WOLF STORIES from people who are impacted by their introduction.

1.       I live on the Yellowstone River between the boat

launch and day use Loch Leven Fishing Accesses in Paradise

Valley.  My Subdivision has existed about 30 years.  My

first home here was built in 1981 and my current home (next

door to the first) is ten years old.  Lots here are less

than three acres to 10 acres with most closer to five

acres.  This is the valley floor and has not been in active

agriculture for over 30 years.  Our trees here are river

cottonwoods and whatever homeowners have planted.

       This is about midway between Mill Ck. and Pine Ck.,

apparently the area claimed by a 10 wolf pack, at least one

collared.

       Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 5:20PM my wife and I

pulled out of our garage for a meeting in Livingston and

immediately saw a "large shepherd-looking dog with a silver

tagged collar" standing on a mule deer by our driveway 30

yards from the garage.  No shepherds in our area.  I pulled

up 20 feet from the critter.  It pulled its head out of the

doe's belly, backed up a few paces and stared at me.  Not a

shepherd.  No fear, either.  The "tag" was the 2x4 inch

transmitter.

       It loped 50 yards to a neighbor's house.  Stopped

and watched me drive away.

       Another neighbor saw it return to the now dead deer,

circle three times and resume gutting it.

       The prior Thursday my dog led me to a similarly

gutted mulie doe 180 feet from my front door near the river

bank.  That kill I did not see.  However, neither doe was

marked above the shoulders and both were eviscerated.  That

is all the wolf ate of each deer, and only a small part of

the insides at that.  I know because I cleaned up both

messes.  Also, not even a St. Bernard could make the prints

the size of those in the river bank sand.       

       They weren't as large as some I saw up Emigrant Peak

or on the OTO while unsuccessfully elk hunting this season,

but definitely beyond dog size.  It isn't that I'm a bad

shot.  In fact I didn't get to shoot.  I didn't see any elk

this year at either place.  A lot of wolf tracks though.

       Talking to our local game warden I understand the

reason so many deer are camped out all day on my property

now, unlike the prior 15 years, is the wolves killed or

drove west of HWY 540 pretty much all the deer that used to

spend time east of us in the foothills of the Absarokas.

 The deer are hiding out in the subdivisions and the wolves

are coming in looking for them. 

       I understand from Ed Bangs the wolves are breeding

now and "although there is no human safety issue it would

be good to let my neighbors with dogs know we should keep

our dogs inside, especially at night."  Apparently, during

breeding season the wolves will aggressively follow any dog

or non-pack wolf scents in an effort to kill them as

"trespassers" in their territory.

       I understand if they become a problem, (not sure

what the threshold for this is) I can apply for rubber

bullets.  Thank you very much.

       If there is a positive side, with no deer crossing

the highway we don't have the road kills we are used to

having.  But on the whole, I really don't want the wolves

claiming my mowed yard as theirs and me being on notice

that if I let my dog out to pee off the porch at 7PM and

she gets killed I should have known better.

       I sincerely hope it does not take the loss of

someone's child to get movement on this growing problem.

 These things are far too dangerously brazen and unafraid

of people.  When they are out of deer in the hills and out

of deer in the subdivisions (we don't have livestock in our

subdivision), not much will be left but the pets and kids.

Larry Stephenson

larrystephenson@aol.com

(406) 222-8502 

2.  Yellowstone Wolf Experiment Out of Control   November 22, 2003

 By Jim Slinsky   OutdoorTalkNetwork.com

 66 Dogwood Drive

 Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

 570-325-5560

 http://www.outdoortalknetwork.com

 jslinsky@outdoortalknetwork.com

It is with great sadness that I write this column. You didn’t have to be a

wildlife biologist to foresee the outcome when you mix Canadian timber wolves

with the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone’s wildlife

populations have plummeted. Wolves are brutal, vicious predators and have a

tremendous impact on all wildlife in any ecosystem. I am not exaggerating. I

radio interviewed a rancher, Mr. Robert T. Fanning, Jr., a big game

outfitter, Mr. William Hoppe, both of whom live within sight of Yellowstone

National Park. It is a whole “New World” out there since Canadian timber

wolves were introduced.

Mr. Fanning is the founder of "Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd"

and Mr. Hoppe is the President. From investing hours on the phone with these

gentlemen I believe the American people and the American sportsmen are not

hearing the straight story on this experiment that’s flat out of control.

