Search forum
Back to German Shepherd Dog
Liked top 20
ForumsGerman Shepherd Dog > Let the Wolf come back !! (47 replies)
by darylehret on 10 April 2012 - 18:31 |
That's actially not true. I believe there are two confirmed human deaths due to wolf predation just in the last few years, and many documented ones, prior to their extermination. Like ANYthing in this world, there is such thing as "too much" or too many. Many animals learn to fear humans, and THAT's what keeps their behavior in check. Mountain lion attacks are abundant in California, for example, but pretty much unheard of in Montana. Animals in national parks sometimes become a danger to humans from safety conditioning. Just remember that wolves are more than a natural icon, they are animals with drives and instincts of their own, and are conditioned and adaptable to the environment they find themselves in. But unchecked, their population will grow at a rate of 20 to 40 percent per year. A growth rate of 19% per year is in effect DOUBLING the population every four years. |
darylehret by Conspicuous on 10 April 2012 - 18:43 |
| I have no idea where I read that to be honest darylehret. (and it was more than 2 years ago, for sure) Do you have any links to share? I'd love to read up a bit more on the subject. I think we could agree, at the very least it would be an exceedingly rare occurrance if it has happened. They certainly don't deserve the bad rep they have, that's for sure. All populations in our environment will both grow and shrink. More deer = more food for predators = more predators = fewer deer, so on and so forth. Nature will find it's own balance, I don't think we need to interfere. |
Conspicuous by darylehret on 10 April 2012 - 19:19 |
| Alaska wildlife officials use DNA to confirm wolves killed teacher for rural village in 2010 The above link is now dead. The story of the attack when it first occured barely received any attention from the media, then the dna results for confirmation (other than the tracks and other evidence) was drug out for nearly two years. Maybe it's me, but it seems someone would like to suppress the story. Maybe you can find another source. There's big money in wolf "recovery" activism, legislation, merchandising, etc. Let's not kid ourselves, we need to be able to differentiate the gritty truth about REAL wolves and the HUMAN wolves who would capitolize on humankind's romantic notions. |
by darylehret on 10 April 2012 - 19:24 |
| ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS DNA samples confirm wolves killed Southwest Alaska teacher |
by Cassandra Marie on 10 April 2012 - 19:36 |
| Daryhlret and Conspicious: Several years ago we had a litter of 5 week old GSD. We fenced in 1/2 acre of our 13 acres for the dogs. One day, mama dog kept rounding up her pups and putting them in the center of the fenced area. Mama also did perimeter checks. We couldn't figure out why. That night, at 2 a.m., we heard a large pack of coyotes howling. Mama knew best. Since then we found a secret weapon for our coyote problem: our mule, Iris! No she doesn't mess with our dogs. Back to subject - very sad about the wolves. Will send e-mail. Cassandra |
Cassandra Marie by djc on 10 April 2012 - 20:08 |
That can't be the reason why they are having a wolf hunt! Not too long ago I heard the complete opposite about the caribou. That they are getting too prolific along the pipeline and beginning to starve themselves out. |
djc by Rock Hopper on 10 April 2012 - 20:29 |
| E-mail sent, man yet again will upset the balance of nature in pursuit of its own greed. |
by zdog on 11 April 2012 - 02:03 |
| I'm not getting too excited over a dead human or two from wolves over the past few decades. Notify me when it's a real concern |
by darylehret on 11 April 2012 - 03:55 |
| Aren't you a class act, |
by Conspicuous on 11 April 2012 - 13:47 |
| Ah, ok, well this was a high school project, which is about 15 years out of date by now. LOL Cassandra, I have heard donkeys/mules are great protectors from coyotes. The only thing is you also have to watch your dogs around them. We are thinking about getting a donk for a foal babysitter :) |
by beetree on 11 April 2012 - 14:15 |
| I read the article about the teacher who went for a jog and was attacked and killed by a pack of wolves. DNA shows they have since killed three of the four wolves responsible, and five that were not. I think it is tragic, but that teacher did not take into account her surroundings and should have been more prepared to defend herself against any wild animal attack, not just wolves. A very costly mistake on her part. I don't blame wolves for being wolves. (I also find it bizarre that whoever found her body, just left it there, resulting in the wolves returning to feed!) |
beetree by zdog on 11 April 2012 - 14:17 |
Yes, I am fairly classy, thanks for noticing. Seriously, you're millions of times more likely to die from your own stupid actions than by a wolf. Like I said, notify me when it's a concern. One or two deaths over the course of decades if not hundreds of years of recorded history on this continent isn't really anything other than an anomoly. |
