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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 10:29:48 GMT -8
A wolf pack that ranges south from the Canadian border into northeast Washington has been targeted for elimination by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, despite protected status for the animals. The grey wolf, seen here in a file shot, is making a recovery in Washington state, but a pack that has been preying on livestock has been targeted for elimination. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Associated Press) Ranchers in the area say the notorious Wedge pack of wolves, which move back and forth across the border between B.C. and Washington, have turned to livestock as their primary food source. “These wolves in this Wedge pack act different,” says rancher Len McIrvin. “They are not eating any game, they are living strictly on cattle.” The Wedge pack consists of at least eight grey wolves, whose range includes a remote, wedge-shaped area of northern Stevens County bordered by Canada and the Columbia and Kettle rivers. Wolves were eradicated in Washington by homesteaders almost a century ago, but their protected status has led to a recovery as the wolves moved in from Idaho, Montana and Canada. Fish and wildlife director Phil Anderson said the Wedge pack is believed to have killed or injured at least 15 cattle from the Diamond M herd, which grazes near the Canadian border. “Once wolves become habituated to livestock as their primary food source, all of the wolf experts we’ve talked to agree that we have no alternative but to remove the entire pack,” Anderson said. “By doing that, we will preserve the opportunity for the recovery of grey wolves in balance with viable livestock operations.” Washington state rancher Len McIrvin says the wolves have developed a taste for his cattle rather than game. (Bob Keating/CBC ) Natural prey such as white-tailed deer are abundant in the area, wildlife officials said. Anderson said marksmen would hunt the wolves from the ground, but helicopters might be used if necessary. Various non-lethal methods to control the predation were attempted by the rancher and wildlife officials, the department said, without success. The alpha male of the Wedge pack is equipped with a GPS and radio collar, which allows its movements to be tracked, and the cattle depredations matched the movements of the wolf and the accompanying pack. The department said the eastern Washington area has six confirmed packs — including the Wedge pack — and three other suspected packs, and that the elimination of one pack will not prevent a wider recovery of the wolves.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 10:31:37 GMT -8
Washington Lookout Pack Yearling Wolf 2008 (WDFW) The Colvillle Tribes, in eastern Washington, are holding a wolf hunt on their 1.4 million acre reservation, which is larger than Glacier National Park in Montana. There are at least 2 wolf packs living on the reservation, maybe three. Many wildlife advocates were shocked by this turn of events. The Colville tribe’s actions run contrary to Native Americans in the Great Lakes, specifically the Ojibwe, who are struggling to save their wolf brothers. “The wolf, Ma’iingan, is considered sacred by the Ojibwe and figures highly in their creation stories. Tribal member Essie Leoso noted that according to tradition, Ma’iingan walked with first man. “Killing a wolf is like killing a brother,” she said.”….Indian Country, Today Media dot com I understand the Colville Tribe land is sovereign and they have the right to manage their affairs as they see fit but it’s very difficult to understand why the tribes would hunt wolves when so few wolves exist in Washington state in the first place and are still protected under state law in Eastern Washington. It’s especially disturbing coming on the heals of the slaughter of the Wedge Pack, which is still fresh in every one’s minds. I hope the tribe re-thinks this decision. Wolves are a vital part of the ecosystem, they keep ungulate herds healthy and strong. Scientists are sounding the alarm over the loss of our top predators: “Just as the world’s lions, tigers, and bears are disappearing worldwide, a scientific consensus is emerging that they are critical to ecosystem function, exerting control over smaller predators, prey, and the plant world. Using such terms as “deep anxiety” and “grave concern” to signal their alarm, the authors contend that the loss of large animals, and apex predators in particular, constitutes humanity’s “most pervasive influence” on the environment. It amounts, they argue, to a “global decapitation” of the systems that support life on Earth.”…Environment 360, The Crucial Role of Predators
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 10:33:46 GMT -8
Stop killing native predators in the name of welfare ranching! Ranchers need to graze their cattle on THEIR OWN LANDS-not the public lands that we pay to support with our tax dollars. Shame on you, Washington! Don't you know that by breaking this pack up you are making a bad situation worse? It is a fact that breaking up a pack increases predation, breeding, etc. etc. etc. Don't we learn from history?? Why can't you learn from us in Montana? We keep making these same mistakes over and over.. earthfix.opb.org/flora-and-fauna/article/alpha-male-wolf-in-wedge-pack-killed-ending-state-/
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Post by ✿Lexxy✿ on Feb 15, 2013 10:55:55 GMT -8
Apple it is a really hard call. Ordinarily I would be up in arms that they were taking out a wolf pack. But I learned a while ago that when mountain lions became endangered & couldn't be killed their population grew out of control & they became a menace in some states. So for them to make the decision to kill this pack there must have been a real threat. It still makes me want to cry but I'm trying to keep it logical.
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Post by Willing Sniper on Feb 15, 2013 11:04:28 GMT -8
why don't we just kill all the wild predators and get it over with.
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Post by Willing Sniper on Feb 15, 2013 11:20:44 GMT -8
koalas should be eradicated because they're funny looking
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 11:28:04 GMT -8
Do wolves eat Koalas? That'd be interesting....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2013 12:48:54 GMT -8
In May of 2011 gray wolves were taken off of the endangered species list. This is the first time in history that the US Congress has taken this sort of action. The wolf is an apex predator, and has expanded into only small fractions of what had been its historical range over the last two decades, after nearly becoming extinct. An Apex predator is at the top of the food chain. They are crucial in conserving the health and well-being of the eco-system and the environment. If there were no predators, single species would become dominant. Because wolves are apex predators, it is imperative that they remain protected. Taking them off the endangered species list changes the population density. In 1966 congress passed the endangered species act. This law authorized the Secretary of the Interior to create an indexed list of the fish and wildlife that were endangered. Wolves have been on that list since 1974, and in the past 13 years their numbers have increased to a healthy level. Before they were put on the list, they were hunted down and killed. This had a huge impact on Yellowstone National Park. Herbivores, such as deer and elk, began to over-graze, which affected the native plant populations. The beavers were also affected by the killing of wolves, because the herbivores grazed in the beaver’s habitat. Creeks and streams in the area slowed to a trickle, because the over grazing held the soil in place, which resulted in channel incision, or erosion. Weak and dying animals are killed by apex predators, as are prey animals. This strengthens the entire population of the animal kingdom and keeps the eco-system in balance. If a pack of elk were not disturbed, they would never move, and would eat everything in sight. This would be detrimental to native plants and grasses. Wolves keep the herds of deer and elk moving. If it were not for the wolves, smaller carnivores, such as rabbits, squirrels and raccoons would be over-populated. Hunters and ranchers started killing off the wolves in Arizona back in the early 1900′s. They thought that the deer population was dwindling. The government put a wolf bounty into legislation. Two years later the wolves were almost extinct. Without the wolves, the deer population quadrupled in size. Because of their grazing, the ranchers had even more problems, as their cattle and sheep were starving to death. When man interferes with nature and wildlife, natural order is destroyed. This is not a political issue, and the government should be protecting the environment, not destroying it. Because the government is running at a huge deficit, they are cutting necessary funding. Killing wolves will not solve the economic problems that face the nation. Government regulation only makes things worse. Animal conservation is extremely necessary. Killing off wolves to save cows, sheep, deer and elk will create an imbalance in our eco-system. Nature has a way of working things out, and if we would just let Mother Nature do what she is supposed to do, there would not be a problem.
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Post by Willing Sniper on Feb 15, 2013 19:19:17 GMT -8
I think they should shoot ranchers that allow their cattle to raze on public lands.
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