From: arielstarshadow	Date: May 6th, 2008 07:51 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The count I heard while up in Montana was 100 - I'm absolutely disgusted by it.

	From: ivy_broom	Date: May 6th, 2008 08:30 pm (UTC)		(Link)

This is absolutely horrible to hear. I am a great admirer of wolves.
I will light a candle and send out a prayer today for them.

	From: wyrmwwd	Date: May 6th, 2008 08:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

... because nothing is more fun that going out in the country and killing something.... especially something that you never killed before.

That was my sarcastic voice.

Wolves are not good to eat. There is no reason to go out and kill them except for the fun of it. I will probably get flamed for this, but I am going to say it, anyway. I think someone who kills animals for fun has emotional problems and needs therapy. Just my opinion.

Edited at 2008-05-06 08:44 pm (UTC)

	From: ysabetwordsmith	Date: May 6th, 2008 09:26 pm (UTC)		(Link)

There is one other reason to hunt wolves, which is delusional when confronted with facts, but still quite prevalent: many people believe that wolves are a deadly threat to humans and livestock. In fact, wolves prefer their natural prey to livestock, and avoid humans when at all possible.

	From: wyrmwwd	Date: May 6th, 2008 09:53 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Yes, I know that is the excuse they use. Every person that I know that I have heard use it are people that just who just like to kill animals.

People who make their living by farming and ranging are amazingly smart people. They know better. It is not delusion, it is denial.

Edited at 2008-05-06 09:54 pm (UTC)

From: bearleyport	Date: May 6th, 2008 08:45 pm (UTC)		(Link)

If fairy tales taught us anything it's that wolves are evil and must be destroyed.

How many Americans derive their "morality" from such fairy tales?

I'd say that Disney made a killing. Literally.

	From: wbm	Date: May 8th, 2008 03:13 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Those are the same people who can't interpret a metaphor in the Bible.

	From: tinhuviel	Date: May 6th, 2008 08:46 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I've been heartsick about this issue for months now. Reading this, my stomach did more than a few flips. Why did Congress do this? Why? And why didn't they listen to everyone who tried to convince them not to do it? I know the answers to these questions, or I at least know my answers to them, I just needed to rant a tad. Gah!

	From: rhfay	Date: May 6th, 2008 10:19 pm (UTC)		(Link)

People is stupid.

Get some really big dogs, one of those breeds bred to scare off wolves. End of problem.

Nope, gotta blast away with our guns. Yep, the solution to everything.

Pathetic.

	From: wbm	Date: May 8th, 2008 03:18 pm (UTC)		(Link)

You remind me of one of my favourite scenes in Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai.

-You know, in ancient cultures, bears were considered equal with men.
-This ain't no ancient culture here, mister.
-Sometimes it is.

	From: kokuten	Date: May 8th, 2008 05:56 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Link Soup, with meaty chunks of opinion in a research broth.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/upload/wolfrpt06.pdf

136 wolves in Yellowstone at the end of 2006

http://wolves.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/pressure-to-kill-wolves-mounting-across-the-western-usa/

http://wolves.wordpress.com/2007/06/16/disparate-groups-help-develop-idaho-wolf-kill-plan/

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2007/2007-07-10-01.asp

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FRO/is_2_135/ai_84967172

- I like the above link, it gives a neat gllimpse of the intertwined nature of life in Yellowstone.

http://myyellowstonewolves.typepad.com/

not 'yellowstone' but 'idaho'. Shows some of the lies that had messed me up. More on that below.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/wolves.htm

the most current data I've been able to find, showing 171 wolves at end-of-2007.



My initial exposure to this issue was in the wtf_humans community. I am not a member of that community, nor do I plan to be.

I'm posting this here, because my initial response was indicative of the propaganda working, and even a small amount of research revealed the facts.

My initial impression was that there were several thousand wolves 'at large' in the Yellowstone area. This is incorrect, as per the National Park Service data. 37 wolves is an insignificant part of a 1000 wolf population, but it's a serious chunk of a 171 wolf population, or even of the larger 750 wolf population mentioned in the typepad.com link.

My other initial impression, which I have yet to be able to disprove or find corroborating evidence for, is that wolf kills were to be regulated in a strict manner, using sport hunting to cull wolf populations in specific areas, and was not going to be an 'open season'.


So, my initial opinion was that this was No Big Deal, and we should all Just Relax.

my cursory examination of the numbers available, as well as the hyperbole, lies, and venom on behalf of both parties in this argument, has changed my opinion.

I am now of the opinion that this was a short-sighted stupidity, and should have not been considered until there was a significantly higher 'critical mass' of wolves.