625 wolves left in Montana, over 6000 permits to hunt them issued

[G_j]

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/359034

625 wolves left in Montana, over 6000 permits to hunt them issued
By Justin King
Sep 25, 2013

Conservation groups are in an uproar over Montana’s decision to issue over 6000 permits to hunt the last 625 remaining wolves in the state. In addition to 6000 permits, the state loosened regulations governing the hunting of the animals.

This year, the fee for a license to kill a wolf in the state of Montana was dropped to only $19. Each hunter is allowed to kill up to five wolves, and the period in which they are hunted has been extended.

At the beginning of this year, there were only 625 wolves in Montana, a slight drop from the year before. If only 2.1% of hunters issued a permit this year reach their bag limit, the wolf will disappear from Montana altogether. As wolves are pack animals, a single hunter will likely be able to kill several wolves in a single trip.

In the 1990s, wolves in Montana were hunted to the point that Canadian wolves had to be brought in to supplement the numbers. State officials have decided to drive down the number of wolves in the state, though have not set a clear plan on the number where they would like the population’s numbers.

In stark contrast, neighboring Wyoming, which boasts roughly three times the number of wolves as Montana in a much smaller state, has cut the number of wolves that may be killed before hunting is ceased in half to help make certain the population is protected from over-hunting.

The Center for Biological Diversity released this video today, protesting Montana’s decision.

[gopiscrap]

1. Is there an overabundance of them

I though they were endangered?

[geek tragedy]

2. For whatever reason, people in Western states want wolves to be extinct as a species.

It's some weird, bizarre hatred.

Not only Republicans, Democrats too.

[gopiscrap]

4. that's not cool

I was just in Montana and there is PLENTY of room for them!

[geek tragedy]

5. It's a weird culture thing out there. Those people won't be happy until the last wolf on earth dies

[gopiscrap]

7. Yeah I noticed that I spent 7 nights in Kalispell

and one in Hamilton and I could definitely pick up on the gun culture there and the want to hunt.

[Spider Jerusalem]

14. If you made your living from sheep and cattle ranching, you'd want them extinct too.

[G_j]

16. Ranchers are compensated for any losses

[geek tragedy]

17. No, I'd never want an entire species to go extinct. Some things are more valuable than any

amount of money.

[G_j]

19. the wanted that for the indigenous people too

fortunately, they were not entirely successful. Though they did grab their land.

[geek tragedy]

20. Once they got the land, they were willing to tolerate the native people's

living in open air prisons called reservations.

[joeybee12]

3. The short answer is Salazar is scum...

As interior secretary he was the one who decided to let the states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho) decide how many to kill...and of course in states run by blood-htirsty asshat hunters, this is what happens. No, there isn't an overabundance.

[Botany]

6. This stupidity runs strong and it shows a total lack of understanding of ecology

A healthy wolf population = a healthy environment

And if a wolf kills cattle (which they will be killed anyway) the rancher
can be paid for his loss and if the wolf is a problem it can be shot.

This sounds harsh but we need one or two generations to die off in order to
get rid of the dumb ass mind set that killing a wolf is a good thing and to do
so shows the "lib tard" environmentalists that they will not take their shit.

[G_j]

9. Why the Beaver Should Thank the Wolf

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/opinion/the-world-needs-wolves.html

Why the Beaver Should Thank the Wolf
By MARY ELLEN HANNIBAL
Published: September 28, 2012


THIS month, a group of environmental nonprofits said they would challenge the federal government’s removal of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Wyoming. Since there are only about 328 wolves in a state with a historic blood thirst for the hides of these top predators, the nonprofits are probably right that lacking protection, Wyoming wolves are toast.

Many Americans, even as they view the extermination of a species as morally anathema, struggle to grasp the tangible effects of the loss of wolves. It turns out that, far from being freeloaders on the top of the food chain, wolves have a powerful effect on the well-being of the ecosystems around them — from the survival of trees and riverbank vegetation to, perhaps surprisingly, the health of the populations of their prey.

An example of this can be found in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, where wolves were virtually wiped out in the 1920s and reintroduced in the ’90s. Since the wolves have come back, scientists have noted an unexpected improvement in many of the park’s degraded stream areas.

Stands of aspen and other native vegetation, once decimated by overgrazing, are now growing up along the banks. This may have something to do with changing fire patterns, but it is also probably because elk and other browsing animals behave differently when wolves are around. Instead of eating greenery down to the soil, they take a bite or two, look up to check for threats, and keep moving. The greenery can grow tall enough to reproduce.
..more..

-----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6310211.stm

Wild wolves 'good for ecosystems'

[Kaleva]

8. Wolves are being killed illegally in Upper Michigan

I've heard people talk about how they've either shot a wolf or intend to do so if they see one. One person talked about putting out pans filled with anti-freeze to poison them.

Many folks where I live hate the wolves.

[G_j]

13. Just posted something

about Michigan down thread.

[MoonRiver]

10. It seems like I sign several petitions a day to protect wolves.

Unfortunately the ranchers have a much bigger lobby and deeper pockets than environmentalists. I will keep working to protect them though. They deserve to live in peace!

[G_j]

11. License to Kill: Michigan Wolf Hunters Snap Up Nearly 1,000 Permits in First 30 Minutes of Sale

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/10/01/license-kill-michigan-wolf-hunters-snap-nearly-1000-permits-first-30-minutes-sale-151512

License to Kill: Michigan Wolf Hunters Snap Up Nearly 1,000 Permits in First 30 Minutes of Sale

It took 50 years to get Michigan’s gray wolf population up to 658, and only 30 minutes to sell three-quarters of the available licenses—900 out of 1,200—when they went on sale on Saturday September 28.

Only 100 licenses were still available by 5 p.m. on Saturday for the season, which runs from November 15 through December 31, the news website MLive.com reported. State residents paid copy00 per license, while nonresidents’ price was $500.

All this to kill just 43 wolves.

..more..

[Jenoch]

12. It does seem as if Montana's FWP

has a goal of eradicating the gray wolf from their state. The cattle ranchers seem to have much influence.

In Minnesota there are about 2,200 wolves. We have far fewer cattlemen and they have less influence here. We have taken photos using a trail camera on our land in northern Minnesota. We don't actually see them too often however.

[kelliekat44]

15. I refuse to say what I am thinking. Karma, you know. nt

[BlueJazz]

22. I know what you're thinking. My thoughts also are ...ah...not very nice.

[CrispyQ]

18. What a wretched species we are.

My hope is that some blood thirsty aliens land on Earth & start hunting us to extinction.

[G_j]

23. or..

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[maxsolomon]

21. The wolves hunt the Elk calves

The hunters want to hunt the Elk, so they are angry that it's harder now.