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Grey Wolf endangered

Fosgate

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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Montana (CNN) -- The gray wolf was officially removed from the Endangered Species Act's "threatened" list Friday after three decades -- a decision that has stoked controversy among environmentalists and ranchers.


Federal officials estimate there are 1,500 gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

more photos » It means the wolves can be shot and killed once they step out of Yellowstone National Park as soon as the affected states establish a hunting season. However, state Fish and Wildlife officials can shoot the animals whenever they deem the wolves to be a problem.

The government delisted the wolves -- which were eliminated from Yellowstone decades ago before being reintroduced in the 1990s -- because they are now thriving in the park that is dominated by bison, elk and bighorn sheep.

"They're back here in the Northern Rockies; they're back here in Yellowstone," said Doug Smith, a biologist for the National Park Service in Yellowstone.

"That's something to celebrate given their history of human hatred."

But not everyone is happy about the animal being removed from the endangered list. Conservationists believe hundreds of gray wolves straying from Yellowstone in search of prey could soon be killed by hunters and ranchers. Watch rancher say no wolf is "sacred" »

"We're not ready to pop the champagne corks and have a party," said Doug Honnold, the managing attorney for Earthjustice, a non-profit environmental law firm based in Oakland, California, that has threatened to sue the government.


Endangered no more?
Anderson Cooper takes up the debate on Yellowstone's gray wolves.
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"My biggest fear is we're going to go backwards instead of forwards."

It wouldn't be the first time. In the early 20th century, wolves were the targets of a massive government extermination campaign.

"It's harder to find an animal more persecuted than wolves. ... We did wolf extermination with a vengeance," said Smith.

But attitudes began to change in the 1980s. Elk and bison populations increased dramatically because there was no natural predator to keep their numbers in check. In 1995, Smith led a team to bring wolves back to the Rocky Mountain landscape. They transplanted dozens of wolves to Yellowstone from Canada. See photos of Yellowstone's animals »

The project has been regarded as an overwhelming success.

There are now more than 1,500 wolves across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, according to the government. That number convinced federal wildlife officials to remove them from the endangered species list.

Federal officials require each of the three states to maintain a population of 100 wolves, meaning a total of 300 wolves across all three states. The states have actually pledged to keep the population higher than that, at a rate of 150 wolves per state.

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"We did a thorough analysis," said Ed Bangs, the wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The consensus [for recovery] is a population of 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs."

He added, "The wolf population is fully recovered. We have more wolves than we ever predicted and we have fewer problems than we ever predicted."

Earthjustice says that's not nearly enough to ensure a viable population and they want to stop the delisting. "We're going to have hundreds of wolves die needlessly," said Honnold.

But many ranchers in the region just don't understand the fuss about the animals. They have complained for years that the wolves eat their livestock.

"There's nothing about a wolf that's sacred," said Bruce Malcolm, a cattle rancher and Republican member of Montana's House of Representatives.

He said he's lost nearly two dozen cows to the wolves in recent years. "I would have preferred that they never came here," he said.

If there's a winner with the controversy, it's Yellowstone. The wolves have pushed up attendance by more than a 100,000 visitors per year, according to a park study.


Smith, who has dedicated his life to the wolves, is philosophical about the debate.

"No one says living with wolves is easy," said Smith. "Living with wolves is a compromise :eek:how bout a compromise 50/50 shot that I can hit one on the run with a 30/30!:face-icon-small-hap
 
Just like coyotes, you chase them down with your sled and smuck them. If they look back at you slow down as they will turn. If you are prepared when they look back by slowing down you can be right on their butt and smuck them. Don't ask how I might know this.....:D It is also kind of fun to carry the pistol and as they wear down its over.....:D It only takes a little distance at about 40 mph and their tongues are leaving a groove in the snow....:D
 
Just like coyotes, you chase them down with your sled and smuck them. If they look back at you slow down as they will turn. If you are prepared when they look back by slowing down you can be right on their butt and smuck them. Don't ask how I might know this.....:D It is also kind of fun to carry the pistol and as they wear down its over.....:D It only takes a little distance at about 40 mph and their tongues are leaving a groove in the snow....:D

also turn when they turn and put your ski loop into the notch behind there jaw, works eveytime.

wolves removed, OPEN FIRE!!!!!!!!!!
 
everywhere

they have spread well beyond what the authorities are saying, I had one run across my yard and driveway two years ago...it was dusk and I was exiting my garage....it was running across the drive just as I was coming out of a door on the side, no doubt it was a wolf....so fast and agile..kinda lanky too...this was in Coal Creek Canyon in the foothills west of Denver
 
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Its about time. WY has closed most if its far north Moose hunting areas because the wolves have wipped them out. The elk population around Yellowstone has suffered as well. Glad to see the G&F are on top of it finally.
 
