USFWS Playing Politics With Wolves?
September 18, 2008
What are we to think of the actions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? There is absolutely no reason I can think of that anyone should believe or have any confidence at all in the USFWS which is part of the Department of Interior.
The history of USFWS and wolves goes back many years but let’s look just at the actions of the federal department since they announced their intentions to get the gray wolf off the Endangered list.
From the moment the announcement was made, wolf advocate groups mounted their lawsuit campaign to stop the delisting. These groups even went so far as to file suit seeking a temporary injunction to put the wolf back under protection while the case is being decided.
In what to me was a poorly presented defense, the USFWS and their lawyers couldn’t even present information to the court to support their decisions and the science behind delisting. Instead, they weakly sat by while an activist judge, with nothing scientific to base his decision on, fulfilled his personal agenda and allowed the temporary injunction. At that time I even questioned whether the USFWS was intentionally “throwing” the case, never with the intention of winning it from the beginning.
If we were to take all the information that Judge Molloy offers in the rendering of his decision, I have to wonder if the USFWS is broken or corrupt. Are they that stupid that they would go into court so ill prepared? They knew the basis of the plaintiff’s complaint and that was that genetic exchange couldn’t be proven.
Sometimes I wonder when witnessing such ineptitude if this isn’t all just part of the overall plan the USFWS has in attempting to appease the anti-wolf crowds while achieving the goals they set out to do from reintroduction of the wolf. After all, many believe the reintroduction was an illegal act.
After examining Judge Don Molloy’s temporary injunction ruling, I was quite thoroughly disgusted that I and thousands of other readers were left scratching their heads as to why the feds seemed so ill-prepared. Aside from the non-scientific “evidence” used by Molloy and his made-up science and terminology, it now appears that the USFWS doesn’t take any stock in what 11 judges of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in regards to judges making decisions regarding wildlife.
The 11-member panel of judges ruled that judges should “give discretion to expert scientists†providing their science isn’t “arbitrary or capriciousâ€
Many of us sat by waiting to hear what the USFWS was going to do to challenge the injunction. Of course it’s easy for me or anyone else to sit here and second guess what the USFWS and their lawyers are up to but it is reasonable to question just who the USFWS is supposed to be representing, what they are using as a wildlife management plans and whether they really do care about the overall health of the ecosystem or are they just scared to death of these bottomless-money-pit environmental groups?
The USFWS made no movement toward appealing the decision and seemed to cower in defeat saying there was little point in trying to appeal. I asked why not challenge the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel of 11 judges and see if they agree with Judge Molloy’s fairytale rulings.
But no! Now we hear that the USFWS is planning to withdraw their original plan of wolf delisting, basically putting the process back to square one with not an ounce of hope for the salvation of our elk, mule deer and the private property of American citizens.
Now that the feds have opened up our wounds, they are pouring salt in to make it really hurt. Today, in a report from the Casper Star-Tribune, the USFWS announces that the mid-summer wolf population report shows wolf numbers declining.
This is how the information and story is presented. If this article is accurate, it appears that Ed Bangs, head wolf coordinator for the USFWS presents information that is misleading and I have to ask if it wasn’t done intentionally.
Is it merely coincidental that the USFWS would one day after it was “leaked” that they were going to withdraw their plans to delist the wolf, that they run to the press and report that wolf populations are declining? Or did they know the report was coming out today and made sure they leaked it out that they were going to withdraw the delisting plan?
If this had been an honest and accurate report, at the top of the story would be the truth that numbers appear below projections and that THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHY. The report is also misleading because it says that wolves numbers have dropped by 350 wolves. That’s not true according to the same article. What it says is that projections of wolf growth was 350 less.
For whatever the reason or reasons the USFWS offered this report and presented it in a way that is misleading, there is no reason anyone should believe it or the agency. This is your tax dollars at work. You should be angry. The USFWS is being irresponsible to present information to the public in order to make them think wolf populations in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana are on the wane. Read what the article states!
The Northern Rockies gray wolf population has apparently shrunk for the first time in over a decade, and officials say they’re not sure why.
There are several reasons given in the article, at the end, of why they didn’t come up with projected numbers and not all of them have to do with dead wolves.
As a matter of fact, in a separate article that appeared on the LocalNews8.com website, they suggest the wolves moved out.
A disease outbreak is one possible explanation for the decline. Another is that wolves have spread into most of the suitable habitat in the region.
Maybe this is part of Judge Molloy’s “genetic exchange” he fantasizes about.
This suggests that some wolves have moved out of the areas where counting is done. Remember, this is in no way an exact counting of animals. It’s an estimation based on given data.
This is playing politics with wolves and the citizens of the Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are being duped. It was several months ago that I first heard that there never was any intention to delist the wolf by the feds. The more I see the more I believe that this may be a factual statement.
Regardless of whether it is or isn’t the plan of USFWS to delist, their poorly planned court defense, their lack of action over the years and the recent trail of events, will set back any hopes of relief for decades and along with that a growing distrust of another of our government agencies who are out of touch with reality.
Can these states wait that long? What will become of our elk and deer herds? The states aren’t telling the truth now about the condition of those herds. What are they going to tell us in the future? They continue providing the media with the “official” statements that all is well and the USFWS agrees. Now they are saying wolves on the decline. Why should we believe that?
Just last week we learned that the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee approved of federal funds to supplement existing funds that will be used to compensate ranchers for livestock loss. Is this another reason the feds will withdraw a delisting plan? Is this simply more appeasement in order to avoid doing what is right and must be done?
