Posted on 11/24/2007 6:50:43 PM PST by george76
PRAY - For rancher Randy Petrich, the removal of gray wolves from the endangered-species list - a move that would open up the animals to hunting in the Northern Rockies for the first time in decades - couldn't come soon enough.
Petrich has seen fresh wolf tracks almost every morning this fall - close enough to threaten his cattle.
"I believe that any wolf on any given night, if there happens to be a calf there, they will kill it," ...
Just 12 years since the wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park ... federal officials say the sharp rise in the wolf population in the region justifies removing them from the endangered species list.
It took $24 million of federal funds and more than two decades to bring wolves back ...
After years of debate, an initial 66 wolves were transplanted into the park from Canada beginning in 1995. Now, an estimated 1,545 roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming - more than enough, federal official say, to justify removing them from the endangered-species list.
"The more of something you have, the less valuable each individual piece becomes," said Ed Bangs, the Fish and Wildlife Service's wolf recovery project leader. "If you have more wolves than you have now, it's really going to start causing a lot of problems."
David Mech, a University of Minnesota researcher considered one of the world's leading experts on wolf behavior, predicted populations in the Northern Rockies could hold steady or keep expanding, even with hunting permitted...
Since reintroduction, wolf numbers have increased 20 percent to 30 percent a year as the animals thrived in a habitat flush with elk, moose and other prey. Even where entire packs were taken out to curb livestock kills, new packs have quickly filled the gap.
(Excerpt) Read more at billingsgazette.net ...
Even more of our beef supply will then come from feed lots. No more ‘free range’ beef.
Our feed lot food may be full of growth hormones, penicillin, and who know what else.
Buffalo tastes great to me, but it is more expensive to produce compared to beef.
... I second the motion to introduce wolves into Chappaqua, Hollywood and Capital Hill.
To me, you don't know what you are talking about.
“Frank Robbins runs about 3,000 head of Angus cattle. He said one 3-5 year old cow weighing 1,200 pounds is valued at about $1,000. “
“We’re missing 10-15 head,” Robbins said. His neighbor, who runs 300 head, is missing five.
He says the federal government “turned my ranch into a recovery zone for the wolf,” adding they “are willing to sacrifice us to get (wolves) delisted.”
In 10 years Robbins says he has never received any payment for loss of cattle to predators. In one case he said a predator control officer observed a wolf eating a dead cow, but the officer could not say what killed it.
http://www.codyenterprise.com/articles/2004/03/08/news/news2.txt
I say share the blessing of wolf reintroduction—reintroduce a wolf pack into Connecticut and let the Limousine Liberals enjoy having their little dogs killed and eaten the natural way.
Thanks for that. I'm sure we'll be looking to New Jersey for more sound advice about Western matters. You haven't a clue.
Myrddin noted the same thing in Idaho :
They are already killing off the herds of elk in Yellowstone and National Teton area.
“... I second the motion to introduce wolves into Chappaqua, Hollywood and Capital Hill!”
Lets add Gay Frisco, Marin County, Oakland/BeZerkley, Portland, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, NY City, Boston,
DC, Baltimore and Atlanta. Then make it a capital offense if any blue city liberals kill these beautiful animals.
‘...overall goal is to re-establish wolves in Montana’.
What genius thought this one up?
Shall we introduce locusts into our Iowa corn fields too?
Borrowed this from you :
” For all the wolf and mountain lion lovers out there, a bullet in the head is totally reasonable when a predator invades and threatens man, livestock, pets or whatever.
I have no sympathy for the predator and all sympathy for the pet, and the people protecting their dog or their livestock.
The bullet and the shovel are the best defense against the envirowackos who think wildlife habitat trumps established human habitat.”
I appreciate the attribute!
Well said.
Thanks
Defenders used to require proof the dead animal was a wolf kill [not some other cause] before they would pay the claim. I don’t see that as unreasonable. Another issue fre: Mr Robbins is whether the cattle were killed on his land, or on land leased to him by the Federal government. In the latter case, I believe the wolves take precedence.
I was out two days ago about 20 miles east of town and got this great photo of a wolf track right next to the trail. I wish I knew how to post photos so I could show it off.
I’m going to be an iconclast here. I like the wolves. (I also like wearing the wolves - my parka has a wolf ruff sown there by my lovely wife.) I have nothing against shooting them, either. Having said that...
We have guns. We have machines that we can use to hunt down the wolves and kill them at our leisure. We have the technology which can allow us to easily control and contain the wolves. Just like I don’t feel comfortable with governments and regulations controlling the lives of people, I don’t like the idea of pushing wildlife into little corners of our world. Maybe it’s because I grew up back East and I’ve seen a world without uncontrolled nature. I’d let the wolves remain, hunt a few to keep them wary, and use technology to protect ourselves and our property. Wiping them out, though, would be a shame.
The story’s about a rancher a few miles from me.
It’s understated, he ain’t the only one suffering and the treehuggers and their wonderful wolves isn’t the only government plague that ranchers and farmers encounter.
Read through the thread and decided to save my breath with some of these flatlanders, especially after the blather about us rich farmers rolling around in that $90B “Farm” Subsidy, the suggestion that we all switch to bison or the idea that all there is to ranching is to turn the stock out to graze and count the money after slaughter.
Sometimes, I consider the costs and try to figure out why I got into this business, but with the state of the BLM and Forest Service land all around me, some fool will drop a match in the wrong place next summer and burn me out anyway.
After last summer, Grandma had me move most of our stuff into town, so I can just walk away from it.
Those flatlanders might get a better grip on the situation after they have to get their meat from China.
In 10 years Robbins says he has never received any payment for loss of cattle to predators...
The opposite is the case : wolf populations are growing at least 20 percent per year.
It is the family ranchers and family farmers who are being wiped out.
The family operations often have been providing for these families for generations.
Even if some do not care about their food supply ( expanding feed lots with their drugs, growth hormones...), they might care about the removal of working families to be replaced by Ted Turner and friends.
Ted will charge bill bucks for the Hollywood friends to find sanctuary at the new eco-lodge while middle class activities like hunting, fishing...will end.
The next generation will live in an apartment in a city instead of being good stewards of the land.
.
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