Gray Wolf

[Northwest Wanderer]

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Wolves are hunted where I live. It's a needless slaughter of a noble animal.

This gray is lucky to live in a wolf sanctuary.

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[fotografr]

I could not agree more. They are now also slaughtered here. This fall will be the second senseless hunting season on Wisconsin wolves. While I fault our state government for permitting this, I fault even more the "hunter" who gets a thrill from killing an animal like this purely for the pleasure of doing it. They aren't hunting for food. They are simply hunting to prove their manhood to themselves and their superiority over another animal. Let me know if you'd like me to tell you how I REALLY feel.

 

By the way, that is a gorgeous image. I'm glad it's safe in a sanctuary.

[Hookeye]

I agree. It is a great pity. But I believe there is a lot of supersticion and ignorance there as well. With all those old tales vilifying the wolves. We have people in Norway killing wolves in the belief it will make it safe for their kids to walk home from school.

[Iduna]

Bill,

thanks for this great portrait of a magnificent animal.

I agree with you all that killing wolves is a foolish as it is a fatal mistake under environment protection aspects.

[albert]

In Minnesota too. I am very pissed-off.

Love your photograph of my friend.

[pauledell]

I could not agree more. They are now also slaughtered here. This fall will be the second senseless hunting season on Wisconsin wolves. While I fault our state government for permitting this, I fault even more the "hunter" who gets a thrill from killing an animal like this purely for the pleasure of doing it. They aren't hunting for food. They are simply hunting to prove their manhood to themselves and their superiority over another animal. Let me know if you'd like me to tell you how I REALLY feel.

 

By the way, that is a gorgeous image. I'm glad it's safe in a sanctuary.

Brent,

 

I couldn't agree more. However, I have a friend that is an avid deer hunter but every one he shoots goes into his freezer or to the local food bank. I can almost excuse him from that bunch. I used to be an active shooter but never laid my sights on a living animal.

 

Paul

[fotografr]

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Brent,

 

I couldn't agree more. However, I have a friend that is an avid deer hunter but every one he shoots goes into his freezer or to the local food bank. I can almost excuse him from that bunch. I used to be an active shooter but never laid my sights on a living animal.

 

Paul

 

I also have good friends who are deer hunters and I have no problem with that. It's killing for the thrill that disgusts me. I've never met a trophy hunter who I'd want to call my friend. Our minds are too far apart.

[stuny]

A beautiful photo. Sadly, wolves are unaware of sanctuary boundaries, step beyond their limits, and are frequtnely shot.

 

There's a wolf sanctuary in our most populous state (NJ). You can see some photos of them at this link: Barbara & Stu's Excellent Vacations

[Northwest Wanderer]

Thank you everyone.

It's encouraging to see others feel the needless slaughter of these animals is disgusting. How it can be called sport to kill one is beyond me. It's hard to believe there are people that still think the wolf should be eradicated.

[leicatraveller]

its really crazy to hund this incredible animals...and for what????

[Northwest Wanderer]

its really crazy to hund this incredible animals...and for what????

 

Good question.

It's a matter of the politicians catering to the wants of hunters, farmers and ranchers over the objections of everyone else.. Politicians do what gets them voted into office. The hunters, farmers and ranchers have a strong political lobby which donates money if they vote the way they wish. As a result they run roughshod over everyone else in my state. No logic involved.

[andkeen]

Well captured and well said.

 

Kind regards

 

Andrew

[mrware]

In Minnesota too. I am very pissed-off.

Love your photograph of my friend.

 

It goes both ways. The wolves are climbing the moose are falling. The wolves might need population control if we're to keep the moose. It's not an easy choice.

[fotografr]

It goes both ways. The wolves are climbing the moose are falling. The wolves might need population control if we're to keep the moose. It's not an easy choice.

 

Actually, it is an easy choice. Wolves take weak and sick moose and deer from the herds, which ultimately makes the herds stronger and healthier. These creatures have all done fine controlling their own populations before we humans decided it was our job to regulate them. Left alone, wolves actually stop breeding when their packs reach a point where there are too many to compete for available prey. That's one of the roles of the Alpha male. There are packs all over Canada where this behavior has been fully documented.

[Northwest Wanderer]

It goes both ways. The wolves are climbing the moose are falling. The wolves might need population control if we're to keep the moose. It's not an easy choice.

 

mrware.

 

I can understand your feelings but one must take into consideration mans impact on the situation also. We created an imbalance in nature that has caused problems. Maybe the moose population has been at artificially high numbers because the wolf populations have been artificially suppressed by man. Here in Idaho I hear the same thing in regard to our elk population.

 

I don't think there is an easy solution to the problem. It seems politics has more power over it than sound scientific findings. Also an inability to compromise hurts an chances of finding a reasonable balance.

