 Dear Defender of Wildlife,
Yesterday, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game confirmed the state is moving forward as soon as weather permits with plans to have the federal Wildlife Services agency kill as many as two thirds of the wolves in the Lolo District of Clearwater National Forest – possibly leaving only 25 or 30 wolves in the district in a misguided attempt to increase elk numbers for hunter harvest.
Help us stop the killing. Please donate now to support our all-out campaign to stop this ill-conceived and unscientific wolf cull.
The killing could begin within days, when snowfall and a break in the storm in the area will make it easier for federal agents in helicopters to find, target and kill wolves in this wild area of Northeastern Idaho.
According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game director, if Wildlife Services -- the federal agency charged with the killing -- is allowed to move forward with this plan, the state hopes to expand the use of federal dollars and aerial culling to other national forests in Idaho.
The Obama Administration has not yet indicated how it will respond to Idaho's request to use federal money and staff to kill these wolves on federal lands, or why it would be justified in doing so since these wolves are on federal lands and not in major conflict with livestock.
That's why today Defenders is launching a new comprehensive campaign to stop aerial wolf killing in the Lolo District and help ensure an interconnected, sustainable population of these ecologically important animals remain in the region.
Donate now to help stop the killing and save the lives of wolves.
In the next week – with your help –we will launch an outreach plan to make more people aware of this plan, including in media outlets locally and across the country.
We'll put pressure on federal officials to not participate in Idaho's unjustified wolf killing plan, including Secretary Tom Vilsack (who oversees the agency that would execute the wolf killing plan in the Lolo District) and President Obama. And we'll continue to work with ranchers to reduce conflicts with wolves, saving the lives of these amazing and important animals.
This will be a difficult fight, but I believe that our efforts can prevail – with your help. Please donate now to support efforts to save Idaho wolves and other imperiled wildlife.
To support our vital advocacy efforts in the coming days we need to raise at least $50,000 by Monday. Will you help?
The aerial wolf killing plan is not the only new threat to wolves in Idaho.
The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is reportedly investigating the possibility of no limits on people killing wolves on private land, similar to practices in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, where wolves are far more numerous.
And the chairman of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission even indicated that the state may reclassify wolves as predators under state law – effectively engaging a shoot-on-sight plan similar to Wyoming's awful plan.
The state reports that pack sizes are down. It also appears that young, less experienced wolves have been the most likely to be killed under Idaho's wolf plan.
We need to restore science to wolf management in Idaho, and Defenders needs your help to do it. Please donate whatever you can to support our work now.
With Gratitude,  | Jamie Rappaport Clark
President
Defenders of Wildlife
|
 © Copyright 2012, Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. Defenders of Wildlife can be contacted at:
1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036 |
34 comments:
Good for Idaho finally getting control of a overgrowing wolf population!
I'd rather give money to Idaho Fish and Game to help control the wolf population.
Good for Idaho. I would rather give Idaho fish and game money to take control of the out of control wolf population.
After watching wolves tear a newborn elk calf to shreds in the first minute of its short life, all I can say is, "Congratulations Idaho Fish and Game for taking this action!"
I prefer aerial spraying of parvo.
Allow the Idaho Game and Fish to manage all wildlife within their state lines. Allowing a predator as efficient as Wolves to run unchecked in the today's world is a receipt for disaster.
I fully support Idaho Game and Fish with the actions to control the wolf population, I hope Montana and Wyoming Game and Fish agencies do the same.
I would be willing contribute my money to help Game and Fish with the wolf control.
Unless you plan on moving thousands of people out of their homes and returning millions of acres of private property to public land for habitat wolves, just like every other animal, must be managed. If you don't like that fact you can help by removing yourself from the problem.
Let IF&G do there job and manage the wolf.
All the legal action to stop wolf management has caused the problems that Idaho and other states now have to deal with.
Good for Idaho. The wolves are well above the population objective. Time to put them in check, like everything else.
When all objectives of the grey wolf reintroduction are met (breeding pairs and overall population) the only ethical course to take is to turn control over to the states and let them be managed as all game populations should be. Congratulations to Idaho for doing the right thing!
As a conservationist who has spent time in wolf country, I’ve seen 1st hand the impact the wolves are having on other animals. It’s re-assuring to know that the government is attempting to manage wolves and thin the pack to the betterment of all species.
Disgraceful to see how many uneducated, pathetic people could possibly exist in one country.
After reading the comments left on this page I lost all my faith in American people,seeing how easily they could discard the morals that separate human beings from apes.Simply due to the lake of education and awareness on this topic.
You all say that because of the population of wolves growing it's ok and a duty to kill them...for their sake,right?
Ever heard of Darwin's Natural Selection theory? And what about Malthus study on demographics? You can apply the same for these wolves; when their population is big enough to leave some wolves without food their number will decrease and the most adapted will survive....
Leave nature do it own job!
"Simply due to the lake of education and awareness on this topic."
The LAKE of education? Yet apparently all of us are uneducated... alright. Also, it isn't right to assume hunters, who are the true conservationists, are uneducated because we choose to manage overrunning wildlife populations. Unless you have spent time in wolf country, which is damned near everywhere now, and have witnessed it first hand, you cannot correctly understand how bad the impact that wolves are making is. Bottom line, CONGRATULATIONS IDAHO!!!
Its about time. Let the states manage their wildlife. I think I will donate to the Idaho Game and Fish!
Good for Idaho. Grey wolves are an invasive species that were never part of the Rocky mountain ecosystem.
