what it used to be even in States like Montana. Montana used lotteries for the overwhelming numbers of hunters that wanted Deer & Elk Tags, and I was one of those people too. They can't give them away for the price they are asking nowadays vs the glory days of hunting in MT, and ID.
Seems like the people who wanted Wolves introduced got what they wanted, and yet I'd bet there are a far greater number of hunters who hunt then the anti-hunters....... So why not do something about it, we already had Mountain Lions and even their litters are suffering to the point we are seeing them around downtown Coeur d'Alene. I'd bet like the Deer, and Elk hanging out on Ranchers land for security the Mt. Lions are thinking why not head to the city life.
I've tried to make my point(s) heard at the Fish & Game Department(s), and yet still nothing much gets done to increase the Deer, and Elk populations. We once had the greatest Deer and Elk numbers nationwide, a Billion dollars spent on hunting only to have it go down the drain....... Now our Big Game animals are fearing for their lives 24/7 vs what was only during legal hunting hours and dates!
A wolf vs a human hunting a Game Animal really isn't a fair comparison even with our skills, and high tech weapons considering a Wolf has 365 days a year to chase and hunt its quarry. I'd like to put my money elsewhere in this case, and why I tend to shoot more and more PRS Events then hunt much anymore. It's a shame what happened IMO, I loved to go out hunting regardless if I took an animal or not! But to not see the game I used to see makes me what to hunt less not more, and if I don't take an animal at least it's one more that might make it through another season to breed and hopefully help their own dire situation. If you'd like your opinion(s) heard please speak up, the ID F&G didn't give a lot of time to get involved...... Naturally!
Proposed Big Game Hunting Rules for 2019 - 2020
Fish and Game has proposed big game hunting seasons and rules changes based on new information from biologists, public input, and surveys over the last year.
The proposed seasons are broken down by region, then for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, lion, and wolf.
Hunters can view by region and comment on the proposed hunting seasons and rules changes using this online survey: Big Game Seasons and Rules Proposals
Comment deadline, February 24, 2019