[tundraline]

Thank you for your excellent wolf photo. Wolves have historically done very well in Minnesota, which up until about 25 years ago was the only state where indigenous wolves remained anywhere in the lower 48 states. At that time they were believed to be Eastern Timberwolves. Subsequent DNA testing revealed that Minnesota's wolf population was the last remnant of the Great Plains Wolf. From Minnesota they have since radiated outward to the eastern Dakotas, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, where healthy populations have been re-established. In the past, Minnesota's 4,500 or so wolves were protected by state and federal laws that prohibited hunting and harassment, and by state laws that permitted farmers and ranchers to be reimbursed for livestock losses. As a result, relatively few wolves were ever killed illegally in Minnesota. The situation in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho could not be more different, where wolves from Canada were re-introduced several decades ago. Local ranchers and others have been very hostile to re-introduced wolf populations in those states, and many of those wolves have been killed, legally and illegally. I do not understand the rationale for permitting wolf hunting anywhere, especially since their populations remain so small, and since there are so few documented instances of wolves attacking human beings. Unfortunately, wolves remain a boogeyman to many (largely ignorant) people. Once years ago I heard two wolf packs howling at one another for hours on a winter night in northern Minnesota. I will never forget that experience.

[tundraline]

mrware.

 

I can understand your feelings but one must take into consideration mans impact on the situation also. We created an imbalance in nature that has caused problems. Maybe the moose population has been at artificially high numbers because the wolf populations have been artificially suppressed by man. Here in Idaho I hear the same thing in regard to our elk population.

 

I don't think there is an easy solution to the problem. It seems politics has more power over it than sound scientific findings. Also an inability to compromise hurts an chances of finding a reasonable balance.

 

The reasons for Minnesota's moose population decline remain unknown, although climate change is the principal suspect. Minnesota's moose population has plunged dramatically over the past 8 years or so, and most wildlife biologists believe the culprit is summer weather that is too warm for these animals (whose ability to sweat and cool themselves is limited). Minnesota's moose population is the easternmost projection of a northern moose sub-species that stretches between British Columbia and northern Minnesota, and that is not related to moose sub-species found in the U.S. Rocky Mountains, the Northeast, or elsewhere in the Midwest. Minnesota also has a small indigenous elk population in the northwest corner of the state that is related to an elk sub-species centered in Manitoba, Canada. This population has struggled to re-establish itself over the past 40 years or so, and has not been doing well.

[Northwest Wanderer]

tundraline,

 

Very interesting observations on your part about the current wolf situation. I found your comment about climate change worth additional thought and investigation. You have obviously studied the matter well. It is too bad many of those apposed to wolves don't research the matter instead of just reacting to things they may not understand.

 

This image of a wolf sure does not help those that prefer to think of them as blood thirsty creatures.

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[mrware]

Some good info on Minnesota's wolves and moose population. In addition to global warming Minnesota has become more humid in the last few decades. More humidity also means more heat stress on living things.

 

I'm not morally opposed to hunting provided the population will sustain it. In Minnesota the deer herd is hunted and is growing, hunting and a healthy population certainly can coexist. Wolves were protected previously. I trust the state will reverse their decision if they see a decline.

 

Long term I think the bigger threat to the wolves will be population growth of humans and demand for the same territory. "Up North" where the wolves live tends to the the play ground of the twin city dwellers with disposable income. They want trails for four wheelers, cabins on lakes and the like. Give that demand a few more decades and there isn't going to be a lot of pristine wilderness left for neither the moose nor the wolf. The coyotes and deer will be fine, they live in the city already, I'm not so sure the wolves and moose are that adaptable.

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[fotografr]

Some good info on Minnesota's wolves and moose population. In addition to global warming Minnesota has become more humid in the last few decades. More humidity also means more heat stress on living things.

 

I'm not morally opposed to hunting provided the population will sustain it. In Minnesota the deer herd is hunted and is growing, hunting and a healthy population certainly can coexist. Wolves were protected previously. I trust the state will reverse their decision if they see a decline.

 

Long term I think the bigger threat to the wolves will be population growth of humans and demand for the same territory. "Up North" where the wolves live tends to the the play ground of the twin city dwellers with disposable income. They want trails for four wheelers, cabins on lakes and the like. Give that demand a few more decades and there isn't going to be a lot of pristine wilderness left for neither the moose nor the wolf. The coyotes and deer will be fine, they live in the city already, I'm not so sure the wolves and moose are that adaptable.

 

These are all very good points and support my contention that government entities need to start slipping birth control chemicals into the water supplies for our large metropolitan areas.

 

(I said that jokingly, of course. However, in places like Bangladesh population growth is insanely out of control. They have some of the most densely populated areas in the world, yet continue to reproduce like rabbits.)