The bad...and a little bit of good news for the wolves

May 10, 2008

May 09, 2008

Idaho Wolf Hunting Plan

Meetings are scheduled around Idaho over the next two weeks to hear the public comments on the Idaho’s wolf hunting plan. The plan’s main aim is to reduce the Idaho wolf population by 39%. Currently, they are estimating that 328 of the wolves will be killed this year (from all causes) to meet their objective. The meetings are being held by Idaho Fish and Game department to get public input on the wolf hunting rules and regulations, or so it says. The fact that there is no meeting scheduled in Boise, the state’s capital, shows that the Fish and Game department seem to be trying to avoid the public at all costs, and are only holding meetings in areas where anti-wolf sentiments run high.

The plan allows for the removal of 328 wolves, which is a very high number of wolves, especially as the estimated population was 732 at the end of 2007. It is too early to have a hunting season, and these high wolf hunting numbers show that the state wolf plans are more a population reduction plan than any meaningful wolf management plan.

Wolves can also be killed by state or federal agencies, or by legal take under the new Idaho Senate Bill No. 1374, signed by Idaho Governor Butch Otter the day of delisting, which allows for wolves to be killed for…“annoying, disturbing or persecuting, especially with hostile intent or injurious effect, or chasing, driving, flushing, worrying, following after or on the trail of, or stalking or lying in wait for, livestock or domestic animals.” Obviously this law is impossible to enforce and would allow anyone to shot a wolf if it was anywhere near livestock or a pet. The combined effect of heavy hunting pressure and nearly unlimited authority to kill wolves will be a lot for the Idaho wolf population to bear.

Posted by Jesse Timberlake on 04:18 PM

Finally, something to celebrate. I am extremely relieved to find out that there were not 45,000 Idaho citizens ignorant enough to sign onto Ron Gillett's Ballot Initiative that sought to remove all wolves from the state of Idaho. Although -- it is more than a little disturbing that it got as many signatures as it did!

Anti wolf petition drive falls short of goal

The Associated Press

Article Last Updated: 05/06/2008 11:01:59 AM MDT

Posted: 11:03 AM- LEWISTON, Idaho - Idaho voters will not have a chance to vote wolves out of the state in November. Organizers of a petitions drive to put a wolf removal initiative on the ballot say they failed to collect enough signatures by the May 1 deadline. Ron Gillett, founder of the Idaho Anti Wolf Coalition, says the effort fell about 10,000 signatures short of the 45,000 needed. The group, which believes wolves are devastating to elk and deer herds, failed to get a similar measure on the ballot two years ago. Gillett says momentum fizzled after wolves were removed from federal Endangered Species protections, clearing the way for public hunting of the predator. In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted wolves roaming in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.