Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Insanity has settled into the beautiful state of Montana where on any given Sunday you hear state game managers saying there is a need to kill and trap as many wolves as possible.............and then at the beginning of "work week Monday", you hear "we need more elk harvested".....................What in heavens name is in the water in Montana?.............Haas everyone just lost it???????????????????????????----Elk #'s are well above target goals across Montana and still we blast Wolves off the planet-------"Mother, I need a drink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



George Wuerthner's acerbic
 commentary on Montana's 
Wolf hunt/trap policy in context 
to the fact that Elk populations
 are over objective 

"Elk are up and over objectives. It must be the result of wolves. They are responsible for everything with elk. We probably need to kill more wolves or pretty soon there will be too many elk everywhere." 

Elk numbers up in north-central Montana

The elk population in north-central MontanaCASEY RIFFE/Gazette.com

The elk population in north-central Montana is above objective, according to recently completed aerial surveys. Elk numbers in north-central Montana continue to rise, according to recent winter surveys by Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife biologists.

 "The trend surveys completed so far show increasing numbers of elk in Region 4," said Graham Taylor, FWP regional wildlife manager.One reason so many animals were counted this year, Taylor said, was the counting conditions."In any year we are able to observe during the winter from 70 to 90 percent of the elk based on conditions such as ground cover, weather, flying time and airplane availability," Taylor said. "This year we were in the upper end of that scale."

For example, in the Highwood Mountains, elk hunting district 447, the local wildlife biologist observed 1,512 elk. FWP's objective for that district is 750.

 Toward the southern end of the Rocky Mountain Front, in hunting districts 421 and 423, 976 elk were counted, while the objective is 500.

 The trend was similar from the Sweetgrass Hills along the Canadian border to the Little Belt Mountains near Great Falls and the Snowies south of Lewistown.

 For hunters that means elk are available where accessible.
To that end, FWP Region 4 has a liberal harvest package for hunters. Through most of the region, hunters are able to take two elk: one animal on a general elk A license and a second antlerless elk on a B license, which is valid on private and state land.
"We need more elk harvested," Taylor said.

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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 3:03 PM

    Of course you have no idea what you are talking about but like to write articles like this acting like you do because you read something. I'll try to be nice about this. Since you aren't from Montana and don't spend time in the forests of Montana I don't blame you for not having a clue. Yes as this article says, there are many areas of Montana that are above elk population objectives. But it isn't hard to figure out that these places with abundant elk also have very few or in most cases no wolves which is why there is plenty of wildlife. If you look at the areas with large wolf populations you will see that the animal populations, elk in particular are at dangerously low levels and something has to be done to ensure their survival. It's not just the wolves, hunting has to be restricted as well which it has been. Look at the bitterroot, northwest Montana, Paradise Valley or Yellowstone elk herds. These are where large populations of wolves are and the elk, deer, moose and other wild game numbers are at record lows. Region 4 where this article talks about has virtually no wolves so it's not hard to figure out. When there is a large wolf population there, the wildlife numbers will be wiped out as well. It gets old listening to people from the cities preach about something they have no clue about. If you really cared about wildlife I would think you would be looking out for all animals not just wolves. I am all for having wild wolf populations but I think they should be regulated for the good of all animals including wolves.

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  2. Coyotes, Wolves and Cougars foreverFebruary 25, 2014 at 9:12 PM

    so since you are so bold, brave and ANONYMOUS,,,,,,,,,,,,and you and others like you have no problem with folks from other places around the Country entering into your life by funding your Ranching welfare grazing allotments and paying for Wildlife Services to kill everything you deem a "varmint",,,,,,,,,,,,,,I feel quite comfortable commenting on things I read and discuss with others who actually have invested their lives working with wild creatures and wild places........Quite a good thing for there to be less Elk where the Wolves have returned.........Millenia after millenia these predator and prey have coexisted without killing each other out of existance......Real hunters enjoy the challenge of the chase and relish the full complement of animals in the system, not just the ones they hunt..........The great thing about our American system is that we have freedom to read, write and listen to any and all that we choose to........I respect your right to disagree and not read this blog..........I will continue to voice my thoughts.

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