If Wolf haters are honest, their negative feelings about our largest trophic canid has not really been about the fact that Wolves are running amuck and destroying their livestock................It is however, about control over their own way of life(as they see it) and a feeling that "big brother" Federal Government is usurping alleged local freedoms...............Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. acknowledgies that there are too many Elk in the State while simultaneously managing Wolves as vermin year round--------How do we find a way to get Rocky Mtn State residents to digest and internalize the words of David Mech: "not to either demonize or sanctify Wolves",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Instead, simply let the wolves live and do their thing while we do ours????? What is the way into the minds and souls of all of us who are quick to apply the biblical interpretation of life that implies that all that is on Earth is here for us to take?......,,,,,,How do we instead bring counterbalance to this non-sustainable philosophy by applyiing the biblical teaching that we are here to caretake all of creation?........How do we instill the "noah(the ark) aspect of the bible as a counterweight to "kill baby kill?"

Wyoming elk herds have grown too large

By Ralph Maughan;thewildlifenews.com

Wyoming Game and Fish Department offers extra elk licenses-

Now that Wyoming has gained the authority to manage wolves and will soon have a wolf hunt, the much lamented lack of elk due to those "insatiable packs of killing machines" — wolves — has suddenly turned around and there are said to be too many elk . . . just like that.

Brian Nesvik, chief of the wildlife division for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says "in many areas of the state, those herds have simply grown too large." Therefore, the state has made an emergency order providing for an extra, reduced-price cow elk and elk calf license in some of the areas with too many elk. In fact, Game and Fish is trying so hard to get more hunting in the larger elk herds that they are offering special elk hunts on private lands. They are even encouraging elk hunters to buy three elk tags in some parts of the state.

It seems more than passing strange that there have been too many wolves, and then start talking of too many elk; all this quick as you can snap your fingers.

It seems like a contradiction, but you can tease out a sensible explanation of this seeming contradiction by reading this story, Wyoming Game and Fish Department offers extra elk licensesBy Christine Peterson.

The Wyoming Legislature is dominated by ranchers who have always lorded it over the Department of Game and Fish. Elk eat grass and forbs that cattle could eat. While cattle are always allowed the lion's share of the range, sometimes elk herds grow big enough there are some ranchers who are short of feed. As a result ranchers don't like the elk, except for maybe those ranchers who do a bit of hunt outfitting in the fall.

Of course, wolves do kill and eat elk, and sometimes they even appear to hold elk numbers in check. Sometimes wolves even reduce elk numbers. But ranchers don't like wolves either. This is because their tradition is to hate wolves, and they don't like the people who support the wolf restoration any better. The desired policy is to kill both of them — wolves and elk both.

The only thing that remains to be explained is why some hunters can't figure this out.