wolves attacking elk in wintering grounds

[wind gypsy]

I was in Jackson Hole last week for my honey moon. We did the National Elk Refuge sleigh tour and as we were parked next to the elk we noticed what I assume is that same pack of wolves (black, forget the name they gave the pack) working their way down the ridge towards us and the elk. Of course the tour guide was excited for her guests to see a wolf pack.

I laughed a bit when she said most bulls live to 8-11 and cows a little older. Wouldn’t that be something if most bulls lived to 8.

 

[wind gypsy]

Because the wintering grounds for these elk shrink every year around Jackson because of Californians, New Yorkers, Texans and Washingtonians building houses on every available piece of historic wintering grounds outside of the refuge. The elk have nowhere to go to escape the pressure anymore.

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How many elk winter in the area outside of the refuge? Seems like a century of protection and supplemental feeding would make any other areas even with decent natural habitat/feed less enticing in comparison. Not saying it’s not a shame that the wintering habitat has been mostly developed but I wonder how much it would get used if it weren’t.

Unrelated but I stayed in a place across the street from the elk refuge last week and there were mule deer does eating from peoples hands and from the garbage there..

 

[ewade07]

lol. So what are the current herd numbers of mountain caribou in N ID and BC now? I used to run into them fly fishing and hiking years ago. Wiped out by wolves and no disputing that FACT.

its not hard to wipe something out that was barely there and had been on the decline for decades prior to that due to other factors outside of wolves. they were wiped out, but wolves were not the sole reason. you can blame humans and landscape fragmentation for their extirpation

 

[87TT]

Which would you rather have walk through you yard? Wolf or caribou? Just like efforts to help the caribou, efforts to manage the wolf are a failure.

 

[ewade07]

Which would you rather have walk through you yard? Wolf or caribou? Just like efforts to help the caribou, efforts to manage the wolf are a failure.

i agree with you. wolf management has been a failure and it needs to be adjusted taking into account their numbers. i wont deny that. i personally think it would be pretty cool to have a wolf or caribou walk through my yard.

 

[HighUintas]

My wife is working on some type of environmental degree and in one of her assignments they had to create a presentation with a case study. One of the guy's presentations was on wolves and actually stated he polled hunters around NW Wyoming and that most hunters were in favor of/like wolves!

I said, wtf, who is he polling? I know that's not the case even though I know some are in favor.

If we could effectively manage wolf numbers to be a minimum, then that'd be fine be. But we've shown so far that is impossible with current laws. I'm still not decided whether or not they would really have a positive impact on CWD. Some arguments have been made they help disperse elk/deer herds and mitigate erosion problems and allow struggling Aspen groves to continue to grow. I'm a bit skeptical on the erosion and cwd claims.

 

[DAVIDE1333]

My wife is working on some type of environmental degree and in one of her assignments they had to create a presentation with a case study. One of the guy's presentations was on wolves and actually stated he polled hunters around NW Wyoming and that most hunters were in favor of/like wolves!

I said, wtf, who is he polling? I know that's not the case even though I know some are in favor.

If we could effectively manage wolf numbers to be a minimum, then that'd be fine be. But we've shown so far that is impossible with current laws. I'm still not decided whether or not they would really have a positive impact on CWD. Some arguments have been made they help disperse elk/deer herds and mitigate erosion problems and allow struggling Aspen groves to continue to grow. I'm a bit skeptical on the erosion and cwd claims.

And just like that you can see how studies are faked.

 

[87TT]

i agree with you. wolf management has been a failure and it needs to be adjusted taking into account their numbers. i wont deny that. i personally think it would be pretty cool to have a wolf or caribou walk through my yard.

If I saw a wolf walk through my yard, he wouldn't walk out. Just saying. I would welcome the 'bou.

 

[Nwaneal]

It’s weird how the animal rights wackos like predators more than prey. They’ll take a dead elk all day long, but they’ll name wolves and try to humanize them.

I think it’s ridiculous that people living in cities can dictate what happens in the wild. Leave it to the biologists!

 

[Okhotnik]

i agree with you. wolf management has been a failure and it needs to be adjusted taking into account their numbers. i wont deny that. i personally think it would be pretty cool to have a wolf or caribou walk through my yard.

You could leaving your back yard. I just ran into wolves snow shoeing in Montana two weeks ago. I see them almost every time I go to Montana. It might be scary for you to leave your back yard though FYI

 

[Okhotnik]

What was the cause for the decline?

They've been on the skids since the 70's...

Great input but I would see caribou often in N Idaho up until 5 to 6 years ago. The only signs of woodland caribou I saw was their hair in wolf scat.

