This Is Not Your Grandma’s Humane Society

Most livestock producers keep a low profile when they suffer livestock losses attributed to wolves. By policy, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shields their names from the public. In the past, producers who have either received authorization to shoot wolves or had Fish and Wildlife agents do it for them have received threats.

10 Replies to “This Is Not Your Grandma’s Humane Society”

  1. We need wolves why? Crickets.
    And Farley Mowat thumbs his nose at the living, from his grave.

  2. I’ve been rather up close and personal with wolves, when I worked in mining exploration. Mostly in northern Saskatchewan and NW Ontario. I mean close, too like reach out and touch close. First time in Ontario I came upon two (10 feet) in thick bush in summer, they stopped. I stopped. They peered around trees to check me out. I just stood silent, checking them out. Then I said “How’s it going boys.” Whoosh, disappear. Kept following my line.
    In northern Saskatchewan we had a pack hang around for months in one drill camp I ran. One big family. They’d come into camp at night and do the collective howl. Lunch was at our dump and any bears we had to discourage from “visiting”. That camp we shot quite few bears. They’d come in and peer into your tent with you in it. The bull cook was good with a fry pan in the cook shack. A bear would lie dead in view and we would watch to see when the wolves came in to take it away. Look away for a brief moment and Mr Bear was gone. Never saw the wolves in action. There wasn’t much left of a bear after several hours of chow, believe me. Never ever found the skulls. The drill sites were a walk away and I’d follow wolf tracks close by on the drill road, day or night, then they’d veer off then back again once past the drill. We were always watched and I caught one with his head stuck out of the rabbit bush (a 10 year burn of Jack Pine) watching me one time. I got lots of wolf stories.
    Back in “civilized” country, Coyotes are the main herders and predators. I watch them play in Calgary schoolyards and walk past my house on the green pathway in broad daylight. They used to snack on rabbits on my patio.

  3. A gunless neighbour called me a few years ago:

    He: The wolves killed two of my heifers last night. Can you come over and shoot the bastards?

    Me: But you told me you’d bought a donkey to protect your cattle. What the hell was he doing….sleeping on the job?

    He: They killed him too…looks like they got him the night before.

  4. Wolves like beef.

    The wolf population in NA has risen exponentially. They are an iconic species that have a lot of ‘friends’. Not only are they difficult to manage in the modern context, their ‘friends’ insure management is almost impossible.

    Ranchers need to take care of business. I know it’s difficult given the circumstances but it is about their only option.

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