Montana wildlife needs some relief and so do it’s private landowners, big

game outfitters and ranchers.

The original plan was for 78-100 wolves to be introduced into Yellowstone. Of

course, you realize hunting is not permitted in Yellowstone or any other

National Park. US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) personnel were concerned

that wildlife populations were too high and might be impacting flora and

fauna. (Sound familiar?) The environmentalists were screaming their theme of

returning to the “Natural Order” of life in the wilds. The project went

forward.

The elk herd in Yellowstone was estimated at 20,000 animals at the time of

the introduction of the wolves. Historic documents reveal that Yellowstone’s

elk, the largest migratory elk herd in the US, was about 30,000 at the turn

of the 20th century.

In less than 10 years the effect wolves have had on Yellowstone’s wildlife

has been nothing less than devastating. Elk populations hang around 10,000;

the moose and deer are almost completely gone. Antelope went from 600 to 200

specimens. Sheep populations have fallen from 300 to 40, possibly an

inadequate amount to repopulate the Park. Wolves are attacking horses, mules,

livestock and stalking children. The economic health of the region has

collapsed and so has the outfitting business north of Yellowstone.

The wolves are multiplying at the rate of 34% a year. There are now 370

wolves in Yellowstone and 770 in the tri-state area of Montana, Wyoming and

Idaho. Wildlife in that region is getting hammered.

Forget what you heard about wolves killing only the weak and sick. Wolves are

canines and like dogs, they kill by instinct and for fun. Aerial photographs

document dead, red wildlife carcasses over the landscape. Wolves practice

“surplus killing” whether they are hungry or not. The wildlife of the region

cannot rest and they live in constant fear. Like coyotes following a deer

herd, a wolf pack pursuit is relentless. One wolf will kill 23-25 mature elk

a year, not counting calves. Now multiply that by 770 wolves.

The recruitment of newborn game animals into their populations has been the

hardest hit. Elk calf survival is averaging 14 out of every 100. In

high-density wolf areas, only 4 out of every 100 calves survive the wolf

packs. Keep in mind, these wolves are not native to the region. The Rocky

Mountain wolf at 80 pounds, which hunts in pairs, has been displaced by this

Canadian gray wolf, which hunts in packs. This predatory machine has no

predator.

The Montana Department of Game, Fish and Parks has applied to the US Fish and

Wildlife Service for delisting of the wolf from “threatened” to “game”

animal status. A decision will be made in December. Environmental groups have

vowed to sue and tie this up in court for years. The environmentalists will

stab the USFWS in the back in the process. They both worked together to

introduce the wolves. The residents of that region desperately need relief

and start the process of controlling this insidious predator.

Wolf introduction is earmarked for all of our western states. We now know

what this predator can do to our wildlife, sport hunting and the economies of

these states. We also know they are being used as a divisive tool against the

private property owning Americans living in that region.

We simply must say “no” to wolf reintroduction. Sportsmen, private

landowners and all Americans need to recognize this program as eco-terrorism

on our wildlife. It is an obvious attempt to end sport hunting.

Bill Hoppe suggests if Easterners have any doubt about the brutality and

devastation of wolves, they only need come to Yellowstone and witness the

carnage. We only need watch the ground turn red from the blood of our valued

wildlife. We only need listen to the crying of an animal being consumed

alive.

We only need listen to their screams of agony.

About the Author: Jim Slinsky, host of Outdoor Talk Network --

http://www.outdoortalknetwork.com -- has been an avid hunter and fisherman

for over forty years. Taught by his father, Jim was shooting and fishing

before he ever started school. Equally capable with a fly rod, baitcasting,

spinning gear, bow, rifle, shotgun and handgun, Jim believes variety is the

key to the total outdoor experience. Freshwater, saltwater, small game, big

game, Jim enjoys it all and is in the field every chance he gets. As a

current member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Jim has begun

to write about many of his experiences and the issues that sportsmen face in

our ever-changing world. Jim is an active rod and gun builder, precision

handloader, English setter dog breeder, multi-species fisherman, former

college professor, active conservationist and staunch supporter of individual

freedoms. His favorite modified quotation is, "I can't remember a day in the

outdoors I didn't like." Every show is dedicated to his father, the late,

great, Jim Slinsky, Sr., "His hunting and fishing plans always included me."

The show is Jim's full-time endeavor.

http://www.theoutdoorlodge.com/features/articles/outdoors/yellowstone_wolf_exp

eriment.html

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