North Fork Preservation Association » elk

Schweitzer: Montana will kill wolves that prey on elk, livestock

nfpa — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:06:11 +0000

From an AP article posted to several regional papers (includes link to letter from Gov. Schweitzer to Dept. of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar). . .

Defying federal authority over gray wolves in his state, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Wednesday encouraged livestock owners to kill wolves that attack their animals – even in areas where that is not currently allowed – and said the state will start killing off packs that hurt elk herds.

Schweitzer said he no longer is willing to wait for federal officials to resolve the tangle of lawsuits over wolves, which has kept the animals on the endangered species list for a decade since recovery goals were first met.

Continue reading . . .

Wolves as “park stewards”?

nfpa — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:10:30 +0000

Now, here’s an interesting idea: Introducing wolves into national parks to control elk and deer herds and prevent overgrazing. Dunno if this would ever be feasible in the real world — managing a pack of neutered, collared wolves seems a bit (ahem) over-engineered compared to more straightforward alternatives — but the underlying science is plausible. If nothing else, it’s a nice break from coverage of The Great Wolf Hunt Squabble.

Here’s the lead-in . . .

With ballooning elk and deer populations eating up greenery and altering ecosystems at national parks across the country, a group of researchers is suggesting an unusual solution: introduce small packs of gray wolves to curb the expanding herds.

Read the entire article . . .

Trophy seekers fuel poaching increase

nfpa — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:24:18 +0000

Today’s Missoulian has an article on the increased number of poachers this year who seem to be killing game just to get a little ego boost . . .

The poacher who pulled the trigger on Maximus — one of Montana’s greatest grizzlies — left the big bear to waste.

So did the poacher who shot two wolves up near Glacier National Park. And the poacher who killed the big bull elk north of Columbia Falls. And the poacher who dropped the trophy bull moose down along the Jefferson.

Read the entire article . . .