Wolf pack on the prowl

I am going to guess that this headline will get the anti-wolf group fired up! I am a hunter and in years passed, a very active one, but personally have never given into the 'shoot 'em all' mentality. Even though I was told to SSS (Shoot, Shovel, Shut u-up) when it cam to wolves, I could never adhere to the practice as I enjoyed seeing them.Since I have seen several wolves on my place and even had a mother with 4 pups right out in front of the house last summer, I am not saying they need to be eliminated, but this news article may get others to think differently.

www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/25/wolf-pack-kills-19-wyoming-elk-in-one-night.html

That kind of sport killing isn't really that rare....they pretty much do that whenever the opportunity shows itself....but the propaganda groups don't want to say that.
John

At least they don't mount them for the walls of their dens.The birds and others eat them . Like when my neighbor asked what to do you do with those squirls ,I recycle them ,he said what do you mean? I feed them to the coyotes and raccoons.

Also, note that this took place at an elk feeding yard.....a phenomenon that is unique to Wyoming, and puts elk at significant risk to lots of things, not the least of which is predators. But, with chronic wasting and other ungulate diseases on the increase, these elk feeding yards have a significant potential to make this loss of elk look tiny by comparison.

Wolves would have a tough time killing this many elk at once unless the elk were unnaturally concentrated. It happens, but he elk yards make it a lot easier.

MTV

Human Intervention can really have negative impacts with natural resources. Wildlife and Wildfire are two big ones that we attempt to manage and sometimes really F*#K up the balance ending up with unintended consequences. Not saying there shouldn't be wolf management, but like another species; sometimes the urge to flock shoot and dump more game than what is needed is just too overwhelming for the brain running the fangs or the trigger. It's pretty disheartening either way whether it's a pack of wolves or a pack of aboriginal subsistence hunters on the north slope. I do hope we always have the large predators wild and free to some degree. Managed? No issue be it the bears, cats, or wolves. But managed to a degree that attempts to please mans ever increasing self entitlement attitude to harvest game is where I get off the train.
On a different note, the other day I saw three eagles dive bombing something out on a large lake. I flew that direction to investigate. Here a lone Timber Wolf was carrying a dead Beaver. Though he dropped it when I flew by, he went right back for it after I left the area. It made my day. Something I have never seen.

I couldnt see any wolf or beaver because of the glare off the wing of that new girl. Looks like she shines like a spanked babies butt


jim

You only need be concerned with Wolves. Look at what the environmental wackos at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife are planning.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...us-rattlesnakes-coming-to-an-island-near-you/ The only good Timber Rattlesnake is an extinct Timber Rattlesnake. Besides there is a thriving group of them in the Blue Hills next to Boston. Of course there have been no documented snake bite deaths since the colonial times. The snakes are for the most part gone! Duh!

skywagon8a said:

You only need be concerned with Wolves. Look at what the environmental wackos at the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife are planning.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...us-rattlesnakes-coming-to-an-island-near-you/ The only good Timber Rattlesnake is an extinct Timber Rattlesnake. Besides there is a thriving group of them in the Blue Hills next to Boston. Of course there have been no documented snake bite deaths since the colonial times. The snakes are for the most part gone! Duh!

Click to expand...

And, I would respectfully point out, Rattlesnakes swim quite well, actually..... I would agree with your assessment Pete: Duh!

MTV

I have seen this sort of wolf killing spree in the wild. The conditions have to be such that the wolves are up on top of the snow (crust) and the prey breaking through. The herd (caribou) is running in a bunch and the pack of wolves is trailing and hamstringing them. The wolves continue on until they are too tired. They seem to be enjoying the kill more than just killing to eat. I counted eleven caribou down at one site with one eaten. The foxes and wolverine will happily eat the leftovers.

Top predator gets the meat....competition... Wolves loose...man wins.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Stood in the yard and listened to 2 different packs howling the other morning....figures. We've just started calving. Got the Swift all loaded and sitting at the living room windows.... Those who don't think they kill for fun have never had to deal with them on a daily basis...been there, seen that many times.