Ithaca 37
New member
Letters in The Idaho Statesman 6/29/04
I agree that the so-called "hunters" are just going to have to their fat asses and learn to hunt, now that they have a little competition.
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"Natural balance
I saw a sign that said "Save an elk, kill a wolf."
I do not agree with this statement.
A wolf balances out Mother Nature. He usually kills the weak and old so the strong can survive better.
A wolf was put here for a purpose like the fox, raccoon, badger or even a mouse.
Why kill something because someone got the wrong idea about them?
Phil Spalding, Caldwell
Selfish hunters
It seems grossly self-serving and arrogant to base the justification for killing wolves on the argument that this will make hunting elk easier for a select few. Discount the fact that wolves serve as a vital force for ecological balance. Discount the fact that elk herds are overpopulated and destroy wild vegetation while simultaneously spreading disease to other elk, thus weakening the herds overall. Killing wolves for the selfish pleasure of these few will do violence to the many whose enjoyment of the wilds of Idaho will be diminished by such ignorance.
Adam Collins, Garden City
Elk still abound
Once again we hear from Ron Gillett and the anti-wolf people. How unfortunate The Idaho Statesman printed such information in a Sunday issue. It should be back page news by now.
I hunted in Idaho for many years and could have killed an elk every year if I had chosen to do so. Just last week I was in Stanley hiking within sight of Gillett's home and saw elk. Maybe these great hunters are just getting to where they don't hunt very well. I see elk most every time I am in the mountains. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any wolves.
Wildlife viewing and appreciation is worth more than any of the killing that goes on. Idaho is a pretty backward state in many ways (especially politically), sometimes favoring ranchers, many of whom decimate the land, and hunters who seem to oftentimes have a primeval need just to kill for sport. That is not what hunting is about. The outdoor experience is what counts. So, too, will the Gilletts of this world pass on, which should make the world a better place to live.
I wonder if these people ever wonder why God created such creatures as wolves? It was for a purpose and I don't think it was for humans to slaughter.
Paul Martin, Boise
Fear of competition
I've watched the debate over wolf control and their expanding territory both here and Alaska where I lived before moving to Idaho 10 years ago. As a lifelong hunter, I've successfully pursued big game with rifle and bow and have heard the same cries in both states: wolves kill our big game ... and must be stopped.
From what I've seen and read, I think many hunters, like all predators, hate competition — it's in our nature. That's the real crux of the anti-wolf debate by hunters and outfitters in Idaho: Wolves are better and more efficient hunters than we are. Wolves kill their foes with fang and stealth; humans do it through anti-wolf hysteria and "Letters to the Editor."
I hope the debate continues based on a simple fact: Wolves were here before we were and are much better hunters than we'll ever be. They remind us that even with modern weapons, GPS, and camo clothing, we are a distant second when it comes to hunting big game.
Humility is a good thing — hunters who want to get rid of the competition, namely the wolf, should try a little.
Barry Willis, Moscow
Hunters to blame
The wolves are getting blamed for something that man did. The real decline in elk numbers can be attributed to over-hunting of mature bulls. Over-hunting of these mature bulls resulted in the weaker bulls being able to mate, passing on genes that result in their becoming easy prey. Seasoned bulls would pass on genes that would give better instincts, resulting in elk becoming less of a prey base. Man is responsible for the decline in elk numbers.
Elk are learning not to bugle as much, because it draws attention of the pack hunters. Cougars, and bears, which were the large predators prior to the reintroduction of wolves, do not hunt in packs; therefore, they don't kill as many.
Wolves hunt in packs and are attracted to bugling. Therefore, there is less bugling, and most bugling done by mature bulls rather than younger bulls. This serves to ensure that mature bulls breed instead of the younger bulls that attracted the cows in the absence of mature bulls.
Let's quit blaming wolves and instead control trophy hunting to ensure that more mature bulls survive to breed, and elk numbers will rebound and pass on better instincts than they are doing now.
Randy Smith, Meridian"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What do you think? Are the guys bitchin' about wolves just too lazy to get off their asses and learn how to hunt? Most of the guys I hear whining are the ones who just want to go back to the same spot every year and find elk there. They're too lazy to get out and do some scouting to find new spots and learn how to hunt them. They just want to go back to the same spot their father and grandfather took them to.
