Minnesota Wolves

[DeanC]

Video at link below

Wolf Hunting in Minn. Appears to be a Growing Reality
Wolf hunting, once unthinkable in Minnesota, now appears to be a growing reality.

Wolves are still considered threatened in Minnesota and across the Great Lakes states, but could be de-listed in just a matter of weeks. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to make that decision by the end of this year.

[DeanC]

The above story led me to this report. Enlightening: http://www.discoverycenter.net/assets/f ... gement.pdf

[DeanC]

[DeanC]

[Heffay]

Very cool. Go wolves! Screw the big cats. We got big dogs!

[DeanC]

The 3000 wolves number is interesting.

I was thinking about when they get delisted if they will allow hunting. So I said to myself - the moose population might be similar and we allow hunting for them. How many moose are there?

Look at the margin of error that they are willing to admit to - wow.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation ... y_2010.pdf

[Squib Joe]

They're almost down to Minneapolis! Run for your lives!!!

[DeanC]

They're almost down to Minneapolis! Run for your lives!!!

That map is 3 years old. The story says there is a pack with 65 miles of the city limits.

[Heffay]

The 3000 wolves number is interesting.

I was thinking about when they get delisted if they will allow hunting. So I said to myself - the moose population might be similar and we allow hunting for them. How many moose are there?

Look at the margin of error that they are willing to admit to - wow.

Was the peak around 2002 really legitimate?

The margins of error don't really worry me too much. Counting meeses is hard. It's going to be an estimate based on how many they find and extrapolating it out. But as long as the methods they use are consistent, they can be used for some very general trending.

[LongRange]

Note the huge difference in Complaints to Verified Complaints, a bunch of people are full of **** and blaming the Wolf for **** that just isnt true, thats how the wolves ended up on the list in the first place, a bunch of jackasses who wouldnt accept that their beloved Lab killed the family cat. I call BS!

[Heffay]

Note the huge difference in Complaints to Verified Complaints, a bunch of people are full of **** and blaming the Wolf for **** that just isnt true, thats how the wolves ended up on the list in the first place, a bunch of jackasses who wouldnt accept that their beloved Lab killed the family cat. I call BS!

While that could account for a portion of the difference, it also could be that the results were inconclusive. It looks like about 50-60% of the complaints they receive are actually related to wolves though. And the important thing is that they are trending up, but that is to be expected as their numbers and range increase. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure golf courses get far more complaints about goose poop.

[DeanC]

It looks like about 50-60% of the complaints they receive are actually related to wolves though.

I'd say it's more like 50-60% of the complaints are verified by finding a killed cow. That's what "No. Sites" means. The "Complaints Verified" will generally be higher because of multiple kills at one site.

The percentage spread between complaints and verification seems to remain relatively consistent. If there is a widening in the spread it might be attributed to the less rural people making complaints before a kill takes place or missing pets that can't be verified. Or maybe even a growing bias by the data collectors. Or maybe more increased activism by the reporters. Hard to say because the latest data point that looks like a widening is just that - one data point.

Would have been interesting to hear the whole report and not just look at the PowerPoint.

[Squib Joe]

That map is 3 years old. The story says there is a pack with 65 miles of the city limits.

Not concerned, I have a wolf defense back-up plan

[DeanC]

Not concerned, I have a wolf defense back-up plan

I, too, welcome our new canine overlords.

[Jackpine Savage]

Note the huge difference in Complaints to Verified Complaints, a bunch of people are full of **** and blaming the Wolf for **** that just isnt true, thats how the wolves ended up on the list in the first place, a bunch of jackasses who wouldnt accept that their beloved Lab killed the family cat. I call BS!

I am sure some of the cases are when calves and lambs just go missing. There is nothing left to find. Dogs generally kill for the fun of it and there is a carcass to find. I'm sure big cats and bear take a few.

I came across a fresh deer kill in the BWCA one winter. There was a about a 3" x 3" piece of hide and a little red snow here and there, that was it.