by Conspicuous on 11 April 2012 - 14:44 |
| LOL zdog. I guess that's what I'm saying too. I am sorry about the people who died, but I don't think wolves are really a significant threat. They are generally really shy of people. |
by darylehret on 11 April 2012 - 17:53 |
| Well, not exactly, once they become conditioned to being around people and seeing that they pose no threat. There are wolves chasing elk right though some of the bordertown streets that are near the park. Yes, there's a million other ways to die, I'm sure, and you can say it's ALWAYS the fault of the human for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Doesn't mean we should allow the risks to escalate. Some places, parents refuse to let their kids wait at school bus stops, where the wolves are too frequent. It will likely worsen, if hunting them isn't allowed. It's not only a matter of too many, as also how bold they become is an additional important factor. The reports I recall about the teacher said she was definitely attacked, not just "found" by them. There are also many people who think livestock guardian dogs are the answer, and some ranchers have lost multiple LGD's to their local wolves. There may only be two now, and the excuse a few years ago was that there weren't ANY. You can't fairly look at recent historical records, when the wolves were for the most part non-existant, let alone unprotected, in human habitated areas. Once you bring them back, and under protected status into rural populated communities, then what else could you expect, except that they are going to affect the personal lives of people who for generations did not have to deal with these risks? Anyway, I personally don't see a problem, as ranchers now have the right to protect their livestock, children at bus stops can dial 911 from there cell phones, and what not :-) Even with a very high hunting quota within the state of Montana (of about two thirds the wolf pop.), their numbers still grew from the year previous. So my guess is, that management by hunting alone will eventually be found an insufficient means for population control. I'm thinking they ought to install EID's on their tracking collars, to make the little light blips on their computer screens vanish, ha ha. |
by darylehret on 11 April 2012 - 18:00 |
| And to reiterate what I tried to state earlier in posts, It's not even about keeping wolf lovers happy, and never was. It's about who can profit from keeping wolf lovers happy. |
by Conspicuous on 11 April 2012 - 18:22 |
| There are probably many more human deaths from dog attacks than wolf attacks. How are the risks escalating? Because one teacher died in Alaska? Wolves do not deserve the bad rep they have gotten throughout history and all this fear mongering isn't helping matters (the movie The Grey is ridiculous). I can understand the issues with livestock and farmers needing to protect them. But I hardly think going on a witch hunt is the answer. Good lord, that sure seems a bit extreme! EID's???? Really? Interestingly, according to this study, GSD's have reportedly killed in the US & Canada between 1982-2011 - less than 30 years - 12 people & maimed 54 others. Sounds like they are a much bigger threat, are they not? http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-study-dog-attacks-and-maimings-merritt-clifton.php |
by darylehret on 11 April 2012 - 18:38 |
| It IS a growing (and escaliting) change in the lives of the many who are affected by wolves. Which wouldn't include MOST readers here. The same could go both ways, there are many ridiculous movies about wolves that have little basis in reality, and promote them in a positive light. People shouldn't base their opinions and emotions on what they view in the movies. Simple fact. NO, NOT REALLY!! Can't you read my fecitious writing ;-) |
by Conspicuous on 11 April 2012 - 18:44 |
| Name one! :D And no people shouldn't, but they do. Look what the movie Jaws did with sharks. They are another species that many people are terrified of, yet attacks on humans are extremely rare, and even then are almost never fatal. Not that I ever want to put it to the test. ;) Ok daryl, I give up...we will have to agree to disagree. :) |
by Juno11 on 11 April 2012 - 21:52 |
Just want to respnd to "Do Canadians care what Americans think?" question. I'm a Canadian and many of us are not at all happy about the tar sands. But the tar sands are not owned only by Canadians. Americans, Chinese and others have interests in it. They want to put a pipeline in to connect the tar sands to Texas to send it there for processing. Some American environmentalists have been protesting the pipeline. Its not right that the wolves and other species have to pay the price for human degradation of the land. Juno11 |
by beetree on 11 April 2012 - 22:17 |
| You know who profits from a healthy wolf population? ALL of us, if we aren't butting into their territory. Give them a little. We already have a lot. |
Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!