Hard to tell the difference between SFW and RMEF these days.

[BuzzH]

Funny how a forced elk reintroduction in MI, KY, PA, etc. etc. isn't a bad thing...

 

[Schaaf]

Funny how a forced elk reintroduction in MI, KY, PA, etc. etc. isn't a bad thing...

The squirrel population will never recover

 

[tjones]

forced reintroduction

always good for a chuckle.

 

[WalkingBird]

I think this is a good thing for Idaho and the west as a whole in regards to the wolf debate. Yes it shows a huge amount of wolves in the state and that number is many times more than the Minimum as set by the feds years ago, but, it also provides a way to provide proof rather than speculation at those numbers. This is especially so with the use of this same technique being used for ungulates and then compared to the main technique utilized across the west, aerial surveys. The fight against wolves is not in the hands of wildlife managers, but in the courts, and now rather than providing the answers for management, wildlife agencies are now utilized to provide evidence

 

[Gerald Martin]

forced reintroduction

always good for a chuckle.

You reckon they are gonna get a wolf’s consent before they force him to relocate?

#BBWolfwasframed #Grannyhaditcoming

 

[TheJason]

Funny how a forced elk reintroduction in MI, KY, PA, etc. etc. isn't a bad thing...

My thoughts as well.

 

[FI460]

Funny how a forced elk reintroduction in MI, KY, PA, etc. etc. isn't a bad thing...

Was it illegal that they used a non- native subspecies? The Rocky mountain elk, with its drastically superior antlers, aka the Canadian super elk?

 

[Big Fin]

Just got an email from RMEF about the state of the organization. Pardon me if I laugh when compared to SFW, whether the topic be Colorado ballot initiatives, wolves, access, habitat, or whatever.

RMEF ended 2019 maintaining an all-time high of more than 234,000* members.

"Simply put, we could not do what we do without our dedicated members, volunteers and partners," said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. "We are grateful to maintain the strength and momentum of a membership base whose support propelled us to reach many accomplishments in 2019 by putting more money on the ground all across America to benefit elk, other wildlife our hunting heritage."

2019 Highlights:

• Surpassed 12,000 lifetime conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects
• Opened/improved public access to 59,682 acres across nine states
• Enhanced 366,678 acres of wildlife habitat in 23 states
• Permanently protected 25,376 acres of habitat across 12 states
• Topped $1 million for elk-related research in 2019 alone
• Provided funding/volunteer manpower to help complete Wisconsin elk restoration efforts
• Advocated Congress and state legislatures, on behalf of our membership, for many issues including forest management reform, Land and Water Conservation Fund reauthorization, predator management & more
• RMEF, partners successful in court case maintaining game retrieval access in Arizona
• Hosted state, federal agency leaders at the Elk Summit III
• Reached 108.5 million people via social media platforms, had 914,956 followers & nearly 45 million minutes watched of RMEF videos
• Totaled nearly 4.8 million website page views
• Unveiled updated RMEF branding
• Hosted an all-new Elk Camp and inaugural Mountain Festival in Park City, Utah

"Our goal is to harness the 2019 synergy of this conservation movement by successfully working alongside our members, volunteers and partners to do even more in 2020 to benefit elk and elk country," added Weaver.

*2019 membership total does not include RMEF youth members

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Founded more than 35 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of nearly 235,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 7.9 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage.

A lot can get done with 12,000 amazing volunteers, generous donors, support from private industry, passionate members, and by partnering with other conservation groups and agencies.

Carry on........

 

[Schaaf]

I do remember them advocating for increased wolf harvest and methods of take during the 2019 session alongside MT SFW.

Hunters, Trappers Take Aim At Limiting Montana's Wolf Population

A meeting about Montana’s wolf population turned testy Wednesday night in Kalispell.At one point, a man stood up amidst the sea of green camo, flannel and…

www.mtpr.org

I also remember them being noticeably absent from the elk management legislation that increased the elk harvest in Montana.

 

[TheJason]

Wednesday’s was the third meeting in recent months hosted by a trio of hunting and trapping groups -- Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and the Idaho-based Foundation for Wildlife Management -- concerned that carnivores, and especially wolves, are depleting elk and deer in western Montana.

They’re calling on Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to increase trapping opportunities and reimburse wolf trappers for their expenses in an effort to bring Montana’s wolf population down to 150 animals.

Sounds similar to the ag community’s view on elk.

 

[Irrelevant]

Just got an email from RMEF about the state of the organization. Pardon me if I laugh when compared to SFW, whether the topic be Colorado ballot initiatives, wolves, access, habitat, or whatever.

By any chance did that email include anything regarding shoulder seasons? I mean it is rocky mountain ELK foundation.

 

[Big Fin]

By any chance did that email include anything regarding shoulder seasons? I mean it is rocky mountain ELK foundation.

Nope, it didn't.

 

[SAJ-99]

Was it illegal that they used a non- native subspecies?

This has been debunked numerous times (if read as these aren't the "same" wolves, like the current YNP wolves came from a different planet). Even if we give it more credit that it deserves, genetic variations do not mean they are non-native. White deer vary significantly from region to region, and we create "sub-species" based on size, weight, region, etc., but they are not alien to each other. Most variations (size and weight especially) are driven by the environment. A canadian whitetail put in Arkansas may have trouble coping with the heat while a Arkansas white tail placed in Canada will have trouble with winters. Most people accept that prarie wolves were gerenally smaller than their northern cousins, but Lewis and Clark noted they constantly shadowed buffalo and elk herds, so I'm not sure if there is a real argument to make on this. It is possible that the environment will cause the population to gravitate to its natural historical characteristics through natural selection. The will tell.

