Idaho proposing shorter elk-hunting season (Hayden: home, cabinets, living)

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Has anyone heard any more about this?

Spokesman.com | Idaho proposing shorter elk-hunting season | Mar 11, 2009

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Looks like the Wolf debate is about to heat up... Thats near my soon to be neck of the woods too.
There's quite a few Elk on and around my place, I hope it doesnt bring the wolves up close and personal too..

[flatlander dave]

I'm all in favor of a temporary shortened season if they allow predator hunting a.k.a. wolf hunting. I think its great the wolves have met there population quota. Now its time to control them.

[DESERTRYDER]

With enuff Hot sauce and mustard I bet wolf tastes OK

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by DESERTRYDER

With enuff Hot sauce and mustard I bet wolf tastes OK

Probably tastes like chicken DR..ha! To quote Mel Gibson in The Patriot.. "Dog is a good meal".. Wolf is pretty close. I've had taco's in TJ, if they were dog(most likely) it tastes great!


I keeeid I keeeid

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by Trace_Rinaldi

Probably tastes like chicken DR..ha! To quote Mel Gibson in The Patriot.. "Dog is a good meal".. Wolf is pretty close. I've had taco's in TJ, if they were dog(most likely) it tastes great!


I keeeid I keeeid

I like your sense of humor...of course I'm a sick twisted freak.

I had heard that wolves were hammering the elk heards, I've only seen one elk kill that I could attribute to wolves. That was roughly east of Hayden, up towards horse heavan. I have seen quite a few old kills down on the Joe in the last few years, in places I have never seen the before. They weren't in places where I'd expect winter kill, could have been wolves, but no proof. I saw a wolf once south of Cocalalla, which isn't far from my place.

I think it's pretty cool that we will have a season on them. I don't want to see them exterminated, but management of the population is critical if we don't want to see our other wildlife heards hammered. Besides, it would help to have them learn some fear of man, and would make a great pelt!

Last spring all the fish and game guys were saying that whitetail herds were hit pretty hard by the long, hard winter, but that elk did pretty well. This winter was quite a bit milder, not sure why winter kill would be that high.

Take a look at this site for some more info: Home. It's biased, but also hard to argue with the pics. To say that wolves only go after the "sick and weak" is a bit disingeneous, in that in the winter pregnant cows tend to be the weakest and easiest targets.

[Greybear]

I saw two separate elk herds of about 25 (about 15 miles from each other) up the st joe a few days ago.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by Greybear

I saw two separate elk herds of about 25 (about 15 miles from each other) up the st joe a few days ago.

I'd guess that would put you up between Calder and Marble Creek? They usually work their way out on the southern hillsides up above the river first. We try to go for a drive up the Joe or CDA as soon as the snow melts to see them. We haven't gotten around to it this year.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Uuuuuuh Wow Toyman... Thats some intense and very eye opening stuff. I had no idea about the situation and the utter waste.. I have seen even domestic outdoor cats "sport kill" mice and rodents and just play with them and never really eat.. Its not hard to believe at all. Im sure there are those who would of course disagree. Seeing that makes me REALLY wonder what the heck the dept. of the interior would be thinking to introduce a wolf species that isnt even native, and actively kills the native Timber wolf.. Its like they purposely did it to deplete the elk, deer, moose, bear etc populations. That raises an eyebrow REAL high, and gets my black helicopter spidey sense tingling.. I need to get signed up.. Im thinking wolf jackets for everyone!!..HA!!

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Oh, the wolf topic... I read the old thread from 2008 a while back, and it can get nasty. Touchy subject for sure in ID and MT. I looked at the Home website (thanks, Toyman), and as long as we keep an emotional distance and think with our head rather than with our heart, it contains information that should be taken seriously. But it also has its share of slippery slope and strawman fallacies (whoever thought the wolf is the size of a dog? And whoever thought any predator always kills its victims quickly? Come on!!!) . I recognize elements of the ancient demonization of the wolf--the bad guy in all European mythology. I used to know people from Eastern Europe who hated wolves with an ancestral vehemence, and swore they ate children. One friend had actually been chased by wolves along a frozen stream in the woods when he was a kid. The common explanation (which I think is certainly part of the story) is that the wolf is the closest competitor that humans have ever known. So now the pendulum has swung, and in the American popular (urban) imagination wolves have become the cherished spirit of the forest. I'm not immune to that mythology myself. I love the idea of the presence of the wolf in the high country, but I'm willing to consider the possibility that it's the idea I love, more than the wolf itself, or maybe I should love one kind of wolf (Timber) more than another, in their right place. I also love the idea of wildlife, period, out there doing their thing, away from human management. So perhaps the "Management" is part of the problem, even when they try to be the solution. Maybe it's time we stopped swinging between fearing and loving the wolf, and just do fact-based assessments. I'm perfectly willing to listen to sensible arguments on both sides.

To get back to an ID connection: Any wolf packs that you know of in the Cabinets or the northern tip of the Bitterroots? Our property is right in between. First time we see a wolf on or near our property (not very likely), I'll let you know if I've changed my mind about wolves...I think I know what our neighbors would say--they feed the elk living on and around our land!