U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This of course has raised objections from mostly animal rights groups and in particular those that are focused on the gray wolves. Carter Niemeyer a self proclaimed educator, peacemaker, moderator and referee for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Boise, Idaho stands up for the wolf.
In contrast, Ron Gillett of the Idaho Anti-Wolf Coalition, wants to see all the wolves gone completely. He says this about the gray wolf.
“…immediately remove them by whatever means are necessary.â€
“They kill everything, all of the game first, then the predators, then each other,†he said, adding that they are outsiders.
“These are Canadian wolves,†Gillett said. “The only place they belong in Idaho is in a zoo, neutered.â€
I’m not a rocket scientist but I think I know where Mr. Gillett stands on the gray wolf issues.
On the other hand, Niemeyer says that the gray wolf roamed the landscape in these areas long before man arrived and hunted them to near extinction. He also downplays the fact that the gray wolf preys on cattle owned by ranchers in the region. He says this about those who would disagree with him.
“But I know they don’t want to let facts get in their way,†he said of anti-wolf activists.
This is no new story. There has been a war brewing over the gray wolf for many years. Ranchers want them gone for the simple reason that wolves kill their cattle. Mr. Niemeyer states facts (his own) about the insignificant impact wolves have on cattle. As a rancher, losing one cattle is a substantial lost – at least from my perspective.
The agreement that has been reached with the Department of the Interior with the states, namely Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, is to allow ranchers the chance to kill wolves that are regularly preying on their cattle – or harassing them as was reported by MSNBC. It would also allow game officials to eliminate wolf numbers that are threatening a healthy population of deer and elk.
I don’t have a copy of the agreement to know exactly what it says but who and what determines when a wolf or pack of wolves regularly preys on cattle.
Idaho and Montana have approved plans in controlling the wolf but Wyoming is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife agency over the rejection of its plan, which would allow unregulated hunting of wolves outside of national parks and designated wilderness areas.
And so the posturing goes with the one side wanting to kill all wolves and the other side wanting wolves to have free rein. Stuck in the middle of this debate are the Wildlife Departments of each state feeling like an incompetent child. Does anyone believe that the states powers in this matter want to control and not eliminate the gray wolf?
When looking at other species of animals that were once placed on the endangered list, like the Canada lynx, and removed, behind it you will find a very competent game department that probably doesn’t get enough credit for making the change possible.
With the extremes of both sides warring, generally, consensus is reached and a sensible solution is put into place. Man must live with animals and animals must live with man – that, is a fact that isn’t going to change.
Tom Remington