 

[BuzzH]

Focus on wolves...do jack nothing about lions.

In spite of the science...

 

[buckbull]

I don't understand the issue with the article. Looks like RMEF relied on numbers that were calculated by Idaho. Are the numbers wrong?

 

[Sytes]

I don't understand the issue with the article. Looks like RMEF relied on numbers that were calculated by Idaho. Are the numbers wrong?

IDFG are working towards a better understanding of wolf numbers vs the current setting. Now, ID is aiming for the most accurate # of wolves possible to better "manage" the population. Problem with the prior setting is the open ended assumption of the wolf population based on minimal count + some to assure US FWS is satisfied. Nothing wrong with the #'s in the RMEF article provided.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I do remember them advocating for increased wolf harvest and methods of take during the 2019 session alongside MT SFW.

Hunters, Trappers Take Aim At Limiting Montana's Wolf Population

A meeting about Montana’s wolf population turned testy Wednesday night in Kalispell.At one point, a man stood up amidst the sea of green camo, flannel and…

www.mtpr.org

I also remember them being noticeably absent from the elk management legislation that increased the elk harvest in Montana.

RMEF was against the elk shoulder season resolution, and they were opposed to the unlimited extra license bill before we were able to change it to one extra B tag. I may disagree with my friends at RMEF about large carnivore management, but I think they do deserve some credit for standing up against the legsialture here. RMEF also has been a leader in bringing various legislators together through the sportsman's caucus & sporting advisory council, which also opposed the elk bills as they were originally written.

 

[88man]

Funny how a forced elk reintroduction in MI, KY, PA, etc. etc. isn't a bad thing...

Pa had elk until the 1860s then we got 50 from Wyoming around 1913

 

[Gerald Martin]

I do remember them advocating for increased wolf harvest and methods of take during the 2019 session alongside MT SFW.

Hunters, Trappers Take Aim At Limiting Montana's Wolf Population

A meeting about Montana’s wolf population turned testy Wednesday night in Kalispell.At one point, a man stood up amidst the sea of green camo, flannel and…

www.mtpr.org

I also remember them being noticeably absent from the elk management legislation that increased the elk harvest in Montana.

I was at the last meeting in Trout Creek. Glen and a bunch of other likeminded predator haters were out in force advocating for two bear tags, a return for open quotas on lions, and year round seasons on wolves.

Rep. Bob Brown spoke against wolves and in favor of shoulder seasons highlighting his recent experience in one of the 500 series units where he filled his cow tag in a day and a half and saw over 500 head of elk. Clearly there are too many elk .... I wonder what private ranch gave him exclusive access???

Biologist Bruce Sterling gave the elk kill estimates for unit 121 from 2018 . Almost 80% of the bull kill consisted of 3-5 point 2 1/2 year old rag horns.

Wolves are definitely having an effect in this area as to how elk are distributed with the majority of elk now living on private land in the valley where hunters kill nearly every bull as soon as it grows a brow time.

Every diatribe against wolves was met with jeers and cheers but there was stony silence when I spoke up and noted that we are predators too and blaming wolves when hunters are pulling the trigger on the every legal bull wasn’t going to bring back good elk hunting to this area.

Thirteen public land outfitters in Sanders County....The two largest book over 100 hunters a year. Increased development of winter range and ever more efficient hunting technology....
Bull to cow ratios of 8/100....

Angry hunters who don’t realize that going outside the management boundaries set by the state could cost us all opportunities to keep wolf numbers in check .... Guys harken back to the good old days when the settlers exterimated the wolves (and the deer and elk) because they knew what was best.

Stinking wolves! Stinky Democrats!!!!

Outrage is produced cheaply and efficiently here in Sanders County. It’s a great time to be a (duck) hunter.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Focus on wolves...do jack nothing about lions.

In spite of the science...

Not all lions share the same preference of prey. Elk make up a significant or majority of a lion’s diet in some areas. In other areas they don’t.
In the regions around Trout Creek whitetail deer have historically been the major food source of lions. A study done in the Bitterroot where there aren’t a high number of whitetails isn’t going to be reflective of all areas.

In this area lions, bears, elk and deer all coexisted in relative balance.

With the dispersal of wolves traveling down naturally from Canada joining with reintroduced wolves and their highly successful reproduction, elk have
changed their preferred areas. Just in the past 15 years we have observed what used to be small herds scattered throughout all the surrounding mountains congregating into larger herds on private land on the valley floor. By and large wolves do not follow them down since hunting and trapping has been allowed.

However, hunters have been decimating the bull population during hunting season as soon as they grow enough antler to be legal and venture onto land that allows hunting.

This terrain is heavily timbered and heavily roaded and fair chase hunting methods will never do more than offer a semblance of “managing” wolf numbers.

IMO, the “good old days “ from the mid 90’s till about 2008 were a historic anomaly in the past several hundred years and that kind of elk hunting will never be seen again in my lifetime.

I know the regional reality of this area isn’t the same as other areas in MT. I understand the frustration and dissatisfaction many local hunters have with the current state of affairs however all their rage and indignation isn’t going to fundamentally change reality.