Something stinks in Denmark and as is always the case when dealing with the federal government, the people get shafted. Perhaps it’s time for “We the People” to challenge “Them the Government” and take back our states and our right to be a sovereign.
Tom Remington
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I’ll try again, I livein North Idaho and would sure like to see how they can say there are fewer wolves. It’s archery season now and I have many friends including myself that are covering many miles in the woods and we are all seeing wolf sign where we’ve never seen it before. Every elk and deer I’ve seen is far from being relaxed they all act like they never have a down time. Wolves hunt 24/7 and never give them a break. A lot of the new sign we are seeing is north of I-90, in fact a week ago I heard 3 of the dogs howl on the ridge behind me needless to say the elk I had been hunting in that drainage are long gone. I miss the days when bulls bugled and cows and calves mewed and chirped and acted like elk are supposed to. Now it’s a different game and we’ll all have to learn different techniques for success which I’m sure we will, but I still miss the real rut and the real elk. Nothing to me is mor majestic than seeing a bull in the rut bugling and tearing the hell out of things coming in to the call. My favorite bulls are the ones that got away but man what a memeory they left. I wish I could get my young son in on something like that, but with the wolves it’s getting harder to find that situation. It’s easy to tell if wolves are around, the elk are quiet, however if you want to see if wolves are around just bugle and you’re bound to get an answer, a howl that is.
Wow, I’d love to visit the area to hear the wolves.
Hey Bea:
That’s a good idea. Why not get yourself a elk suit and put it on and take a walk through the Frank Church.
Oh and Bea,
You may not want to spend alot on a elk suit as chances are you won’t be wearing it for long when your friend the wolf pays a visit.
ha-ha, funny.
Hey, these guys got the point. take their money. They sure don’t contribute with hunting license fees or taxes on hunting gear! I never used to mind sharing with all the natural wonders (that as a hunter) my moneys helped to develop and sustain. It would be wrong for me to take exception now. But some of these do gooders have no clue. They are just after the instant gratification.
Travis Bullock of Mile High Outfitters greets the guests on the runway. He’ll be their guide for a five-day “camping with wolves” excursion? a trek in to the heart of “The Frank,” which at 2.3 million acres is the largest forested wilderness in the lower 48 states. During their stay, the guests will be in the company of wolves? observing tracks on the trail, listening to mournful howls at night, and, if they’re lucky, spotting glimpses of theses rare canines.
I rode into the Frank Church Tuesday the 15th, as I passed the trail head marker I and two others in the group noticed Idaho Fish And Game signs, three total in 20 yards warning they were in the process of trapping wolves with leg traps and scent or bait and to keep a close eye on dogs off leash.
I know that lots of folks have complained of being harrassed while backpacking and horse packing the sulpher creek trail, a few days ago we ourselves had been surrounded by several wolves watching us, barking and howling around us, and the wolves were very close.
Over the years this Sulpher Creek area was a good elk/deer/bear watching/hunting/ spot, not so any more. We saw no wolves this time in, we did here them one day. Unlike our last trip into my favorite high alpine lake while riding out on the 18th, friday, I could still see our tracks going in, last trip they were covered by wolf tracks. The pack must have been busy elsewhere, which was a relief to not be harrassed this trip.
The other thing I noticed is the lack of human use along the Sulpher Creek trail this summer, due no doubt to wolves following backpackers and horse packers constantly, also in 6 days of riding and forty miles in the saddle and hiking out from camp while my horses are guarded I saw not one elk, only two sets of cow elk tracks walking solo, three deer, and one set of large buck hoof prints twice at a spring up at 7200′.
The funny thing is this, when I reached the trail head friday, the 18th, those signs were gone, I also noticed my groups tracks going into the area were un-disturbed, I was wondering how did fish and game remove the traps yet not use the trail system to do it, I think the signs were posted as a further deterent to users going in, and no actual trapping took place.
If wolf numbers are down, it is because they have killed everything which sustains them and the wolves are starving to death. FWS and Idaho Fish and Game are liars, and have no crediblity what so ever, in fact they never will again as far as Im concerned. I know what Ive been seeing with my own eyes and woodsmens knowledge for 14 years now, and those agencies are lying.
The destruction this program has caused was no mistake, it was and still is intentional. It is the American people themselves who had better get in touch with reality about their hi-jacked government agencies which they have no control over any longer.
Great report, Greg! Thanks for that update and sharing your observations.
Greg, you’ve got to take me in there sometime on a ride.
Well lets go then…. Doing the Queens River in a couple days, then doing Sulpher Creek trail and lakes twice more at minimum. While sheople count sheep I count wolves.
[...] from the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks personnel, this is in complete contradiction to the information released last week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that claimed wolf populations were on the decline for the [...]
I just found this website because I live in NW Mt. and always hike with my dogs.
I have talked to many hunters and guides that when they report the wolves they
have seen to Fish and Game they are told they are “mistaken”, they must be coyotes.
Is that their way of not having to count them?!
I hike close to Kalispell at Herron Park most work days, and the wolves have been spotted up there…I’m worried about keeping my me and my dogs safe.
Irene Jensen
Irene - From most reports there are ample wolves in NW Montana. Denial is just one way of not having to deal with reality. And yes this is one way they can justify not having to actually take inventory.
F&G personnel are also notorious for blowing off reports from “stupid” and “uninformed” people.