Montana Fish, Wildlife And Parks Confused About Recent Livestock Kills By Wolves
September 25, 2008
It seems, according to Montana FWP that they don’t understand why a pack of wolves in Northwest Montana would suddenly begin attacking livestock and killing it. They say all of their “normal” explanations can’t account for this change in behavior.
That’s interesting! Perhaps they should read Dr. Valerius Geist’s article, “When Do Wolves Become Dangerous to Humans?” This article clearly explains the stages of behavior a wolf goes through before learning to attack and kill its prey. I am sure that the FWP could learn a lot from Dr. Geist’s article.
In a piece in the Flathead Beacon, it says that FWP authorities are stumped but at the end of the article, the writer makes this statement.
The wolf population and the number of packs in northwest Montana is clearly on the rise. In 2007, FWP recorded 35 livestock and dog kills by wolves. As a result, the agency lethally removed 19 wolves.
Assuming that the writer of the article, Dan Testa, got that information 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 first time.
None of this is reassuring to anyone. Is the MFWP in denial about wolf behavior? Who is telling the truth on wolf populations? We may never know as long as these agency play politics with wolves.
Tom Remington
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I live about 45 minutes from the Montana border and I think there missing alot of wolves in their so called counts. Myself and many of my friends who archery hunt in those areas are seeing wolf sign where in years past there was none. The wolves north of I-90 are off limits according to esa so I guess you can’t even shoot those if their chewing on your leg. I don’t know about Wyoming Montana and southern Idaho but up in the panhandle there’s more than they’re saying. In fact the map they use to show pack activity does’nt show at least three areas where we have seen activity this year. But hey if there stabil or in decline there’s no since in haveing a season, they control their own numbers, yea right
I don’t know why the fish and wildlife are confused this is what Wolves do. (Kill)
Ummmmmm, why don’t you call, email, write, and ask them? I mean, if you are truly inquiring, if stuff doesn’t make sense, etc., go to the source. Or continue as you do bash folks in Montana from Maine (or where ever the heck you’re from), after reading a newpaper article and speculate upon that. We all know newspapers aren’t always perfect - do you believe everything you read? Or just when you tend to agree with it? Come on now, play fair, be nice, learn about it THEN maybe discuss. Maine is a long ways away my friend. Show some, an ounce of consideration to all the possibilities. Maybe, maybe folks are doing the best they can, the biologist, the journalist, the rancher, etc and stuff comes out a little off in the paper, then a guy on the east cost reads it and (of course) he’s the expert ready to set it straight. All the responsibility lies within yourself - not a light thing. Why do you feel the need to bash folks all the time. What is your life like that you’re like that?
Ummmmmmm, why not spend some time looking around in BBB. If you are truly interested in some Expert opinions.
You read one article out of thousands on this site and come up with this response? You need to check out the Archives for Aug. and September on this issue and realize the above is only a continuation of the long running debate on the actions taken by the Feds, State and Local gov. and the ANTI-HUNTING (expletive deleted) persons.
I’ll walk out on a limb and call myself a worthless sinner. How about you? Might be that’s why we are like we are?
First of all Samdedon, I see where no one is getting “bashed” as you say. I’ve raised a lot of questions, most of them having been raised and discussed in many, many previous articles. On top of raising questions, I’ve provided links to where those readers who are interested in furthering their education on topics such as this can go and get answers to what seems to be confusion on the part of FWP.
I think your response is more a case of the pot calling the kettle black.