Wolf.... North American species..

[Tim Horton]

OK.. So the species has been brought up kind of lumped in with coyote and such.. But in my experience with them it is a whole different animal to deal with, despite being a canid..

I have lived in the far north in the wolfs native range of habitat and a couple different habitats where ...bunny hugger.. types have got them reintroduced.. You kind of get a feeling where I'm going with some of my feelings on this...

In the far north I was in an area where the wolf had just about eradicated the woodland caribou.. This so much so the government had to step in with a program of aerial hunting and poisoning to attempt to reduce wolf numbers to a sustainable level and try to lessen the loss of the caribou.. It seemed a full blown mess.. Also like the coyote they turned to other prey species as needed.. So the deer, moose, and other small game suffered.. I'm sure there was trouble with them doing damage to domestic livestock.. I'm only familiar with a little of that local to where I was.. A neighbor with a small flock of sheep had constant trouble with wolf and bear..

In the areas where the wolf was reintroduced, to me it has turned into a nightmare.. In that the info given to the public when this was done seems what needed to be said to get people to swallow the program.. Despite much opposition to the reintroduction people were told in one area the wolf population would top out at about 400 animals.. Last I knew 7-8 years ago the population was estimated at 1600 and still growing.. Knock on wood, I never personally suffered any danger or damage from the wolf, but many have.. I'm sure you see where I have issues with reintroduction programs like this..

Then there is the coywolf, coydog issues that seem somewhat confined to the north eastern US and Maritimes.. So far... Unfortunately I know very little details about this issue, other than some of the headlines.. I'm sure this will be a thing that will become more wide spread to deal with eventually...

My 5 cents of opinion...
Facts, details, experience, info ?? ??

 

[Sourdough]

I have a lot of experience with Wolves. Most of it in Western Alaska and The Brooks Range. I have harvested several wolves, raised geese here on this homestead, and wolves took their share. We had an all-black wolf here that had abnormally short legs, I would watch him run back and forth along the chain-link enclosure the geese lived in. Watch two wolf's pull-down five Dall Sheep. I was surrounded by a large pack, but they never threatened me. Wolves are "apex" swift killing machines. While it is repulsive to observe, there is a respect for their swift killing skills.

 

[LadyLocust]

What has been done and sold to the public is vile. We have them here and ranchers have lost cattle, mules etc. to them in addition to how they have decimated wildlife numbers. On the Oregon side, as of a couple years ago, the sentence for killing a wolf predator exceeded that of killing a human predator. Also, they say there are only a small number of packs and that is what they report. What they don't report is that their definition of a pack is X number of females banding together and having produced and raised to adulthood multiple litters of pups of which X number bare offspring. It's ridiculous. I can't remember now what the numbers were but they were absurd. We've dealt with them, seen them, and had them within a mile of our home. The other part is that they do not fear humans. Their is a reason the natives shot them back in the day. I say they should be fenced into those cities that requested them: Portland, Eugene, Seattle, Olympia etc.
My 2 cents, now we have 4 cents

 

[Mountain trapper]

It's amazing that there has been wolves for millions of years and everything managed to get by just fine. Many ranchers and farmers want to kill everything that they don't like. I've got wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, bears and cattle here in our area. Never had a problem with any of them. Some people do though. If I ever have a problem, I'll deal with it myself, and not whine to the government for help. I'm capable of trapping or shooting any predator that causes a problem for me. No need for the tax payer to foot the bill.

 

[Magus]

Facts, details, experience, info ?? ??

Coydogs have little fear of man, unlike their wild side of the family, they will attack humans, if you shoot one, the rest will circle you, but they get the idea quickly. Putting a good scare into a pack or killing a member will get coyotes to move on, but not so with coydogs, I'm not sure about coywolves, but I'd think they would avoid humans as both sides of their wild bloodline do.

 

[angie_nrs]

It's amazing that there has been wolves for millions of years and everything managed to get by just fine. Many ranchers and farmers want to kill everything that they don't like. I've got wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, bears and cattle here in our area. Never had a problem with any of them. Some people do though. If I ever have a problem, I'll deal with it myself, and not whine to the government for help. I'm capable of trapping or shooting any predator that causes a problem for me. No need for the tax payer to foot the bill.

Kinda like they dealt with the issue in the Yellowstone series. Just make sure they don't have a collar on them, right?

If the gov is going to make stupid laws like this, then they should pay for the loss of life to farmers and such. Although, that still doesn't solve the problem. Lots of pets and other wildlife suffer too. I'm not saying I think they should be erradicated, but they have gone way overboard in protecting them.

 

[Alaskajohn]

While I don’t have the vast experience that others have, or strong opinions one way or another on wolves, I have enjoyed experiencing them in their environment. They are amazing and beautiful creatures that I respect. In the 9 years living in my little piece of heaven on earth, we had a lone wolf spend the winter near us on three separate occasions. Likely a different one each time as a couple winters separated each of these three if memory is correct. It was rare to see them, but you could find their tracks venturing out on the snow. The stereotypical howls in the middle of the night on those clear and bone cold evenings is always a thrill. Coupled with the northern lights, I have always felt very blessed to be a witness.

