Once Again, Proposal In Idaho Charging Hunters/Ranchers to Control Wolves

*Editor’s Note* – First let me say that I am about to make a lot of enemies (nothing new). I would also like to say that it is easy for me to offer commentary and opinion on this wolf issue when I don’t live in Idaho, nor do I have anything at stake (other than friends) with or without the presence of wolves. However, I do have the right to voice my opinion.

Nearly one year ago, I published an article in disagreement with a bill in Idaho, proposed by Rep. Judy Boyle, whom I would like to consider a friend. Her bill would have added $4.00 to the cost of a wolf hunting permit and take $8.00 from each wolf hunting tag sold to pay for livestock losses to ranchers.

And now I am reading that Idaho’s Governor “Butch” Otter is proposing to allot $2 million in start-up fees to create an entity for the purpose of funding wolf population control. After the one-time $2 million, then the funding will come from, “annual contributions of $110,000 from members of the livestock industry and a match from Idaho sportsmen thereafter. Some of that funding will come from hunting licensing in the state, Siddoway said.”

Senator Jeff Siddoway, is a sheep rancher in Idaho and over the past year had a mass killing of his sheep by wolves. He states:

“Anything that reduces the wolf population is a good thing,” Siddoway said. “I don’t think there’s a person in the state that could give you an accurate estimate about how many wolves we have. All we’re hoping is that if we get a reduction in numbers, that our losses are ultimately going to be less.”

I can’t say that I feel his pain because I’ve never had to endure such losses with anything, and those losses are due to not only people protecting a nasty wild dog but introducing it into a landscape that had been vacant of wolves for many decades. This action could have and should have been prevented from the beginning.

Also as a result of introduced, Government wolves, the hunting industry in Idaho, has for the most part, gone to hell in a hand basket.

While some are expressing joy and a victory that a funded program said to be focused on “wolf control,” I wonder how many people have any idea just what the Gov’s ideas or definition of wolf control are?

And consider this statement by Mr. Siddoway:

“It’ll allow more people to go out and actually do the hunting and trapping,” he said. “It’ll finance that. Some of the work may be done aerially either by fixed-wing (aircraft) or helicopter, depending on the terrain.”

Can you imagine what will happen the first time the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, or some other Idaho government agency, attempts to fly aircraft for the purpose of killing wolves? This will be tied up in the courts for years, leaving only the, “allow more people to go out and actually do the hunting and trapping.” See, “To Catch a Wolf.”

So far, all efforts put forth with wolf hunting and trapping has done little to “control” wolf populations. Even a recent, purpose-driven wolf and coyote killing derby resulted in no wolves killed. If Idaho can find enough money to pay enough hunters and trappers of wolves, for a long enough period of time, to make it worth their while, then it may prove helpful.

But this isn’t really my gripe. My gripe is that this is no victory. This is akin to ask a feller to braid his own rope for his own hanging. Wolves were dumped in Idaho and just who was it that made that decision? Did the hunters and the livestock industry, along with all the citizens of Idaho, get to vote on this? From information I have found over the years, it was the fish and game department who illegally authorized the Federal Government to dump the wolves and litter the landscape with disease. What was done about that?

Professionals in the field of wolves, were asked what would happen if wolves were introduced. Any scientific notions that opposed introduction of wolves, were ignored. What was done about that?

To date, the Federal Government, in cahoots with the Idaho Government, have made all the decisions, mostly all on their own, to infest the forests of Idaho with killing machines that have endangered the lives of people, destroyed ranching, put many outfitters out of business, spread human killing diseases across the plain, seriously destroyed the elk herd, raised hell with deer and moose, etc.

In addition to all of this, Idaho had the audacity to then turn around and charge hunters for a permit and tag to kill these vermin when populations got to be at least 10 times what government officials once declared as a “recovered” population. How much hatred can exist toward the outdoor sportsman?

And now that the hunters and trappers are helping to pay those who destroyed their passions and livelihoods, who continue to protect these nasty animals, the Governor of the Gem State wants the victims of their crooked and failed wolf worshiping introduction program, to pay to “control” wolves. If that ain’t fascist and dictatorial government at its best I don’t know what is. I wonder. Are rape victims require to pay an additional tax in order to “control” rapists? How about murder victims?

I wise man once told me that the epitome of ignorance was when a person meets with somebody that wants to take advantage of them, they get screwed over and yet walk away with a smile thinking they had achieved a great victory.

While I agree that killing wolves is a good thing, it is a damned shame that the victims are being asked to pay for it. What kind of justice is this?

In addition, the article states the make-up of a board of directors who will oversee this communistic plan:

…the board will be co-chaired by Fish and Game’s director and the director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture. The remaining membership will be appointed by Otter and will include a representative of Idaho sportsmen, a representative of livestock owners and a member at-large. That at-large member will likely represent the interests of wolf advocates.

If the member at large will actually be a representative of the “wolf advocates”, then how much in higher taxes are “wolf advocates” going to pay in order to have a voice on this board? Isn’t it one of President Obama’s demands for “an even playing field” to require the same from everyone, or does this work only in the direction that fits an agenda? If so, then there needs to be compensation paid by “wolf advocates” so they can have a voice. Excuse the punny story but isn’t this just a bit akin to Ben Franklin’s analogy of two wolves and a sheep sitting down to discuss what’s for dinner?

Killing wolves is a good thing; the more the better, from my perspective. But to kick the livestock owners and hunters and trappers in the groin, over something they didn’t want in the first place is wrong on every level. Isn’t this corruption at its ultimate? The rotten bastards who were responsible for bringing imported wolves back to Idaho should all be jailed.

Why not levy a tax on government employees salaries and make them pay for their damned mess they created?

As I first pointed out, I don’t live in Idaho and I don’t have a dog in this fight, except for the fact that these kind of fascist and dictatorial toned down pogroms tend to filter over into other states. I see no victory here in agreeing with Gov. Otter’s proposal; one that was buried in some other bills I am being told.

If the program passes, it will likely be because ranchers like Mr. Siddoway, along with sportsmen, (and can we really blame them?) will follow the premise that killing any amount of wolves is a good thing. And, only time will tell if such a program will accomplish what Siddoway and others believe it will.

History should be convincing enough that this program will fail and/or the money will be used for something else – probably another program geared against the efforts of the Livestock Industry and sportsmen.