Just like coyotes, you chase them down with your sled and smuck them. If they look back at you slow down as they will turn. If you are prepared when they look back by slowing down you can be right on their butt and smuck them. Don't ask how I might know this.....:D It is also kind of fun to carry the pistol and as they wear down its over.....:D It only takes a little distance at about 40 mph and their tongues are leaving a groove in the snow....:D

It is one thing to hunt an animal, which is fine. I hunt myself, but what you are are explaining is approaching torturing/teasing the animal, pretty tasteless.

If you want to kill it, then do it, but don't torture the thing.
 
It is one thing to hunt an animal, which is fine. I hunt myself, but what you are are explaining is approaching torturing/teasing the animal, pretty tasteless.

If you want to kill it, then do it, but don't torture the thing.

Just once watch a wolf or coyote jump on a fawn deer or calf elk and chase it into a fence or corner it in a pack and tell me I am cruel. What goes around comes around and these animals have no natural enemies except man. I live at 8500 foot elevation in remote mountains and have seen the destruction they do here. You can have all you want in your backyard but keep them there and you will soon change your mind.
 
Just once watch a wolf or coyote jump on a fawn deer or calf elk and chase it into a fence or corner it in a pack and tell me I am cruel. What goes around comes around and these animals have no natural enemies except man. I live at 8500 foot elevation in remote mountains and have seen the destruction they do here. You can have all you want in your backyard but keep them there and you will soon change your mind.

Or you could just shoot it or leave it alone. You not a little kid plucking legs off a spider anymore...or maybe you are?
 
Or you could just shoot it or leave it alone. You not a little kid plucking legs off a spider anymore...or maybe you are?

x2, I hate the things as much as the next guy, but quick clean kill and be done with it, that what seperates us from the animals. Learned along time ago it's not the fact that you harvested game, but that you did it quick and efficiently.
 
It is one thing to hunt an animal, which is fine. I hunt myself, but what you are are explaining is approaching torturing/teasing the animal, pretty tasteless.

If you want to kill it, then do it, but don't torture the thing.

I agree 100%, things like this make me sick and give sledders a bad name, nothing but animal cruelty.
It's one thing for a rancher to shoot something that is killing his livelyhood, another to needlessly torture.....cowardly.
 
Its really hard for me to understand how an animal can draw so much primitive hatred on itself. Its messed up that a 60 year old man would get so much satisfaction out of making an animal suffer before he kills it.
So all you wolf haters out there, whats the real problem with these critters?
Ranchers, is there no other way to protect your animals?
Hunters, do you really have that much of a problem with some competition?
I know that most wolf haters feel the same way about coyotes, but do you folks have the same hatred for all the animals that eat other animals?
Do you also want to gut shoot mountain lions, bears, lynx, bobcats, badgers, wolverines for their crimes against nature?

To me it seems like you hunters and ranchers (that want the wolves dead) are just lazy.
For me, my chance of just seeing a wolf in its natural habitat is more important than your free range cattle operation or your quick and easy hunting season.
 
Its really hard for me to understand how an animal can draw so much primitive hatred on itself. Its messed up that a 60 year old man would get so much satisfaction out of making an animal suffer before he kills it.
So all you wolf haters out there, whats the real problem with these critters?
Ranchers, is there no other way to protect your animals?
Hunters, do you really have that much of a problem with some competition?
I know that most wolf haters feel the same way about coyotes, but do you folks have the same hatred for all the animals that eat other animals?
Do you also want to gut shoot mountain lions, bears, lynx, bobcats, badgers, wolverines for their crimes against nature?

To me it seems like you hunters and ranchers (that want the wolves dead) are just lazy.
For me, my chance of just seeing a wolf in its natural habitat is more important than your free range cattle operation or your quick and easy hunting season.
Well here is my .02. Ill give you my reasoning by using my elk hunting spot out side of Thayne WY. I ve been archery hunting there for since 93 I have been able to harvest 3 elk from this area. I usually hunt about 10 days out of the archery season. When I first started hunting there it was what we all think about for elk season, cold morning,lots of hiking, and hearing elk bugle and seeing from 10 to 50 a day. While covering anywhere from 10 to 16 miles.
It stayed this way till about 02. In 03 we started to see wolf sign and we noticed that the bulls were a lot quieter. 04 got worse. and so on and so on. Last fall I saw more wolf tracks while I was out than I did elk tracks. Hunted for 7 days and didn't hear a bull bugle. Saw 6 elk the entire time.
So because they pushed these wolves upon us ( I don't recall a vote in the states that they were re-introduced into) One of the things that I looked forward to all year has now become something that I don't even get to interested in. I don't mind competition. But they are over populated and need to be brought into check. Our game populations have plummeted because there are to many predators in the system.
 
