Aerial killing of wolves in Alaska/Alaskan comment - Page 2

I did see the movie.  It's been a long time, perhaps I should watch it again.  I cannot say that I have a conclusion of my own.  Julie is right...not really that many roads out here, you'd be amazed at how few roads there are out away from the cities.

Hey Julie, good to hear from you.  We do miss training and our Schutzhund family!  Darned termination dust making us hustle before winter!   ~ Veronica

How are the new kids doing today Miss Vice Pres Elect Veronica?

What happened to the thread with the video that was on here this morning? I watched it, or am I going crazy? Anyway I wanted to say first that video was heart wrenching. I understand how immense the state of Alaska is and air travel is the only way to get from place to place, but it seems there must be a more humane approach to managing the wolf population. Maybe not... at any rate it did sicken me.

But on the other hand I have to say I have been a Montana resident for some 29 years. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and Idaho in the 1990's. At that time everyone said "ought oh" but it was thought they would stay within the parameters of the park and wilderness areas. The wolf population has grown tremendously in NW Montana. Just 5-7 years ago I never, ever gave thought to walk in the woods with my dogs and think I may see a wolf/wolves. Now the thought is always present in the forefront of my mind, and it is undaunting if you have ever seen one, let alone a pack. They are huge! There is always something every time I read the paper about ranchers and wolf attacks on their livestock. About 5 miles west of where I live my sons friends Labx was killed by a pack, in the spring a couple years ago a pack was by his house trying to take down a new foal, he saved it but not before it had a huge hole chewed in its rump. The neighbor to them had their GSD ripped up bad but he did live. My neighbors had one in a pig pen, and some others spotted about 5 on the mountainside above their house. They said when they came out they just hunkered down in the tall grass. My son told me a story about his friends hunting dogs a couple weeks ago. Here you can run lion out of season for training only purpose. You cannot have a gun on your person when doing this. He had 6 young dogs, they took after a wolf pack apparently and the pack split. Three dogs went one way three the other. Two guys following thinking they were on lion. Five dogs of the 6 were killed and the one that survived had its guts opened up and a wolf standing over it when the owner arrived.

I believe they have their rights and I personally think they are beautiful animals, I would never shoot one unless to protect myself or my own. But unless you live with the reality of wolves you truly don't know what it is like. I think it is what uglydog is trying to say. I hope I said it more objectively.

You just said it all Golden Elk. Nature is always in an ebb and flow. Some years there are more prey and predatores thrive, the next the predatores starve and the prey reproduce once again. It galls me the way we "humans" think we know how to manage EVERYTHING!

Our overpopulation will bite us in our own asses and we will starve one day too, die of disease or just be poisoned by China.

The kids are doing good, Ms. President Rose.  I'm just here taking a break, going back to wrestling with weighty heavy duty chain link fence.  I don't want my club to think I'm on the database when I should be training :-)  Right Julie? LOL.  ~ Veronica

I guess what I am/was trying to say is, for 25 or so (that I have been here) years there were no wolves in my area. They were reintroduced to the wild around here. There is tons of wilderness in Montana still, not like Alaska, but alot of land in the mountains that is perfect habitat for wolves. These guys, to me, are coming into my space. The law here says you cannot shoot them, they are protected. Now how would you feel if you were walking in the woods behind your house ( 1.5 miles from town) and had to worry about your dogs getting lured off and ate? They do that, so do Coyotes, send out a lone wolf to bring back dogs to the pack. The LabX I was talking about was in its yard and taken down, drug some 1/4 mile away and left. The owners were easily able to read the sign and found their dog. A few days later the father saw a few wolves where they had found their dog. I understand and totally agree there are to many people, and it seems throughout history all we do is take. But we are here too, also a part of nature, and I for one am not going to move into a city or town. I do not believe in the "management" of wolves but I do understand it.

trailrider...>>Here you can run lion out of season for training only purpose.>>>Two guys following thinking they were on lion.<<<< lol...i must be reading this wrong, or maybe this is a name for someting that i dont know about.....but you not meaning actual lion's are you?....there's lions in Montana? (i have a bad feeling that this one really is gonna make me sound like a dumb blonde)

Mountain Lions, not African Lions :)

Humans are Not an invasive species.

We, according to the bible, have Dominion over the animals. 

The difference with having a "Balance" of nature is that in years past, wolves were vermin, there was No Closed season,  they were shot on sight-which kept them Wary  & fearful of humans. Thats No longer the case.  As trailrider mentioned, wolves are now approaching homes & People with NO FEAR, in multiple states.

This is an issue and a time bomb for having children & humans attacked, Happened in Canada Last year, a human was killed.   If you dont "Manage"  them, fine, but then there must be a built in fear of humans, having a Closed season or  No hunting season, or not being able to protect yourself, as the case now in the US,  is a recipe for disaster.