Montana Wolf Poaching - and so it begins...

[brewer427]

Received this last night. I think we are going to start seeing more and more of these stories, people are just getting flat fed up with them. I know there here to stay, but I think things need to be done to really get there population in check. I'm working in Yellowstone park for the next week and a half and came through mammoth Friday. Drove around this weekend after work and can not believe how few of Elk I've seen compared to 5 years ago, but seen 7 wolves over three sightings.

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/enforcement/nr_0236.html

 

[4ester]

Rookie Mistake, He forgot to Shovel....(SSS).

 

[fulldraw1972]

Yep they forgot the second S.

 

[Shrek]

If the could only SSS 3000 more wolves we would be golden there's plenty of things I'd call that tip line about but someone doing the public service of killing wolves isn't one of them.

 

[Jason Snyder]

You guys can applaud this idiot all you want, that your perogative. However, the truth of the matter is that politics and social intolerance of elk has had a far greater impact on elk numbers than wolves have. Apparently, half the year and a limit of five tags isn't enough for some fools. Folks like this are the same fools that shoot other animals out of season too.

 

[Beastmode]

You guys can applaud this idiot all you want, that your perogative. However, the truth of the matter is that politics and social intolerance of elk has had a far greater impact on elk numbers than wolves have. Apparently, half the year and a limit of five tags isn't enough for some fools. Folks like this are the same fools that shoot other animals out of season too.

I respectfully disagree. Elk numbers in Yellowstone are a perfect example. Before the reintroduction they were thriving. Now you will be lucky to see half the elk you would have 20 years ago. I also know there are many sportsman out there who follow every rule in the book with game animals but when it comes to wolves (cougars in my state) they choose to bend those rules a little. I do not blame them one bit. There is a reason we got rid of these animals in the early 1900s.

 

[BroodBuster]

Anybody who follows all the rules but..... is not a sportsman! They're a poacher.

Just sayin.

 

[BroodBuster]

BTW. The same people who got rid of all the wolves in the early 1900's were the same people who also got rid of all the elk.

 

[Shrek]

Well , by my math if they poached an elk for every wolf they killed we'd be elk ahead. The only good wolf is an extinct wolf.

 

[BroodBuster]

Why are you so afraid of them?

 

[Beastmode]

Anybody who follows all the rules but..... is not a sportsman! They're a poacher.

Just sayin.

Maybe you need a few more predators is your state? When you go elk/deer hunting and see more predators than game animals it might change your perspective. Wolves are not game animals, they should not be looked at that way. Unfortunately there are hunters out there that believe we still need to save the wolves. These people have not seen the decline in numbers first hand in states surrounding the park.

 

[BackcountryMT]

This is a gray area for me. On one hand I totally understand the SSS mentality, on the other, I live and hunt the Bitterroot Valley and I have NEVER seen a wolf track while hunting. I get into elk every day.

These days, I think too many hunters use wolves as a crutch for not hunting hard enough. I have nothing but respect for wolves, just discontent for those that lost their grip on the control.

 

[mt100gr.]

As much as I dislike wolves and have witnessed their impacts on local deer and elk herds, I would not shoot one out of season. It's simple for me, i will not compromise my privileges to hunt other game animals for shooting a wolf out of season. Odds are very good that I could get away with it, but....

I do however agree that wolves are NOT a game animal and should not be managed as such. They should be controlled year-round by any means. It's not like we could get rid of them if we wanted to....without poisoning them out again like the first time they were eradicated.

I do know a handful of guys who claim to shoot them on sight...maybe they do, maybe not. I don't mind if they do at all but personally I will not risk it.

 

[BroodBuster]

Maybe you need a few more predators is your state? When you go elk/deer hunting and see more predators than game animals it might change your perspective. Wolves are not game animals, they should not be looked at that way. Unfortunately there are hunters out there that believe we still need to save the wolves. These people have not seen the decline in numbers first hand in states surrounding the park.

~30,000 black bear. ~2,500 cougars. ~150 wolves. And 30 or so grizzlies. I can buy tags for the first two and am looking forward to the day I can buy a tag for a wolf. Unfortunately every time we get close to meeting the threshold to open a season poachers kill a bunch and set us back a few years. So yea anybody who promotes SSS is stealing from me and every other hunter! That is after all the definition of a poacher.

 

[mtnkid85]

This is a gray area for me. On one hand I totally understand the SSS mentality, on the other, I live and hunt the Bitterroot Valley and I have NEVER seen a wolf track while hunting. I get into elk every day.

These days, I think too many hunters use wolves as a crutch for not hunting hard enough. I have nothing but respect for wolves, just discontent for those that lost their grip on the control.

Very well put BCMT, I think a lot of guys who "hunt" from there pickups just like to bitch and moan. That said... I do think every elk hunter should be buying a wolf tag and doing there part to manage the wolf population. Some guys just might be doing more than there part...

 

[TheTone]

Folks like this are the same fools that shoot other animals out of season too.

Yep, my thoughts exactly

 

[Beastmode]

~30,000 black bear. ~2,500 cougars. ~150 wolves. And 30 or so grizzlies. I can buy tags for the first two and am looking forward to the day I can buy a tag for a wolf. Unfortunately every time we get close to meeting the threshold to open a season poachers kill a bunch and set us back a few years. So yea anybody who promotes SSS is stealing from me and every other hunter! That is after all the definition of a poacher.

If somebody is shooting a game animal without a license or out of season I will agree that is poaching. Wolves are not game animals. Any state that is considering them as such is only doing it for a financial gain. They are varmint. Period. Should we have tags and seasons for Prarie dogs too?

 

[mtluckydan]

You misunderstand the entire wolf management/hunting season. You only need a tag if you are going to bring them home. You can shoot them any time with no limit if you aren't going to bring them home. No worries about the wolf population. The research I've done indicates you would have to kill 75-85% of the population for an extended time to actually recover the big game populations to previous levels. That will not happen unless the state or feds get involved. The state is killing many more wolves than the trapping and hunting season with management actions and they haven't even put a dent in them.

 

[brewer427]

This is a gray area for me. On one hand I totally understand the SSS mentality, on the other, I live and hunt the Bitterroot Valley and I have NEVER seen a wolf track while hunting. I get into elk every day.

These days, I think too many hunters use wolves as a crutch for not hunting hard enough. I have nothing but respect for wolves, just discontent for those that lost their grip on the control.

Man you must be one of the luckiest guys in the valley. Hunted in Sula, Darby area a ton towards wisdom and have seen wolves twice, cut tracks every time I've went and heard them howling multiple times.

One of my Cousins is born, raised and lives in Lolo and has been hunting up Lolo creek on the south side since he could start hunting in 92 and he is sickened by how much the elk population has dropped and how many wolves are in the area. Now I no that the decline of elk in the root isn't all because of wolves but he is not a road hunter by any means. He kills an elk every year up there and covers the country and for the last 6 years he has seen wolves every season. Just look at the HD's in the valley compared to years past and there is a lot less tags available.

 

[fulldraw1972]

Shrek let's not forget the 3000+ that are in Mn. It would be nice if they were thinned out so there could be a moose season again.

The crappy thing is about this story is the wolf lovers/anti hunters will try and use this against all ethical hunting for wolves. The boneheads should have did a better job of covering there tracks.

I think there should be an open season on them as well. With that said the only way I will shoot one is if I have a tag in my pocket.