Obviously we know more then the yellow eyed canine. We don't have to go without very often.
I plain don't want anything that hunts in packs and kills for sport in my neck of the woods.
The problem is, the wolves are elusive.... They are hard to find to control once they get a foot hold. Wolves have litters of pups. A cow elk has one calf. Do the math. There won't be any elk or deer left once they are well established. There was a reason there was a bounty on them years ago, as well as a bounty on the mountain lion. Your elk and deer grew in population. No more bounty and protecting the mountain lions and wolves .... the the elk and deer population drop. Why is it okay to hunt and control the elk, deer, bear and other animal population and not the mountain lion and now wolves? Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they're not there. They don't want to be seen. They are both killing machines. When the have young, they kill more often to teach their young how to hunt. If nothing is done, in about 20 years I guess we will just trade in our hunting rifle for binoculars so we can look at the elk and deer in the Zoo, because thats the only place you will be able to see themNot being a person to take anything at face value...I've done a little digging around on wolves on the wet side of Orygun. Lots of interesting tidbits.
The first Oregon legislature was called in part to address the "wolf problem".
The last wolf bounty was paid in 1946 or 1947, depending on who you talk to. Wolves were declared extinct in Oregon at that time.
The area I hang out in can support 100 wolves, as a minimum estimate. Prime habitat.
Exactly one person has been subject to a verified wolf attack in Oregon since 1908.
There have been sighting reported on the upper Trask since 2013, and they became regular about 2015.
ODFW has no clue where and how many wolves are actually in Oregon because of the way they count wolves.
It took ODFW a week to hunt down and kill two wolves. And they were radio tracked too boot.
More later...
The last wolf bounty was paid in 1946 or 1947, depending on who you talk to. Wolves were declared extinct in Oregon at that time.
sounds like us....I plain don't want anything that hunts in packs and kills for sport in my neck of the woods.
agreed, they are awesome animals.It's such a thrill to see wolves doing what wolves do
Caught that, huh? Exactly like us...sounds like us....
I've hunted all my life, I lease and run a large ranch in Northern California for the last 34 years. We have our share of predetors (not wolves). I've done a lot of research and have also taken our horses out of state a lot to hunt.The only grizzlies in California are on the state flag .....
They once ranged down to central Mexico along the coast ....
It's such a thrill to see wolves doing what wolves do .... not pretty, but then again, death in the wild isn't Bambi curling up under the big tree and 'drifting off' ....
lowranger ..... you seem quite knowledgeable on wolves. Are you directly involved somehow ?
So true. Wolves kill the vulnerable. Humans kill the strongest.Herd health increases.
That's not always true. Well, I guess if you call all Elk calves and Deer fawns vulnerable I guess it is.So true. Wolves kill the vulnerable. Humans kill the strongest.
Interestingly enough, our Elk aren't native either. They came from California.The issue is, the reintroduced wolves are not the same species that was essentially wiped out. The introduction of the much larger Canadian wolf has wreaked havoc on deer and elk populations across western states. They kill more than once a week and also are documented to have killed and moved on without consuming the kill. Take a look at what they have done in Idaho alone to see the results.
There used to be grizz in Ca but no more. Kinda sucks but it is what it is. Why not reintroduce them along their original territory? You know why? Because the population make up, whether you see it as good or bad, has changed and can no longer support grizz roaming around the hills of the bay area and Tahoe.
I am not defending the virtual extinction of a species but you cannot just reintroduce a bunch of animals, some of which are non native, and expect them to coexist like they did 100+ years ago.
@StG58, the deer and elk populations may be good now but check back in 10 years from now and see where they are. Deer and elk that have never lived alongside and have dealt with a pack of wolves will not be able to withstand that type of pressure.
They shouldn't. From my research recently wolves avoid humans. They may get territorial and try to chase you off, but you are relatively safe from a wolf attack. They may get within 30 to 50 feet of you though, to scare you off.I'm not a hunter, but I do get out to enjoy the wilderness, and wolves scare me more than any other predator sans man.