Washington Wildlife Commision to discuss wolf plan–June 16th, 2011

Panelist Bob Tuck of Selah, a former state wildlife commissioner stated, “ecosystems are not vending machines. I don’t need to put in my quarter — ka-chunk — and have a trophy elk pop out. That’s not what this is all about.”

Anthony Novack, a state wildlife biologist who has done extensive field research on wolves in Idaho. “Wolves are very selective. By the nature of how they prey, how they run down animals, they really do cull the weakest ones in the herd. The slow do not survive.

“Of the female elk (wolves) took in Montana, roughly 40 percent were geriatric; they weren’t going to be having calves again. So … wolves have a lesser impact on those elk herd numbers. Hunters have a bigger impact because they take healthy, prime-aged animals.”

ENDANGERED SPECIES — The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has scheduled a conference call this morning at 8:30 to discuss the lack of harmony beaming from the state’s Wolf Working Group meeting last week.

Basically, the citizen group that’s been working for years to help craft the state’s wolf management plan is polarized on several issues, mainly on the number of wolf breeding pairs would be allowed before the state would begin “managing” their population.

A final plan is expected to be released for public comment in August.  So, how many wolves are enough?  That is the primary question.

Special thanks to the Spokesman Review Outdoors Blog by Rich for providing this information.  To review rest of the article, please visit http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2011/jun/16/washington-wildlife-commision-discuss-wolf-plan/

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