Wolves continue as a problem and threat in Idaho

JLH News ^ | 28 September 2011 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

JLH NEWS
By: Jeff Head
Emmett, ID
September 28, 2011

This just in regarding the wolves here in Idaho. As many may know, the wolves were forced upon Idaho by the Federal government several years ago. They were not native, Rocky Mountian wolves. They brought in large timber wolves from Canada, starting in Yellowstone and then spreading into Idaho and surrounding states.

Well, over the years their numbers, and their negative impact have grown so much that the state sued to take them off the endangered species list and allow them to be hunted. It took a while, but the facts were inescapable and the courts ultimately ruled to allow it.

Elk and deer populations have been significantly negatively impacted, cattle and sheep herds have been attacked, hunting dogs have been killed, and people have even been attacked. Many people, including many environmentalists will try and tell you that wolves will not attack people...that it is very rare. Well, here's a quote from a local outfitter, and a bow hunter that say differently which I received today, September 28, 2011.

From the outfitter:

"Took a group of out-of-state elk archery hunters from the Great Lakes region last week. They ended up calling in a pack of 17 wolves by elk cow calling. None of the hunters had a sidearm or wolf tag and it was a very traumatic experience. The wolves surrounded us. All of those hunters went home early, very disturbed claiming that these wolves are very different from the Great Lakes wolves. These Idaho wolves actually “hunt” you, and were not afraid! "

Now from an Idaho bow hunter:

"This wolf came running toward Rene last night to attack her. She had to drop her bow & pull her pistol. She shot it in the head about 10 feet from her. She had to shoot it a couple more times to actually kill it. Crazy! This – not even a week after Shane’s dogs were killed by wolves."

Here's the picture of the wolf in question and the woman who shot it with her handgun.

Click on the pic for a higher res version.

Bow hunters (or anyone else) out there, make sure you carry a good handgun (preferably a .44 mag or .357 mag) when you are out in the foothills or backcountry and be careful!

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AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY

AMERICA AWAKES IN 2009 AND DRIVES IT HOME IN 2010

RESTORE THE CONSTITUTION

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[blueunicorn6]

The Democrats specifically reintroduced wolves into the NW to kill off the deer and elk and moose so they could say, “What do you need rifles for? There are no deer left. Let’s just outlaw rifles.” Oh, and about shooting wolves.....I believe they are a pack animal. I recommend that people with wolf tags gather together to eliminate entire packs. You shoot one wolf in a pack, and you haven’t done much. Even if you kill the Alpha female, another one just takes her place. Democrats could care less about looking at wolves....what they really want is all private firearms gone so they can force their will on everyone. Yes.....they really are that cruel and stupid.

[Little Ray]

That wolf looks like it has a future as the lining of a nice parka.

[43north]

[I believe they are a pack animal.]

The wolves or the democrats?

[driftdiver]

A side benefit of the wolves is it makes people less likely to go where the wolves are. All part of the plan to ban humans from large tracts of the US.

[achilles2000]

Idahoans would help themselves by getting Anatolian Shepherds, Kangals, or Caucasian Ovcharchas. Each of these breeds loves to kill wolves. The Kangal/Anatolians will track wolves for miles to kill them.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Could be a .44 mag but it kind of looks like a .357 mag because of how the cylinder is held at the front of the barrel. Hard to tell for sure. If she was shooting .357 158grain semi jacketed P+P’s it would have been a lot of knock down power as the .357 is very quick.

[org.whodat]

Sounds like all of those expert archers did not know how to shoot in the air for help. Stupid is as stupid does,

[lonevoice]

Hi, Jeff. Timely post. A North Idaho friend of mine (and a veteran FR lurker) is a lifelong bow hunter. He and his hunting buddy are out on their annual 3-week elk hunt in Avery. They say the elk herd is decimated by approx 80% and the wolves are everywhere, stalking and following hunters. Last week my friend parked his ATV to walk down a trail, walking 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back. When he got back to his ATV, there were huge wolf prints on it. After hearing a large pack of howling wolves, estimated 18-20, chasing the same elk he had been tracking, he and his friend decided to come home, re-tool, and go back as wolf hunters. That's where they are this week. As he said, "These elk have enough problems without me out there hunting them too."

[lonevoice]

ping

[lonevoice]

Heck I’d rather be given lethal injection than eaten alive by a wolf.

Especially since, as often as not, they are hunting for sport rather than food. They will take down their prey, do serious damage, and then leave it to die.

[blueunicorn6]

“I don’t know what kind of dog he is, but before I cut off his tail and painted him yellow he was a crocodile.”

[Jeff Head]

You need several of them because the packs are large. But a number of livestock owners I know have Anatolian Shepherds. They are very, very good.

[Jeff Head]

Amen to that...thanks for sharing that story. They are all too common.

[Inyo-Mono]

Bump on this thread.

[rickk]

Jeff,
I am not certain how I feel about wolves. Seems there is more mis-information than true information. I did thoroughly investigate the human risk from wolves. There has never been a wolf kill of a human in the United States. Mountain lions, brown and grizzly bear yes but never by a wolf.

[okie01]

There has never been a wolf kill of a human in the United States. Mountain lions, brown and grizzly bear yes but never by a wolf.

Coyotes and wild dogs have killed humans, toddlers in particular. Thus, it is only a matter of time before a wolf kills a human.

In the meantime, wolves readily make a meal of livestock -- lambs, calves, etc. Are you ambiguous as well about the interests of farmers and ranchers?

[cracker45]

“There has never been a wolf kill of a human in the United States.”

Horsepucky! A couple of years ago, wolves killed and partially ate a female school teacher jogging outside a native village on the Alaskan peninsula. The pack had been harrassing the villagers for weeks. AFTERWARD, state troopers brought in a helo and hunted them down. There were other scattered close calls around the state.

JC

[3boysdad]

Nothing. We apply it daily here in Wyoming. We’re thinking about changing the state seal to incorporate the phrase, “Shoot, Shovle, and Shut Up”. The engraving will include a crossed rifle and shovel looming over closed lips coverd by a verticle index finger.

[Jeff Head]

rickk, I believe there have been humans killed by wolves. Not many very recently at all, but certainly more during our pioneer days and prior to that. To say that there have never been any...well "never" is far too all incusive IMHO.

I can tell you that the info above is true and not misinformation.

I know up in the high country here earlier in the year several wolves were stalking two children waiting at a rural bus stop. A resident noticed it and came down in their vehicle and picked those children up. The woman in the above story was in the process of being attacked when she klilled the wolf.

Wolves are a problem and a danger. They have been reintroduced...and not even the wolves native to this part of the country...and once again we are finding why our forefathers eradicated them from close proximity to their dwelling places.

[Grampa Dave]

“I think we should feed the enviro-whacko’s to the wolves.”

One of my mother’s favorite sayings was, “You don’t have to out run a wolf, bear, or cougar. You just have to outrun the slowest person with you.”

We could bring these vile anti human enviro-whackos with us on hunting/fishing/hiking/camping trips and strap slabs of bacon or raw meat on them.