Illinois Wolf Reintroduction Survey

[hunt1up]

Posted this over on AT too.

So I get this in the mail yesterday from the IDNR. It was a lengthy survey regarding public opinion on wolves, and the reintroduction of wolves, in IL. It included a ton of questions about my personal beliefs on animals and wolves, opinions on hunting, what type of area I grew up in, how many kids I have, etc, etc.

It was administered by the IDNR, and at the bottom stated that it was funded by my hunting and fishing purchases and that no IL tax dollars were used. It said it was "sent randomly to select IL residents," not sure what that means.

Anyway, given the wolf debacle on the west, and the latest push in Colorado, I guess I'm not too surprised by this. Did anyone else receive this in IL? Or perhaps in another state.

I'm pretty skeptical that an IL reintroduction is even feasible given our vast amount of open farm land, but we have a bunch of forest in the Southern portion of the state, including the Shawnee NF which is around 265,000 acres. BUT, the simple fact that it's being pursued is pretty telling.

 

[Dave N]

Haven't gotten one yet. Funny thing, my grandfather shot the last wolf here when they had a bounty on them. No idea what year that was.

 

[Gut Shot]

Nothing here.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Out west is one thing but doesn't seem like a lot of area for wolves to establish and minimize conflicts with livestock.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Are they talking grey wolf or red wolf? I know here in Va there is talk about the red wolves. Roughly the size of coyotes, they don't reproduce as quickly and because they are in packs they control coyote populations. It makes sense I suppose but I figure next they'll want to introduce grizzly bears to control the wolf population.

 

[James Riley]

Out west is one thing but doesn't seem like a lot of area for wolves to establish and minimize conflicts with livestock.

I was thinking the same thing, especially since the mid-west is supposed to hold most of our beef. But I've driven for miles back there and never seen a fence, just plowed farm fields. Maybe I've been there during the wrong time of year or they are all in feed lots?

Anyway, a friend of mine is a soybean farmer in Indiana and he gets a shit-ton of free kill passes for deer, like a hundred or more, depending on the year. I think the wolves might be hard on pets but they might also get rid of some deer. I had three days to hunt his place, promising myself I would leave by noon. I waited for the big one that never came and shot a button buck at 11:59. That's how many deer there were and how easy it was. Not much of a hunt. They were like fleas on a dog. Just didn't see the giant.

 

[WestT]

I did not recieve one. I'd be glad to respond though if I got one...WOLVES NOT WELCOME!!!!!

 

[James Riley]

It makes sense I suppose but I figure next they'll want to introduce grizzly bears to control the wolf population.

And the human population. But don't worry, the helicopter moms won't let that happen.

 

[hunt1up]

I was thinking the same thing, especially since the mid-west is supposed to hold most of our beef. But I've driven for miles back there and never seen a fence, just plowed farm fields. Maybe I've been there during the wrong time of year or they are all in feed lots?

Anyway, a friend of mine is a soybean farmer in Indiana and he gets a shit-ton of free kill passes for deer, like a hundred or more, depending on the year. I think the wolves might be hard on pets but they might also get rid of some deer. I had three days to hunt his place, promising myself I would leave by noon. I waited for the big one that never came and shot a button buck at 11:59. That's how many deer there were and how easy it was. Not much of a hunt. They were like fleas on a dog. Just didn't see the giant.

I can at least speak to IL, but we aren't that high on the cattle production list. The soil is either too fertile to use for grazing, or it's timber. Sure there's cattle farms, but many are small time. I know many many guys with 20-50 head. The states around us produce more beef. All the large cattle lots I've seen have been out west during my travels...CA, CO, SD, etc.

As for the deer herd, there are areas of prosperity, but as a whole our populations and harvests are really down. At least in IL. Overpopulation of coyotes really can put a dent in fawn recruitment. EHD also has been hard on the deer lately.

I'm assuming the discussion must be centered around the southern part of the state, where there's more woods. Here in central IL, we'll get the occasional Wisconsin wolf or SD lion that wanders in, but I'd like to think a sustained wolf population would be impractical.

 

[stephenk22]

It won't be long till you have your own wolf packs from Wisconsin moving down.

 

[James Riley]

I can at least speak to IL, but we aren't that high on the cattle production list. The soil is either too fertile to use for grazing, or it's timber. Sure there's cattle farms, but many are small time. I know many many guys with 20-50 head. The states around us produce more beef.

My father in law comes from sod busters out of Winona and he says the same thing. They raised a few cows for their own consumption. They used have lots of pigs but now its mainly farming and that was always the mainstay.

 

[JDH]

I wish deer were like "fleas on a dog" in my area.

 

[James Riley]

I wish deer were like "fleas on a dog" in my area.

This was down near Sullivan. Rolling soy bean fields interspersed with woods. They'd take the meat to the big city homeless shelters for butchering and whatnot. I took mine home. It rolled off the bone like butter.

 

[hunt1up]

It won't be long till you have your own wolf packs from Wisconsin moving down.

They do from time to time and I'm certain a few are around. There was one at the taxidermist a few years back that a coyote hunter shot, not far from me. It was skinned so the DNR could come take the carcass. I guess they let him keep the pelt at the time.

 

[singleshot1]

I got the same thing, also had a Cougar survey with it....

 

[backsmasher23]

It won't be long till you have your own wolf packs from Wisconsin moving down.

Bingo

 

[James Riley]

It won't be long till you have your own wolf packs from Wisconsin moving down.

Sorry, officer, I thought it was a coyote. Sss. I think that is the way it usually goes.

 

[Dave N]

I think there has been 2 killed on the roads near me in recent years. It got hushed up pretty quickly after the initial story in the paper.

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

Suburban Chicago already has tons of problems with coyotes, they've gone so far as to publish living with coyotes brochures in some places. I'd love to see how people would react to wolves given how many people manage to get themselves falling off paved paths at Starved Rock.

 

[Nick87]

Wouldn't suprise me anymore with the decline we have in deer numbers. I guess 2 extra gun seasons and the sale of unlimited antlerless otc sales isn't enough I'm sure the insurance companies will be making a big contribution in Springfield for this. Just like They have done with the cwd eradication counties in the northern part of the state where I live.