Its really hard for me to understand how an animal can draw so much primitive hatred on itself. Its messed up that a 60 year old man would get so much satisfaction out of making an animal suffer before he kills it.
So all you wolf haters out there, whats the real problem with these critters?
Ranchers, is there no other way to protect your animals?
Hunters, do you really have that much of a problem with some competition?
I know that most wolf haters feel the same way about coyotes, but do you folks have the same hatred for all the animals that eat other animals?
Do you also want to gut shoot mountain lions, bears, lynx, bobcats, badgers, wolverines for their crimes against nature?

To me it seems like you hunters and ranchers (that want the wolves dead) are just lazy.
For me, my chance of just seeing a wolf in its natural habitat is more important than your free range cattle operation or your quick and easy hunting season.
Well here is my .02. Ill give you my reasoning by using my elk hunting spot out side of Thayne WY. I ve been archery hunting there for since 93 I have been able to harvest 3 elk from this area. I usually hunt about 10 days out of the archery season. When I first started hunting there it was what we all think about for elk season, cold morning,lots of hiking, and hearing elk bugle and seeing from 10 to 50 a day. While covering anywhere from 10 to 16 miles.
It stayed this way till about 02. In 03 we started to see wolf sign and we noticed that the bulls were a lot quieter. 04 got worse. and so on and so on. Last fall I saw more wolf tracks while I was out than I did elk tracks. Hunted for 7 days and didn't hear a bull bugle. Saw 6 elk the entire time.
So because they pushed these wolves upon us ( I don't recall a vote in the states that they were re-introduced into) One of the things that I looked forward to all year has now become something that I don't even get to interested in. I don't mind competition. But they are over populated and need to be brought into check. Our game populations have plummeted because there are to many predators in the system.
 
Its really hard for me to understand how an animal can draw so much primitive hatred on itself. Its messed up that a 60 year old man would get so much satisfaction out of making an animal suffer before he kills it.
So all you wolf haters out there, whats the real problem with these critters?
Ranchers, is there no other way to protect your animals?
Hunters, do you really have that much of a problem with some competition?
I know that most wolf haters feel the same way about coyotes, but do you folks have the same hatred for all the animals that eat other animals?
Do you also want to gut shoot mountain lions, bears, lynx, bobcats, badgers, wolverines for their crimes against nature?

To me it seems like you hunters and ranchers (that want the wolves dead) are just lazy.
For me, my chance of just seeing a wolf in its natural habitat is more important than your free range cattle operation or your quick and easy hunting season.


Its about Money. Its always been about Money. Pretty funny how much money 1 species can control

I trap bobcats and badgers all the time. Not because they pissed me off or because I hate them. Its because they bring me money. Its a business, just like the wolves will be

If an animal had enough sense to kill you and get a treat or a reward, they would, just so happens Humans grabbed the #1 spot on the food chain, right at the top.

And if you have not seen a wolf in natural habitat, then you probably need to. Might change your judgement a little bit
 
They kill for fun!!!

It is one thing if they only killed to survive!!! Wolves kill for the fun of it. They don't even eat every thing they kill. The WY wildlife has suffered dearly as a result of the "Canadian Wolf" being introduced...not reinterduced...( it was not the Canadian wolf in WY to begin with.) I dont disagree with having the wolf within the ecosystem...they just need to be controled....which means hunting.
 
Its really hard for me to understand how an animal can draw so much primitive hatred on itself. Its messed up that a 60 year old man would get so much satisfaction out of making an animal suffer before he kills it.
So all you wolf haters out there, whats the real problem with these critters?
Ranchers, is there no other way to protect your animals?
Hunters, do you really have that much of a problem with some competition?
I know that most wolf haters feel the same way about coyotes, but do you folks have the same hatred for all the animals that eat other animals?
Do you also want to gut shoot mountain lions, bears, lynx, bobcats, badgers, wolverines for their crimes against nature?

To me it seems like you hunters and ranchers (that want the wolves dead) are just lazy.
For me, my chance of just seeing a wolf in its natural habitat is more important than your free range cattle operation or your quick and easy hunting season.

Lets all gather around and give him a big city dweller, never seen it but am willing to comment on it, greenie hug!
When they start attacking people where you live you will change your mind.
 
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