In America’s Northwest and The Inland Northwest (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, Northern California and parts of Nevada & Utah) the wolf population has been artificially expanded by environmentalist wolf lovers in government with the help of some silly Indian tribes that have lost touch with their natural heritage. These groups who wield a lot of power in government are either incredibly stupid, or just plain evil. Wolves, like wild dogs, are the most efficient predators of large game.
Protecting wolves in the world of wild game is every bit as idiotic as protecting termites and mice in the world of home construction and real estate. The truth is, I can’t conceive of anyone being that stupid.
For several generations before me wolves were hunted, trapped and poisoned … much like rats and mice are trapped and poisoned to protect our homes. It took those more sensible folks a long time to rid this area of the destructive vermin. It took less than a decade for the idiots in government to undo all that. They planted and protected wolves in these mountains, and wolves have made an impressive come back. They number in the thousands now, and are reproducing at rates far greater than the poor indigenous game they prey upon. An elk cow can have one calf per year. A female wolf can have two litters of eight pups per year.
Wolves are invasive varmints that can destroy the natural, beneficial fauna in any area they are allowed to freely invade. Their favorite prey are fresh-born elk calves. They then usually turn on the temporarily-incapacitated mother and chew out her bloody birthing canal. They aren’t confined to preying on newborns, however. They are often seen chasing a full-grown, 500 pound bull elk to the point of physical exhaustion, and then kill him and eat a few parts before going to their next victim. It is sport to them.
The following article speaks of the overgrowth of the wolf population in Sakha Russia. I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar stories emerging from western states of the U.S. before many more years.
Instead of turning wolves loose to decimate the deer and elk in my part of the world I, personally, would rather see the nasty predators turned loose right there in the halls of Congress. But then, I forget … they are already there.
(Ben Williams, ed.)
Russia: Raids by wolves spark ’emergency’ in Sakha
Wolves are pests for Sakha’s herders who rely
on reindeer for a living.
7 January 2013
An influx of wolves preying on reindeer herds has triggered a state of emergency in the Sakha Republic, in north-eastern Russia.
Squads of hunters will pursue the wolves in a three-month “battle” from 15 January, officials say.
The most successful hunters will get bonuses. The vast, sparsely populated region is also known as Yakutia.
Experts quoted by Russian media believe a shortage of mountain hares has caused the migration of hungry wolves.
Wolf packs have moved into Sakha’s central reindeer pastures, from their normal hunting grounds in the mountains and dense forests. Reports speak of increased attacks on livestock, but not on humans.
The wolf-hunting season has been extended to the whole year, as the target is to get the wolf population in the region down to 500 – reckoned to be the optimal number. Currently there are estimated to be more than 3,500.
There will be a “six-figure sum” for hunters who bring in the most wolf pelts – a big incentive, as 100,000 roubles (£2,043; $3,280) goes a long way in a region that is famously cold, remote and under-developed.
The emergency measures were announced by Sakha President Yegor Borisov, who heard numerous complaints about wolf attacks when he visited several villages, a statement on his website said.
The Sakha agriculture ministry says 16,111 reindeer were savaged by wolves in 2012 – a 4.3% rise on 2011. That meant a loss to reindeer herders of more than 150m roubles (£3m; $5m), as each reindeer is worth about 10,000 roubles (£205; $328).
Wolves also killed 314 domesticated horses, the Sakha authorities said.
Last year hunters killed 730 wolves in the republic.
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