Wolf hunting in the US.

[Sipowicz]

Wolves are fascinating creatures, are barely off the endangered list, and people already want to start taking 25% of them out. I'm not suggesting there shouldn't be some control measures, but for the love of nature wouldn't it be a bit more wise to learn and understand the creatures? I've read numerous books of researchers studying in the field as well as literally interacting with them.

What's the purpose of hunting them? I've never heard of anyone eating wolf. Humans are the only creatures on earth that kill for the fun of it. Every other living thing kills for survival, either as a defense or for food. As much as comics sometimes mock it, I don't believe there are any animals that have human heads or complete carcasses mounted in their dens.

Like I said, I'm not vehemently opposed to population control, but there has got to be far more humane ways then aerial hunting, which though illegal is still happening in Alaska.

Also as has been mentioned, they are opportunistic hunters, picking off the weak prey, leaving the stronger animals for human hunting.

I realize I arguably sound like a liberal tree hugger, but generally I am not, though wolves have been an interest of mine for quite some time and is a sensitive topic having read and seen many of the things wolves have had to endure.

[cobb]

Humans are the only creatures on earth that kill for the fun of it. Every other living thing kills for survival, either as a defense or for food.

We are talking about wolves and they will do exactly that, they have killed for the enjoyment or the excitement of it, this has been reported several times.

Wolves typically cull the weak etc which strengthens our deer herds genetics.

No, a wolf will kill a fully grown and healthy moose if they have the opportunity to do so.

These are the arguments that I hear from the anti hunting crowd. Even though these has been proven inaccurate, it is still put out there just like the BS about people that have guns in their home or carrying them make things more unsafe.

[DeanC]

We are talking about wolves and they will do exactly that, they have killed for the enjoyment or the excitement of it, this has been reported several times.

Minnesotan Gary Paulsen, who wrote Hatchet, explains this in horrific detail in his book Woodsong.

[LarryFlew]

I mean as far as a hunting percentage and this thread we are not talking about wolf management but rather wolf hunting.

Hunting is one of the most effective tools of population and game conservation there is. Hunting fees support conservation and habitat efforts and the culling of the population is very carefully controlled.

So tell us something we didn't already know. The comment was that this thread is NOT about a management program where hunters are sent in to cull the pack etc, it is a thread on hunting seasons in various states.

[mnmike59]

The Wolf population has ALL but depleted the population of Elk in Idaho Where I use to hunt. This was a place where Wolf and Elk lived in the same place and now is ALL Wolf. (and mountain lion) Two years ago I was there scanning the clearings and all I could here was the Wolf packs howling at each other. Unless the population is depleted, there will be NO Elk in that area.
It really sucks because it's very obvious the Wolf population is out of control! I don't want to see the Wolf on the endangered list, But I also don't want to see My hunting disappear. I now go elsewhere and I'm seeing the Wolf population growing in Colorado now also.

[cobb]

So I would guess that most here believe that the wolf population should be manage as other species have been at a state level.

Yes or no???

[LarryFlew]

We watched a large pack (20-25) surround, ambush and kill close to 100 deer in a herd

really??

[Rem700]

So I would guess that most here believe that the wolf population should be manage as other species have been at a state level.

Yes or no???

Yes

[cobb]

We watched a large pack (20-25) surround, ambush and kill close to 100 deer in a herd

really??

Do you know what the term of herding or yarding up means when people are talking about deer in the winter time?

So yes, I would say really..........

[hammAR]

Yes...........besides they are better tasting than Coyotes and make great coats...............

[Rem700]

So I would guess that most here believe that the wolf population should be manage as other species have been at a state level.

Yes or no???

Yes

My preferred method of management at the state level would be to pay me a bounty to control there numbers,
As I see fit.

[ttousi]

We need a Wolf Czar..............call Barry

[LarryFlew]

We watched a large pack (20-25) surround, ambush and kill close to 100 deer in a herd

really??

Do you know what the term of herding or yarding up means when people are talking about deer in the winter time?

So yes, I would say really..........

.

In Winter wolves disperse to find mates etc so that is the time that packs are at their smallest. 20 or 25 in a pack would be unusual at the peak of the pack size even in Canada and/or Alaska let alone Minnesota. Few packs ever reach that size. 25 wolves killing 100 deer even when they are yarding would seem to be nearly impossible unless they where staked in place. It takes appox 3-4 wolves to kill one deer with take down etc which means that size of pack would be taking down about 5 deer at a time. Lets say the chase, take down and kill take 3 minutes. For them to take down 20 times that would take an hour and the deer would have to wait in line.

HOWEVER, if the pack were to be that large in Winter they would likely need that kind of food supply in which case they are not necessarily killing just to be killing and would feed for a long time on those kills.

[Rem700]

[quote="LarryFlew"]Minnesota wolf population is 2nd only to Alaska. With an estimate near 3000 our population is large. Estimate is nearly double the goal to get them off of the list.

[mnmike59]

So I would guess that most here believe that the wolf population should be manage as other species have been at a state level.

Yes or no???

YES