As I said in the other thread, the wolf packs in my area follow the Nelchina caribou herd and the closest they get is usually about 15 miles, but the herd is often many hundreds of miles from us so there the wolves will be. My theory on the lone wolves is they are elderly and have been kicked out of their pack. Plenty enough to catch and eat along the river bed below us including hare and all sorts of small critters of this size. Probably a pretty good last year for those old wolves until they can no longer hunt due to age, etc. Just my theory on the lone wolves.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the caribou migratIon as the old sourdough’s and homesteaders who settled this area, mostly in the 1960/70, die or move on. For the second winter in a row, the only other person who lives near me is leaving for the winter in November. For the 2nd winter in a row, there will be a long stretch before you will find another human. Nine years ago there were 6 occupied homesteads year round along our stretch of the road before you hit the mostly unoccupied interior. These homesteaders all told me the caribou herd was pretty thick at times when they first moved here. The other five homesteads are mostly empty year round, so it’s just us and the other couple who now leave the state for winter. Who know, maybe the herd will come back and my opinion on wolves might evolve if I am dealing with a pack or two.

 

[Tim Horton]

If I ever have a problem, I'll deal with it myself, and not whine to the government for help. I'm capable of trapping or shooting any predator that causes a problem for me. No need for the tax payer to foot the bill.
-- --
I also ...delt with it myself.. the problem being I still suffered losses being only one person and not everywhere at once.. But again being diligent and persistent to minimize losses..
+++ +++
I say they should be fenced into those cities that requested them: Portland, Eugene, Seattle, Olympia etc.
-- --
That is another BIG problem I have.. The condo people who meet at the Starbucks to make up these agendas, have the organization skills to raise the money to pressure legislators, DNR and all to achieve there agenda don't have to live with the results 24/7/365.. When they go to the park, bush lodge, or what ever all they want to see is 2 things.. Something with big horns and something with big teeth all from the pavement.
=== ===
Who know, maybe the herd will come back and my opinion on wolves might evolve if I am dealing with a pack or two.
-- --
Problem is Mother Nature may take the rest of your life time and part of another to turn things around.. Humans want to see results in there life time.. Personally it didn't take a very big pack around the area to put me on extra sensitive guard for personal, our livestock, and neighborhood safety..

 

[Sourdough]

What gets "unclear" is if a distinction between a starving pack of wolves and a starving pack of profoundly religious humans.....????

 

[Cabin Fever]

We've spotted wolves in our yard on occasion, either as a loner or in pairs. They are always moving, so it's hard to get a photo. However, we do see tracks in the snow. We did get a photo of the big boy below. He was about 50 feet from our front porch.

 

[montanabill]

I live outside the capital city of montana. The wolves from yelowstone 200 miles away circulate in the area. when one gets to eyeing the cattle herds they get shot. There is a limit of 5 wolves available if you buy the license. They eat calves of various species and you won't hear about any of it in the "news".

 

[Tim Horton]

Interesting... Five wolves limit on the license.. Then as many ..issues.. handled under the 3-S management system if or as needed ??

When I lived in bush.. I could harvest 2 black bears a season.. And a number of years I had to deal with bear ..issues.. on the farm a number of times with the 3-S system..

 

[Magus]

I'd tolerate wolves much longer than bears or even coyotes.
I hate bears, no idea why and coyotes are the "trash panda" of
the canine species. Wolves have dignity at least.

 

[Sourdough]

I'd tolerate wolves much longer than bears or even coyotes.
I hate bears, no idea why and coyotes are the "trash panda" of
the canine species. Wolves have dignity at least.

You grant them the distinction of having dignity. That exists only in your reality....not in theirs.

While they are entitled to a clear unique distinction, it is their awesome skill as efficient administers of DEATH.

 

[Tim Horton]

Wolves have dignity at least.

You grant them the distinction of having dignity. That exists only in your reality....not in theirs.

While they are entitled to a clear unique distinction, it is their awesome skill as efficient administers of DEATH.
--- ---
Wolf, coyote, fox, 3 kinds of bear, cougar, lynx, weasel, fill in the blank predator, rodent... Each deserve there own level of respect in how you deal with them in light of there individual habits and capabilities to be dangerous and destructive.. I don't tolerate one any more or less than the other around my place.. I'm an equally intolerant of any of them..

 

[Ekatarina]

Veterans suffering from PTSD now have options other than traditional treatment and medication. It's called wolf therapy.
At Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, these veterans are getting back their nature.

 

[montanabill]

Veterans suffering from PTSD now have options other than traditional treatment and medication. It's called wolf therapy.
At Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, these veterans are getting back their nature.

Try therapy horses....my wife has a background in mental health and we both have volunteered with at risk vetrans programs. A good horse person can have people just talk to the horses, walk them and groom them and i have personally seen those actions pull people back from self harm and the black pit of despair.......Plus horses dont actively try to eat living things.

 

[Mountain trapper]

Another good wolf therapy to try is wolf trapping. Now that is really getting back to nature.

 

[montanabill]

Another good wolf therapy to try is wolf trapping. Now that is really getting back to nature.

there you go, creating the friction.....the govenor of montana has trapped and shot wolves. we can get a license for five.

 

[DrHenley]

I was sad to see the demise of the red wolves around the family land in the Mississippi Delta. I don't think red wolves ever caused the problems that their gray brethren did. At any rate I clearly remember the last wolf howl I heard on our land and then nothing. Now it's just that hellish yipping of the coyotes which just runs shivers up my spine.

They say they didn't disappear, they just interbred with the coyotes until there were any pureblood wolves left. I ran across a coyote that had thick rich fur, unlike the mangy looking fur of most coyotes there. I should have kept that skin and processed it, it was beautiful.

The coyotes don't seem to be causing as much trouble now as when they first moved in. Not sure why. I stopped shooting them on sight because there just weren't that many anymore. Stopped shooting bobcats too. Must be getting soft in my old age, LOL.