War On Wolves Escalates….

Here we go again. Idaho is bringing out the big guns in the Lolo zone.  Helicopter gunners, Alaska trappers, will be targeting the hapless Lolo wolves.  If this isn’t a wolf pogrom I have no idea what else to call it. The Lolo elk numbers were down long before wolves were reintroduced.  Idaho fish and game is upset because only six wolves have been killed in the Lolo so far, they want 50 or 60 DEAD. Are there even that many wolves in the Lolo?

Are elk and elk numbers just a smokescreen to kill  more wolves?  Idaho hasn’t been secretive about their plans for wolves.  They’ve been itching to kill lots of wolves or most of the wolves in the state and Congress has given them the chance to do just that.  Bad idea Congress, very bad idea. We’re getting a taste of state “wolf management” and it’s not pretty.

From the Republic:

“Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, called the extra wolf control measures frustrating and above and beyond the careful management state officials promised before delisting of the animals.

“The states were talking about measured actions and it turns out as soon as federal protection were lifted they are using every possible means they can to kill as many wolves as they can and there is nothing measured or rational about this,” Suckling said.”

Montana FWP  has been busy too.  They proposed extending the December 31, 2011 wolf hunt deadline to January 31, 2012 and for good measure came up with the brilliant idea to allow hunters to kill wolves for livestock depredations instead of Wildlife Services. They asked for comments.  So advocates obliged and told them to stop moving the goal posts, end the hunt when you said you would. Don’t stress wolves out anymore then they already are by chasing them around during breeding season, which begins in February.  And no private hunters killing wolves for depredations.  Looks like an end-run around Wildlife Services budget cuts??

Apparently all the comments against extending the hunts were ignored and for good measure Montana FWP tacked on two more weeks to the hunt, stretching it to February 15, 2012, right into wolf breeding season. FWP is going to meet up again in January, I guess to discuss if they’ve killed enough wolves or maybe they’ll have to “go all Idaho on us” and extend the hunt through June 2012, as the Gem State has done in the Lolo and Selway zones.  Oh and they pushed through the hunter proposal, so now selected Montana hunters get to have little mini-wolf hunts all year round.

So hey, thanks Congress for ramming the wolf budget rider through and allowing  hell to be unleashed on wolves.  And I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you as well for weakening the Endangered Species Act. Great job there too. NOT!!!  You betrayed the ESA and you betrayed America’s wolves, causing untold suffering to these maligned and persecuted animals.  Shame!!

When is anyone in the broadcast media (not counting the Northern Rockies skewed reporting) going to cover this slaughter?? CNN, ABC, NBC? Anyone? Anyone?

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Idaho game officials plan to mount air, ground attacks on wolves

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/12/idaho_game_officials_plan_to_m.html

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MT FWP extends wolf hunt to February 15

Posted: Dec 8, 2011 4:59 PM by Marnee Banks (Helena)

http://www.krtv.com/news/mt-fwp-extends-wolf-hunt-to-february-15/

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Contact 

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar

202-208-7351

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Photo: Courtesy Ann S. (Wolf People Pup Nini)

Posted in: Wolf Wars

Tags: aerial gunning, Alaska trappers, Lolo wolves targeted, wolf pogrom, wolf slaughter, Congress, IDFG, Montana FWP, extending wolf hunt