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Obama adm. proposes lifting all protections for gray wolves in the lower 48.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/apnewsbreak-government-plan-would-end-gray-wolf-protections-across-most-of-lower-48/2013/06/07/c49ebdbe-cf85-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)femmocrat
(28,394 posts)Of course, gun-happy "morans" like Palin are probably rejoicing.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Why should wolves be protected if deer are not?
BainsBane
(53,072 posts)and they were endangered because ranchers believe them to be predators, and people have irrational fears of wolves. Lift the restrictions, and they will soon be endangered again. Plus, no one eats wolf. What the fuck are they doing hunting for them?
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)I am not a hunter, have never owned a gun and never will, and do not see the appeal of hunting at all. But given that hunting has been deemed to be acceptable and is not going to be banned any time soon, I do not see the problem with hunters shooting pests that are not endangered. I would assume that if it looks like their numbers are dropping and there is a possibility that they could be come endangered, the rule would change again.
BainsBane
(53,072 posts)Especially in the South, in states like Arkansas
Wolves are not pests.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Last edited Sat Jun 8, 2013, 05:40 PM - Edit history (1)
Not likely, since it is a political hot potato in the northern and western states where wolves exist.
Furthermore, wolves are not pests, but rather an important part of a balanced ecosystem. Before wolves were re-introduced in Yellowstone in the 90s, the park was in bad shape. The system was way out of balance with an overabundance of elk--unhealthy, and overtaxing the available range--and coyotes. After re-introduction, the coyote population plummeted, leading to a rebound of all the smaller predators, and the elk herd was culled to a smaller and healthier size, and the range itself flourished (before anyone points out that human culling could have had some of the same effects, remember that humans hunt the strongest, and wolves the weakest specimens).
Outside the park(s) the benefits can be the same. Do you know why coyotes have extended their range to all of the continental states? Or why they have become so aggressive? Historically that wasn't their range or their nature, but we wiped out the larger, faster, stronger version, that was also shyer of humans...we bred the coyote problem.
And it was largely unnecessary. I can't remember when--maybe in the 30s?--the US government started paying ranchers for predator losses. Suddenly every loss was due to predators, not to weather, or birthing problems, or anything else. Which you know is laughable if you have ever spent any time in the Rockies in the spring. But by now generations have lived with the idea that every dead calf or lamb or whatever was killed by a predator, and so all of them are "pests."
pengillian101
(2,351 posts)Yum! I used to hunt and eat gray squirrels when living in NW Wisconsin. Very good in a sour cream sauce!
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zsquir9.html
femmocrat
(28,394 posts)Not sure if that is accurate, but if they are killing 1600 of them in two years, how long until they become endangered again?
There are millions of deer. People justify killing deer for food. No one eats wolves.
kenny blankenship
(15,689 posts)"All of the above!" he said.
CountAllVotes
(20,878 posts)Shame shame shame shame shame!!!
& recommend!!
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)greytdemocrat
(3,299 posts)wandy
(3,539 posts)It is done for deer, turkeys and such. Their are fishing limits.
I don't want wolves to become extinct, but I really don't one in my back yard either.
life long demo
(1,113 posts)Where ever the wolf was removed from ESA, they have been savaged. Hunting, trapping, poisoning, denning, snared, aerial hunted, let's see, have I forgotten anything, how about setting dogs on wolves (and coyotes) caught in leg hold traps. It's bloodlust. And I am so angry, can you tell?
wandy
(3,539 posts)truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Among other things, given the nature of the beasts, the first is much less likely.
wandy
(3,539 posts)truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)Had a dog that was an eternal optimist about skunks...<sigh>...even before that had a skunk stroll into the house through a cat door to the screen porch and an open inner door on a hot night. Heard a noise and went downstairs and came face to face with it as it trundled toward the exit. Fortunately backed off and out of the way before it felt threatened. That was the end of the cat door though.
The worst "pests" are the ones who have no fear or wariness of people.
wandy
(3,539 posts)Other than spiders I prefer to put errant (errant in my opinion) critters back in the wild. For mice indoors live trapping worked well. Toss them in the truck and let them out in a field on the way to work. No doubt they made it home before I did.
Had a little problem with Raccoons. Hay bigger live trap.
Know what? Raccoons don't have that white strip runs down the middle of their backs.
OK, now what.
This is when you find out who you're friends are.
This is when you find out that even if you discharge them from a safe distance they come back to near full power right quick.
This is when you find out the a wet skunk is even worse to deal with.
Some how we got to thinking that beer would help.
By about the time we figured we had gotten the skunk drunk, well...
Well, you see, we just weren't worrying about it all that too very much any more.
One of those, 'you would have had to have been there'.
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)As an example, when my husband and I visited Scotland a few years ago, our tour guide proudly pointed out the spot where the last wolf in the country was killed. He even knew the date it happened! It's all about raising livestock. In Scotland all the trees were also cut down to accommodate the sheep. Total insanity!
Skittles
(153,199 posts)BainsBane
(53,072 posts)My state had wolf hunting for the first time in a long time last year. Others have done the same.
Skittles
(153,199 posts)the cowards will come out in force at the very idea they can slaughter anything
BainsBane
(53,072 posts)BainsBane
(53,072 posts)It's great the population has recovered, but this would put it back near extinction fast.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Auntie Bush
(17,528 posts)All those gun lovers/killers are going to party tonight at the joy of killing wolves/anything!
MoonRiver
(36,926 posts)bvar22
(39,909 posts)...but removes protection from the ones that actually provide a useful service to The World.
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