Good for Idaho finally getting control of a overgrowing wolf population!
Good for Idaho F&G. I'm tired of hearing people talk about "natural selection" and "letting naturedo its own job". Well, unlike some, who must live in a bubble, I consider the human race to be part of nature, especially me. And with our larger brain that puts us at the TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN!!! We reintroduced wolves to a habitat that has seen more people living in it than ever. We must manage wolves not just for there benefit but for the benefit of all wildlife affected by there reintroduction. Left unchecked they will eventually deplete prey species, which I believe is about to crash, to the point that they themselves will likely and die a slow painfull death from starvation, which must be what the OP would rather happen. Seems like a very cruel thing to let happen when it could be prevented.
Uneducated? I am a hunter and a conservationist. I also possess a PhD in wildlife sciences and have also witnessed first hand the damage the introduction of this invasive species of wolf has done to the wildlife of idaho. It is about time we manage the invasive canadian wolf. We also need to make sure our wildlife agencies know where there funding comes from...Ever heard of biting the hand that feeds you?
I have witnessed a pack of wolves chase and kill a calf elk. All the while the calfs mother stood in the trees frantically calling for its calf to rejoin the group.
Good for Idaho G&F!They are working towards reasonable population numbers for all wildlife.
Its past time we allow our state wildlife agencies to manage their own wildlife.
Wolves are back but now they should be no different than other wildlife species. They too need to me managed and kept in control, otherwise they will eat their way out of house and hone and have a huge die off, just like any other critter.
Kudos to Idaho. Hopefully Montana, Wyoming and other states will be able to do the same in the areas where the wolf population is too high and the ungulate population too low.
Your request for a donation from me is denied. I really have no idea who is paid from a donation. Someone would have to be paid and my suspicion is Lawyers.. so I don't see the benefit of donating to you. I do see the benefit of Idaho F&G making a tough decision to manage predators.
The general ignorance of the author in regards to wildlife conservation amazes me. Predator/prey relationships cannot balance out when the predator is over-abundant. Hence the need for wildlife conservationalists to step in (F&G) and help with the balance. It is very necessary!
It is high time Idaho take a stance on the wolf issue.
Wolves are a part of the eco system and need to be managed as such.
As far as "the misguided attempt at increasing elk numbers for hunter harvest" goes...well, if you don't control wolf numbers there won't be any elk left for anyone or anything including wolves.
Lastly, before anyone donates to this cause to stop the intolerable cruelty, be sure to ask the author of this article how much of your money will go to the cause and how much will go towards their payroll. You'd be very surprised.
Save the wolves?? From what? Hunting is a means for management and when that is not effective other means are necessary. How about save the elk! Wolves are out of control, Idaho MT and WY should have enacted hunts 5 years ago and we wouldn't have to be paying for this now. WHAT A JOKE.
the only real story I got out of this article is "DONATE" many times over. If you really want to create cash flow for real conservation groups then right something for RMEF, SCI and others they are the real groups that are protecting our nations wildlife..I support Idaho 100%
Jamie, Leave the wildlife management to people who have a clue. You have no clue how to support wildlife nor do you EVER actually help them. For those of you that want your money to help wildlife, ALL wildlife. Donate to RMEF, Pheasants forever, ducks unlimited, MuleDeer foundation, or even just your local wildlife office. THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES ACTUALLY HELPING WILDLIFE. Defenders of wildlife is only using your money to pay lawyers.
Wildlife management has ONLY ever been paid for by hunters. Defenders of Wildlife only takes your money to line their pockets. Not a dime actually makes it to the ground.
FYI, for everyone that is saying lets save our wolves. Remember that this whole thing has only ever been an experiment. An experiment that failed.
One of you said "Ever heard of Darwin's Natural Selection theory? " Yeah I heard of it and by that theory wolves are gone. Sorry they lost. Coyotes were hunted just as hard as wolves, and they survived no problem. Nature selected them to be a superior. You tree huggers always try to take humans out of the equation. You can not do that! You have to include us. Look at Africa, history shows us what would happen if there is no value to the world. If you just left them alone and didn't manage them they would be destroyed forever. When an animal has value such as a few places in africa the population recovers and is healthy. Do your research before you open your mouth, you ARE the uneducated one.
Go get them Idaho F&G, and if you run short on ammunition, give me a ring. BTW I am educated, and the wolves in the Rockies were never there!
Airiel gunning of wolves is perhaps the only method of controlling wolf numbers as has been proven in Alaska. Idaho needs dratic meassures in several areas of the state to keep the moose and elk herds from being wiped out. Some of these areas are almost there. "Defenders" like the big predators because they help to limit the human hunter from the equation. Humans be damned in their eyes.
How can they shoot female wolves and wolf pups? Answer: You don't lead em as much!
Go Idaho G&F! They were not naturally there in the first place. The wrong breed of wolf was reintroduced due to lies.
Cut them down to size and give the ungulates a chance.
I live in Montana and have seen the devastation of our elk herds due to the introduction of the non-native Canadian Grey Wolf. I also personally know three individuals who have had domestic animals (Dog, horse sheep)attacked and killed by wolves within 40 miles of Missoula. Wildlife management should performed at the State level and that is what Idaho is doing. I am tired of remote Urban dwellers trying to tell us how to manage our wildlife. If the wolf hunting season does not kill enough wolves for proper management then Idaho has every right to use any methods necessary to bring the rampant wolf population under control. Good for them!
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