Buzz how's your efforts with Howling for wolves going? Any luck shutting down trapping and aerial shooting yet?

Howling For Wolves | Stop The Wolf Hunt - Save Minnesota's Gray Wolves

Stop The Wolf Hunt - Save Minnesota's Gray Wolves. Protect Minnesota gray wolf from unnecessary and cruel hunting and trapping. Petition to suspend wolf hunting and trapping, and advocate for continuous wolf protection in Minnesota and upper Midwest.

www.howlingforwolves.org

 

[BuzzH]

You could leaving your back yard. I just ran into wolves snow shoeing in Montana two weeks ago. I see them almost every time I go to Montana. It might be scary for you to leave your back yard though FYI

Why no tag?

 

[BuzzH]

Great input but I would see caribou often in N Idaho up until 5 to 6 years ago. The only signs of woodland caribou I saw was their hair in wolf scat.

Buzz how's your efforts with Howling for wolves going? Any luck shutting down trapping and aerial shooting yet?

Howling For Wolves | Stop The Wolf Hunt - Save Minnesota's Gray Wolves

Stop The Wolf Hunt - Save Minnesota's Gray Wolves. Protect Minnesota gray wolf from unnecessary and cruel hunting and trapping. Petition to suspend wolf hunting and trapping, and advocate for continuous wolf protection in Minnesota and upper Midwest.

www.howlingforwolves.org

All wolves...wonder why the IFG says this then? You just know more than the people actually manage Idaho's fish and game. Maybe they're hiring...

Habitat loss and fragmentation is the primary threat to this species. Timber harvest can effect habitat structure and can cause the fragmentation of large tracts of mature forest. Habitat alteration and fragmentation has broad implications for movement patterns and habitat use. Habitat alteration resulting in a younger seral forest within and adjacent to caribou range may affect predation patterns. Increased predation rates may have implications for small population viability. Other threats include winter recreation, such as snowmobiling, heli-skiing, cat skiing, and backcountry yurt operations, which may result in displacement from optimal habitat or increased energetic demands. Poaching has also been an important source of mortality.

https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/cwcs/pdf/Caribou.pdf

 

[ewade07]

You could leaving your back yard. I just ran into wolves snow shoeing in Montana two weeks ago. I see them almost every time I go to Montana. It might be scary for you to leave your back yard though FYI

I leave my backyard plenty. I too live in Montana although I’ve never seen a wolf in the wild. Strange. I thought they were running rampant here.

The world can be a scary place, no doubt.

 

[0311JRJ]

It’s weird how the animal rights wackos like predators more than prey. They’ll take a dead elk all day long, but they’ll name wolves and try to humanize them.

Hey, we name our wolves too, shooter #1, shooter #2 ect... we can play the game right back. If they want to let Bob and earl run amuck then Bob and earl are going to learn the three letter acronym SSS

 

[ewade07]

You could leaving your back yard. I just ran into wolves snow shoeing in Montana two weeks ago. I see them almost every time I go to Montana. It might be scary for you to leave your back yard though FYI

I’m going snowshoeing today too. I’ll let you know if I see any wolves

 

[TheTone]

Wolves doing wolf things.

Are we also upset about hunters out killing wintering elk in January and February?

 

[ewade07]

Wolves doing wolf things.

Are we also upset about hunters out killing wintering elk in January and February?

No, that doesn’t fit the wolf hate mantra. Come on man, get with the program.

 

[GotDraw?]

I hunt deer in northern Minnesota where wolf populations are extremely dense. I love wolves and hunting around them.

Ok, but the difference is that no one lives in Nothern Minnesota, and it's flat.

Deer have plenty of places to go and hide and eat.

Colorado- only options for elk are valleys and too many have too many houses in them for the elk to feel safe and able to find food and overwinter. And too many of the other valleys are overgrazed by by cattle.

JL

 

[cmahoney]

My wife is working on some type of environmental degree and in one of her assignments they had to create a presentation with a case study. One of the guy's presentations was on wolves and actually stated he polled hunters around NW Wyoming and that most hunters were in favor of/like wolves!

I said, wtf, who is he polling? I know that's not the case even though I know some are in favor.

If we could effectively manage wolf numbers to be a minimum, then that'd be fine be. But we've shown so far that is impossible with current laws. I'm still not decided whether or not they would really have a positive impact on CWD. Some arguments have been made they help disperse elk/deer herds and mitigate erosion problems and allow struggling Aspen groves to continue to grow. I'm a bit skeptical on the erosion and cwd claims.

He must have went to a BHA pint night.


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