I agree that the so-called "hunters" are just going to have to their fat asses and learn to hunt, now that they have a little competition.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Natural balance
I saw a sign that said "Save an elk, kill a wolf."
I do not agree with this statement.
A wolf balances out Mother Nature. He usually kills the weak and old so the strong can survive better.
A wolf was put here for a purpose like the fox, raccoon, badger or even a mouse.
Why kill something because someone got the wrong idea about them?
Phil Spalding, Caldwell
Selfish hunters
It seems grossly self-serving and arrogant to base the justification for killing wolves on the argument that this will make hunting elk easier for a select few. Discount the fact that wolves serve as a vital force for ecological balance. Discount the fact that elk herds are overpopulated and destroy wild vegetation while simultaneously spreading disease to other elk, thus weakening the herds overall. Killing wolves for the selfish pleasure of these few will do violence to the many whose enjoyment of the wilds of Idaho will be diminished by such ignorance.
Adam Collins, Garden City
Elk still abound
Once again we hear from Ron Gillett and the anti-wolf people. How unfortunate The Idaho Statesman printed such information in a Sunday issue. It should be back page news by now.
I hunted in Idaho for many years and could have killed an elk every year if I had chosen to do so. Just last week I was in Stanley hiking within sight of Gillett's home and saw elk. Maybe these great hunters are just getting to where they don't hunt very well. I see elk most every time I am in the mountains. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any wolves.
Wildlife viewing and appreciation is worth more than any of the killing that goes on. Idaho is a pretty backward state in many ways (especially politically), sometimes favoring ranchers, many of whom decimate the land, and hunters who seem to oftentimes have a primeval need just to kill for sport. That is not what hunting is about. The outdoor experience is what counts. So, too, will the Gilletts of this world pass on, which should make the world a better place to live.
I wonder if these people ever wonder why God created such creatures as wolves? It was for a purpose and I don't think it was for humans to slaughter.
Paul Martin, Boise
Fear of competition
I've watched the debate over wolf control and their expanding territory both here and Alaska where I lived before moving to Idaho 10 years ago. As a lifelong hunter, I've successfully pursued big game with rifle and bow and have heard the same cries in both states: wolves kill our big game ... and must be stopped.
From what I've seen and read, I think many hunters, like all predators, hate competition — it's in our nature. That's the real crux of the anti-wolf debate by hunters and outfitters in Idaho: Wolves are better and more efficient hunters than we are. Wolves kill their foes with fang and stealth; humans do it through anti-wolf hysteria and "Letters to the Editor."
I hope the debate continues based on a simple fact: Wolves were here before we were and are much better hunters than we'll ever be. They remind us that even with modern weapons, GPS, and camo clothing, we are a distant second when it comes to hunting big game.
Humility is a good thing — hunters who want to get rid of the competition, namely the wolf, should try a little.
Barry Willis, Moscow
Hunters to blame
The wolves are getting blamed for something that man did. The real decline in elk numbers can be attributed to over-hunting of mature bulls. Over-hunting of these mature bulls resulted in the weaker bulls being able to mate, passing on genes that result in their becoming easy prey. Seasoned bulls would pass on genes that would give better instincts, resulting in elk becoming less of a prey base. Man is responsible for the decline in elk numbers.
Elk are learning not to bugle as much, because it draws attention of the pack hunters. Cougars, and bears, which were the large predators prior to the reintroduction of wolves, do not hunt in packs; therefore, they don't kill as many.
Wolves hunt in packs and are attracted to bugling. Therefore, there is less bugling, and most bugling done by mature bulls rather than younger bulls. This serves to ensure that mature bulls breed instead of the younger bulls that attracted the cows in the absence of mature bulls.
Let's quit blaming wolves and instead control trophy hunting to ensure that more mature bulls survive to breed, and elk numbers will rebound and pass on better instincts than they are doing now.
Randy Smith, Meridian"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What do you think? Are the guys bitchin' about wolves just too lazy to get off their asses and learn how to hunt? Most of the guys I hear whining are the ones who just want to go back to the same spot every year and find elk there. They're too lazy to get out and do some scouting to find new spots and learn how to hunt them. They just want to go back to the same spot their father and grandfather took them to.
