MT FWP Commission closes some wolf areas!

[cowboy]

The rockstar wolf was shot in Wyoming...why is Montana creating the buffer zone?

Because we didn't get a say on who would be on the commission looking after our best interests and our G & F higher ups had a "no comment" attitude. Getting to the point where you have to make a stand - you're either for something or against it.

May not agree with Wyoming's approach but they don't seem to be coming out too bad with all this.

Wyo. still has a lot of legal hurdles to overcome but they know what they will be. Up here in Montana I would guess we are still facing as many legal disputes as Wy. will have we just don't know what they are going to be. When you keep changing the rules (legal decisions) you will never be done.

We need commissioners that have the attitude of "Let me see the local biologists report - bring him to the meeting and let us ask him some questions." End of story. Time to vote with the biologists and let the court dates be set.

If most of you knew "who" was on our commission, how they got there, and what segment they are supposed to be representing - well - let's just say I think you'd be surprised.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Randy,

I typed a huge long reply, but took too long and lost it.

Nothing the commission did yesterday would have changed the assault we're going to face. Paul Ellis told me in June that this session "Is going to be a blood bath for you guys." They've been planning it since May of 2011.

The decisions yesterday only gave them two more talking points.

The right appointment of a director and a new commission might change the direction of the agency, but only if we're there to ensure that it maintains it's structure now. I don't fight for the director or the commission. I fight for the North American Model.

The commission made it clear that they would be looking at trapping and making adjustments to the season in December. They followed the plan, and they adapted to changing conditions. If only they were as swift and decisive with elk and deer.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Good point.

According to Ben Lamb "It even helped drag the bloodless, limp corpse of Wyoming over the finish line. Which, btw, their wolf plan is just politics and no biology. "

Something about that statement does not add up. If that was true WY would be creating the buffer zone but instead it's MT.

I personally like the WY plan. Gotta get these things contained somehow. Already had one with a collar get run over on the NE/SD border a couple of months ago and apparantly there are at least 2 more in the Chadron area right now.

Wyoming does have a no trapping buffer zone around the park.

The WY plan was designed by the ranching interests in WY, and forced through the commission by those lobbies. SFW jumped on board, and their resistance to accepting the plan originally written by WGFD is what made Simpson-Tester inevitable.

 

[Big Fin]

Just finished a long NPR interveiw. Not sure how it will turn out. It focused on the "Rock Star" wolf and the assertion that states are shooting too many wolves.

You all can pretty much anticipate my reply.

Here is one of the strangest questions of the interview:

NPR: "A Yellowstone Park biologist has stated that it is possible that hunters could use the tracking signals from collars to hone in on the location of wolves and then find the collared wolves and shoot them. He stated he has no evidence of this happening, but it is possible. Do you agree that could be happening?"​

Almost needing to pick myself up off the floor, I reply.

Randy: "Laugh, laugh, laugh. Sorry for my laughter. I will try to compose myself. (Cough, cough, clear my throat.)

Really, did he say that? I know of him and his work. I respect his professional work, but that far-fetched claim does not even pass the laugh out loud test, as demonstrated by my initial reaction.

Let's think about this. A hunter would need to have the money and talent to build such device. He would have to know the frequency the collar is emmitting. He would then have to get within range of that collar. That is pretty far out in the weeds. I struggle to think that a trained biologist with a PhD would even hint of such an idea."​

The NPR reporter was prefessoinal, polite, and very generous with her time. It was all I could do to regain my composure after that one.

I will be interested to see if this biologist, a long-time YNP researcher, really gets quoted as saying such a thing to a news reporter. I will be interested to see how the comments get cut and edited for desired affect.

Maybe that question was asked of me for effect. If so, it worked.

For a PhD to throw that one out there is right along with the black helicopters, the Mayan end of the world, the UN Agendy 21 worries, and who knows what else.

