Allen Schallenberger is a 5th generation Montana native, long-time MT. wildlife management and wildlife research biologist, livestock rancher and general outfitter and now a wildlife writer and advisor..........His letter to Montana Fish, Parks and Wildlife Chier, Ken McDonald is a prime example of the the kind of mentality that has to be shut down and countered by all of us..........Let Mr. McDonald know that management of wolves is not about blasting them to levels where packs are fractured, social ties are blown up and remaining younger and inexperienced wolves are the majority of the population and at their fleetest and strongest in removing elk and deer from the environment..........The Washington State wolf plan outlined in this blog yesterday is a start in the right direction........Mr Schallenberger, Dr Kay and Dr. Geist need to be outvoted with facts, focus and a united, best science message that can be easily understood and supported by "Joe the plummer"

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Allen Schallenberger

53 Elser Lane

Sheridan, MT  59749-9604

November 22, 2011

Ken McDonald, Chief

 MT FWP former Wildlife Division

P.O. Box 200701

Helena, MT  59020-0701

Dear Mr. McDonald:

I support the extension of the wolf hunting season till the end of January.  We should also have a wolf trapping season.

Regarding having hunters help livestock producers remove depredating wolves, you have not put out enough thoughtful details to tell us what you are planning to do.  Instead it seems like a public relations ploy to generate money for FWP and which may actually harm work by USDA Wildlife Services and ranchers.

You should not confuse fair chase hunting and effective predator control for wolves.  See enclosed picture of a 25 member wolf pack in Idaho. We have packs similar to that and the Hog Heaven pack killed by WS near Kalispell numbered 27.  How would one wolf hunter with one wolf tag and a bolt action rifle have any desirable effect on a 25 member pack in the daytime?  He would be lucky to take one wolf and the other 24 would be much smarter.

If you are going to be effective controlling depredating wolves  with wolf hunters you must allow them use of night vision equipment, silencers on rifles, unlimited permits, use of baits, use of electronic calls and trail cameras, use of radios to coordinate wolf kills, same day aerial observations and wolf kills and other tools.  Hunters must receive education on how to kill wolves from knowledgeable people in Alaska andCanada and USDA WS.  You should expect to pay hunters to accomplish the depredation control work or have a bounty with which they could recoup expenses.  Most successful wolf hunters will be younger people fully employed at jobs or businesses.  Their main paycheck will not arrive automatically if they are not efficient and on the job workers.

FWP is required by law to radio-collar a wolf in packs causing problems in livestock areas.  How will hunters avoid shooting that radio-marked animal before the other members of a pack are killed?  I know that sometimes happens even with the highly skilled WS people.  I would like to see MT FWP paying wildlife services to aerially control wolves harming ranchers and many of our big game herds and forget public relations fluff. Sue and recover the missing PR funds the USFWS used for this wolf fiasco and get damages for the harm done to our valuable big game herds and livestock and Montana businesses.

I have closely watched the diminishing management of our wonderful ungulate big game resources in recent years and I oppose it.  We need a major house-cleaning at top levels of FWP.

Allen Schallenberger