# More wolf brilliance



## brittanypoint (Feb 15, 2009)

By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press writer
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:56 PM MDT

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Federal officials say a record 1,645 gray wolves counted in the Northern Rockies this winter shows the predators' population remains strong, but is no longer expanding as rapidly as in past years.

Since their reintroduction to the region in the mid-1990s, wolf numbers had previously grown on average by 24 percent annually in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

This year's figure is up only 8 percent, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Ed Bangs.

Bangs said the slowdown -- combined with increasing numbers of livestock killed by the animals -- signals wolves have filled most prime habitat in the three states.

"The population is getting to about as many as you're going to have," he said. "There's a big, healthy population in the Northern Rocky Mountains," he said. "At some point, the suitable habitat will be filled with wolves and the population just won't grow any more."

The government's annual winter wolf count found 497 of the predators in Montana, 302 in Wyoming and 846 in Idaho.

Livestock kills by wolves spiked more than 40 percent, with 601 cattle, sheep, llamas, dogs and other domestic animals killed.

Federal officials in January declared the region's wolves were ready to come off the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana. That decision was upheld by the Obama administration earlier this month -- to the dismay of environmental and animal rights groups who contend that wolves need further protection.

Those groups have vowed to challenge that decision in court once it is published in the federal register. That could happen next week.

Removing endangered status for the animals would allow state wildlife agencies in Idaho and Montana to proceed with plans for public wolf hunts as soon as this fall.

Wolves in Wyoming will remain on the list. Wyoming Attorney General Bruce Salzburg has said he will likely challenge that exclusion in federal court.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said Wyoming's laws and regulations are not adequate to ensure the wolves' continued survival. State officials want to turn almost 90 percent of Wyoming into a "predator zone" where wolves can be shot on sight.

Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president for the Humane Society of the United States, said laws in Idaho and Montana also offer too few protections. His group is among those planning to sue over the wolves removal from the endangered list.

"The problem has always been not so much this week's news on wolf numbers, but what's likely to happen to wolf numbers if they're turned over to state management," Lovvorn said. "We have our doubts about whether that (population growth) will continue."

http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/03/17 ... 81a7b8.txt

The above is an article in the Casper Star Tribune. Its the latest on the wolf battle. The feds wont let anything happen cause wyoming wants to be able to manage these damn things. I dont want to start a battle on here with everyone, but its time for the federales to let the people decide. This is bull****


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## wyogoose (Feb 11, 2006)

What many people dopnt know is that the USFWS wolf stats only pertain to those wolves inside the recovery zone. With only about 60% of the total wolves inside that zone, you can do the math for the real numbers. This means there are almost twice as many as what was counted and that livestock kills actualy went up by about 80%. For those of you who are not ranchers, picture a tax on your hard earned dollars that is just taken and not returned. The fact is, everytime a rancher loses a cow, he loses money. Yes, animals are lost to weather, sickness, bad feed etc., so why shold they loose even more due to an uncontroled predator?


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## brittanypoint (Feb 15, 2009)

Too many people think this new ruling is just great. Wyoming is hated cause we dont want these killing machines here. The federal government has decided to discriminate against us since our "brass" has decided they can be shot on sight. I hope the leaders of this state will fight this.

I will agree with you that there are better than 2-4 times the number they give as the "population." These damn things reproduce like rabbits


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

[quote=" .

I will agree with you that there are better than 2-4 times the number they give as the "population." Theses reproduce like rabbits[/quote] :eyeroll: :eyeroll: dude??????????

Quote edited for content: Plainsman


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## wyogoose (Feb 11, 2006)

Ya man I'm with you on the control of these things but try to watch the language on here. There are a lot of kids on here that read these posts so try to keep them clean. :beer:


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## brittanypoint (Feb 15, 2009)

My apologies


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## Doogie (Feb 23, 2007)

if WY wouldent of had the wipe em off the face of the earth policy like they do with every other predator in the state you would see WY getting a piece of the action. More gone are better than a few gone right? The FWS boys will still get to let the air out of a few, just not the locals. Just like lion hunting in WY, lots of cats are left to lay and not repoted in against the quota, why couldent of something like that been done to appease the greenies in WY. NO WY had to come right out in the open and say, shootem all on site with no tag required, someone wasent using their head. So while they are still protected down there, I am gona be out hunting till my hearts content come next fall and winter.


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## brittanypoint (Feb 15, 2009)

Your real stupid as far as your antics are concerned. Wyoming has a huge coyote population therefore we shoot them. Funny, people come a long way to shoot coyotes here. Then you continue running your mouth about how we are irresponsible sportsmen because we didn't want the wolves to begin with. Keep your train of thought. The Feds might let you have a little control on your populations for a while, then the numbers will fall in one area and you'll be shut down again. You think that this is a good ruling because MT gets the wolf delisted. Buddy, just remember, when we cant shoot them off and they kill our elk herds and deer herds off, yours will be next. You'll have lots of enjoyment looking for elk. Shows how smart you are. Oh and the lion bull**** that you know so much of, we have way to many of those too. By the way, the responsible sportsmen shoot them off in your state and don't report them there either. Next time you go running your mouth about Wyoming, try educating your ignorant self first


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## Doogie (Feb 23, 2007)

guess that means there will be a steady supply of wolves for us to hunt here in MT then Thank You, as for the elk and deer they pretty much have wiped them out allready so no new news there. As long as theres 15 breeding pairs they will have a season, they have done the research to figure out what the acceptable number to harvest each year is, so we can have a sustainable harvest year after year without going under the 15 breeding pairs. I dont think I am the uneducated here, I have read the studys, have you?

They set the lion quotas so sky high that they never close in the Bighorns and south to Casper Mountain

Ive spent my fair share of time around WY and have talked to enough people that live and hunt there that I think I have a pretty good clue on how the Stockgrowers ***. pretty much runs the show when it comes to predators in WY and what goes on out in the woods there.

btw we dident ask for them either.


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