 

[canvsbk]

Of course this decision you're discussing was politically motivated. As was the decision to have a wolf hunt was too. Without rancher pressure do you really think there would be a hunt at all? Without media pressure would this decision have been made in the first place?
Seriously, there's no biology involved in any of this. Never will be.
Where I come from the insurance companies manage the deer herd, out there I suspect others are driving the decision making but certainly the "correct biology" is really of no concern to those inpowered with the task of managing wildlife.
I see no reason to use right or wrong biology as an argument, good luck to you guys but my belief is most of you are singing the wrong tune.

 

[ingomar]

This FWP Commission has been soft on the wolf issue for quite some time. It was Montana Sportsmen Alliance that pushed them to allow trapping this year and not wait for further legislative approval that they said needed when in fact they did not. We also provided statutes that we felt indicated the Commission had the authority to issue multiple tags to hunters but they disagreed and are waiting for legislation. While the Commission is charged with managing wildlife for all the people, only the hunters and anglers put money into FWP coffers. BTW two of the three primary elk herds hurt by wolf populations reside in Paradise Valley adjacent to YNP and Gallatin Canyon also adjacent to YNP. Likelihood of those populations returning to pre-wolf levels is extremely low. So does it really makes sense to reduce the wolf harvest in those areas?? We found out yesterday that the opinion of sportsmen is not important or taken into account by the current Commission.

 

[tjones]

Collars help locate a pack easier. Ranchers with tracking radios sure like that option.

See post #44.

 

[belly-deep]

See post #44.

Wolves eat cows, ranchers call FWP, FWP finds the pack using radio collars and kills them.

 

[tjones]

Wolves eat cows, ranchers call FWP, FWP finds the pack using radio collars and kills them.

Close,,,"Ranchers with tracking radios sure like that option."

 

[Bambistew]

Close,,,"Ranchers with tracking radios sure like that option."

What was I thinking, if the HT crowd doesn't know it, it can't be possible. I mean I'm not even laughing out loud here...

 

[RobG]

The rockstar wolf was shot in Wyoming...why is Montana creating the buffer zone?

I'm only speculating, but Ms. Rockstar filled the Wyoming quota for that area whereas the Montana areas in question had no quota.

I just stumbled across the press release describing the closed areas: http://fwp.mt.gov/news/newsReleases/closures/huntingDistricts/nr_0816.html - this is a pretty small portion... hopefully it will calm some nerves. Yes/no?

Update: here is a link with a map: http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/huntingGuides/wolf/closure.html

 

[sweetnectar]

So is someone going to post up a picture of this "rockstar" wolf?

 

[bigeasygator]

Sure, here's one...

 

[Toadslayer]

I guess she would have to be considered a rockstar to luck out and find an elk calf left to kill. lol

 

[Big Fin]

NPR article. Not much to it. Not sure I said some of those things, but such is how it goes when reporters paraphrase. Oh well, such is how it goes in the world of media.

http://www.npr.org/2012/12/12/167024477/scientists-mourn-popular-wolf-shot-by-a-hunter

 

[sweetnectar]

Now that picture looks about right.

 

[ultramag]

I am curious as to when this closure is effective, because if you look at the Montana FWP website, there is no shown closures to any wolf unit. The last update to the map was yesterday and it shows all the units in the state open.

 

[ultramag]

I am curious as to when this closure is effective, because if you look at the Montana FWP website, there is no shown closures to any wolf unit. The last update to the map was yesterday and it shows all the units in the state open.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Wow - read the article comments. http://www.npr.org/2012/12/12/167024477/scientists-mourn-popular-wolf-shot-by-a-hunter

That place is loaded with a bunch of pillow-biting anti-hunters. Guess the kids and I will have to get all our Christmas decorating done in a hurry so we can go try to find a wolf to kill. Those NPR clowns give me the urge to shoot, murder, and slaughter.. wolves and anything else cute and furry that moves.

 

[bigeasygator]

I am curious as to when this closure is effective, because if you look at the Montana FWP website, there is no shown closures to any wolf unit. The last update to the map was yesterday and it shows all the units in the state open.

The closure is listed on the Montana FWP website.

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/planahunt/huntingGuides/wolf/closure.html