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IDAHO MOVES TO KILL MORE WOLVES
IMMEDIATELY
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The seven-month long
wolf-hunting season is officially over. But starting immediately, in the Lolo
hunting zone in Northern Idaho, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has changed the rules and
solicited the volunteer assistance of outfitters and their hunting guides to kill
20 more wolves before June 30, citing the
need to inflate elk numbers. As is
the case every spring, all puppies were born in the past few weeks. Mothers that are nursing their
dependent pups will be included in this extermination effort, leaving the
puppies to starve.
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IDAHO AUTHORIZES WOLF KILL
The Associated Press
Updated: 05/16/2010 11:34:53 AM MDT
Boise, Idaho » The state
Department of Fish and Game has authorized outfitters in the Idaho backcountry
to kill up to 20 wolves in the Lolo Wildlife Management Zone by the end of next
month.
The agency says
the reduction in wolf numbers is necessary to protect the recovery of elk herds
in the region.
The four
backcountry outfitters will be allowed to kill up to five wolves by June 30 as
part of the effort, which is not being extended to hunters.
The Fish and
Game department says the action falls in line with the agency's wolf management
plan and the predators management plan for the Lolo zone.
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THE STORY OF ELK IN LOLO
Idaho
Fish and Game (IFG), whose revenue stream comes largely from the sales of
hunting and fishing licenses, has divided the state into Wildlife Management
Zones, which function as hunting zones where Idaho's wildlife is managed to
maximize opportunity for hunters. Many factors determine how suitable that habitat is for big game and, in
this case, specifically elk.
It
has been long recognized by biologists that elk prosper in areas where
wildfires thin out the trees and create vast meadows of grazable grasses. With wildfires, forests and meadows
come and go as part of a natural cycle. So do the elk. In the
1900s, due to wildfires, which created grassy meadows in the Lolo area, elk
thrived, but eventually the new growth of forest and severe winters reversed
those gains. The ideal elk habitat of Lolo has disappeared, and the land now
supports far fewer elk. The IFG admits in its own communications that they
intend to artificially boost the Lolo elk herds by implementing an aggressive
wolf control campaign. Wolves have
far less to do with this decline than lack of forest fires and severe winters,
yet wolves are targeted to be shot once again.
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In a news release written on March 8, 2010, IFG Director,
Cal Groen clearly illustrates the poor elk habitat conditions in Lolo and the
agency's intent. Here is some of
that content:
"The Lolo elk herd had glory days after major fires in the early
1900s created phenomenal elk habitat in the (ed: Lolo) Clearwater Region. Elk numbers peaked at 16,000 in the
1980s. But re-growth of brush and forest turned great elk habitat into poor
habitat.
"Following the severe winter of 1996-1997, Lolo elk numbers
dropped by nearly half. When the population didn't rebound, Idaho Fish and Game
took aggressive steps. We drastically reduced hunter numbers, and ended all (ed: elk) cow harvest. We increased bear and lion hunting
opportunities to reduce predation. (...)
"With the latest Lolo elk numbers, it is
clear more aggressive wolf management is needed to restore the herd. State
wildlife managers will recommend significant changes to wolf seasons in the
Lolo and other elk-depressed zones, consistent with the 2008-2012 Idaho Wolf
Management Plan. These management tools could include increased harvest limits,
multiple tags, trapping, and asking outfitters to help reduce wolf numbers.
"Even with fewer wolves, changes in the landscape make it unlikely
Lolo elk will return to the all-time highs of the 1980s. But Fish and Game will
do what it takes to restore the health of the Lolo herd. For many of us, it's
more than just professional interest; this herd has personal significance to
many Idaho wildlife managers. And finding the right balance for our big game
herds and other wildlife is at the heart of Fish and Game's mission."
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LISTEN TO RADIO COVERAGE
To listen to a National Public Radio piece regarding this decision, please click here and
follow the link to play the radio segment.
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