Monday, July 22, 2013

Author Asserts that Wolves are Mismanaged at State Level


7 hours ago

State and federal wildlife agencies are not listening to anyone but themselves, sportsmen and ranchers, but then they always have been such from their inception. Ranchers and sportsmen irrationally hate wolves. Few listen to science, reason or outsiders. Wolves do not need to be "managed" in general; maybe problem wolves or packs, and nonlethal means should be mandatory, in place and tried.

Oregon has set up such a wolf policy program, and I think we can look to California to set up a wolf-friendly policy. Wolves will manage their own populations. Killing them in general is just crazy for a number of reasons: It does not make any ecological sense and it disrupts their families and likely will cause problems the wolf killers allege, but not proven. They should not be managed by the states mentioned because it is political management of a species. They should not be delisted because they have not yet filled up the many viable niches still available in their old ranges.

I have been observing for years that talking to the wolf haters is like talking to the far-right and not-so-far-right Republican brain, which makes up and lives in its own universe and is impervious to logic, science, facts or reason. Wolves should not be in the hands of state management, especially in states of such proven hostile mentality as Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Wisconsin. Before a state can manage the wolves therein, they should have in place a policy like Oregon.

“Whenever and wherever men have engaged in the mindless slaughter of animals (including other men), they have often attempted to justify their acts by attributing the most vicious or revolting qualities to those they would destroy; and the less reason there is for the slaughter, the greater the campaign for vilification.” — Farley Mowat, naturalist, conservationist and author of “Never Cry Wolf.”

Roger Hewitt
Great Falls

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