When I am wrong, I admit it

[Mt_Sourdough]

Well, I am not trying to get things heated up here in friendliest forum on the internet, but I am going to mention a hot button issue.  When the topic of wolve's re-introduction to the area came up years ago, I was luke warm to the idea.  It seemed to me that livestock killed by the wolves would probably be minimal and easily re-imbursed to owners.  On that point I will say that I have been proven wrong.  170 some odd prized sheep on one ranch alone is, by anybody's standards extreme.  The fact that owner cant be re-imbursed for his huge loss is very disappointing.  It appears that wolves have an appetite for testicles and will kill an animal just for that alone and then kill another and another just for this wolf delicacey.  While I never stood as a proponant of wolf re-introduction, I now intend on trying to do my part in management.  Right now, I have three tags in my wallet, soon there will be 4.  Though, my chances of using the tag might be minimal, they are definately present in this area where I intend to spend the next two months roaming.  I have seen their tracks.  I only wish that the quarter of a million dollars (or more) that will be raised by the state in sale of wolf tags will, first, be priortized to cover the cost of lost livestock.
   On another lighter note,  a bull carcas left behind by a successful archer behind this ranch, had a very large Golden Eagle on it.  The funny thing is, the Eagle gorged itself so much that it could not fly.  It just skipped along the ground flapping its big wings.  I imagine that this bird could get away with this stunt because there are not, I imagine, too many animals that are going to want to tangle with it.
You all have a great day.

[BBF]

.
   ..............On another lighter note,  a bull carcas left behind by a successful archer behind this ranch..............

This is legal in your State !   

[Mt_Sourdough]

The carcas amounted to a a rib cage, lower legs and a few other inedible parts of the animal.  All four quarters were gone, plus all the meat from the neck and backstraps were gone.  Everthing that these archers did was totally in-keeping with state hunting laws.  Essentially, these hunters deboned the elk on the spot and hauled out the meat.

[BBF]

I was hoping to hear that.

[Cottonwood]

Did you check to see if they left the eyeteeth intact.  Some hunters forget to remove these prized teeth, and of course others like me check when I find an elk carcas.  I myself did not purchase a wolf tag this year, as I of course thought I would not be encountering any where I was going.  I can tell you that I was wrong in my thinking, as I wished I had several tags last weekend with my trip back into the wilderness bowhunting.

I can tell you that I am very saddened to not see the game like I used to.

[Mt_Sourdough]

Montanan, I agree.  In my experiences in the wilderness areas, there seems to be a lot of wolf signs as well as many other predators in abundance.  The elk and even deer numbers seem to decrease the deeper one goes into the wildernesses.  I see much evidence that the winter ungulate migrations occur much sooner than they used to.   Elk are holding-up on "no hunting" properties in the valleys, often times, well before general rifle season starts.  I believe this is another adaptation by elk and deer to escape the increasing threat of prededation.
  I may not get a chance to shoot a wolf, but I consider the purchase of a wolf tag as my vote to show support for wolf hunting.  I have never written politicians about anything before, but I will soon write both State and Federal Legislatures, with the idea of using proceeds of the wolf tags to go directly to ranchers and farmers for re-imbursement for lost livestock.
  Just two years ago, I would not have felt so strongly about this.  But my own observations and concearns about the hard times some ranchers are experiencing as a result of the impact of wolves has made me want to do whatever I can to minimize their impact.
  Oh' by the way, the bull was big and judging by what I saw, I suspect the head was to be mounted because neck was cut off about midway.

[BBF]

Years ago British Columbia had the same problem with wolves and a group of misguided animal lovers that stopped the culling operation for some years with court injunctions.

The Govt. much to their credit IMO had enough of their bellyaching and put on a effective aerial operation that was pretty much kept a secret until after the situation was remedied.

[Mt_Sourdough]

They are culling some packs around here, but the distribution is growing faster than anybody (the experts anyways) had anticipated.  An entire pack, the Centenial, was all but entirely wiped out over the couple of months and this is after that pack wiped out over 170 prized sheep on one ranch alone and that is not counting the numbers the numbers of livestock they killed last year or on other ranches this year.  It seems though that the distribution is so fast and complete that one pack will just be replaced by another.  This is definately a growing problem that has not yet reached its turning point.