Wolves as Endangered Species

[Cerek the Barbaric]

Originally posted by WillowIX: So sorry farmers, learn to live with wolves killing your livestock or move! It´s that simple! Who are we to decide what animals can and cannot hunt? BTW isn´t the wolf an endangered species in most countries?

By that logic, Miss Willow, what right do others have to say that the human animal cannot hunt the wolf?

[Ar-Cunin]

One problem in regards to livestock is that they have lost their natural fear of predators - so they don't run when attacked by wolves. This leads to the situation where wolves attack whole flocks/herds and kill them all. The wolfs instinct tell it to attack the prey that can't (or doesn't) run away.

BTW aren't farmers compensated by the government if wolves attack their livestock.

[Sir Krustin]

Originally posted by Sir Taliesin: quote: Originally posted by Neb: quote: Originally posted by Sir Krustin: [QB] Not to brag, but me and a lot of my hunter friends hunt wolf,

You hunt wolves? Why? They're peaceful and beautiful creatures [/QUOTE]Not if your a farmer, or cattle/sheep rancher! They find penned up livestock easy pickings. I would assume Canada has a season on wolf hunting. I think the State of Alaska has one or if they don't then the State hunts them to keep the population down. Much like the African countries thin out their Elephant herds.

JEEZ! We got WAY [img]graemlins/offtopic.gif[/img] with this!!![/QUOTE]Agreed, brief digression...

Wolf hunting isn't on a season, per se. - you can get a nuisance hunting permit, and even night hunting permits (otherwise a no-no) if you can demonstrate a dire problem.

I never got one myself, but a friend of mine (the same with the Sako .270) got one, and a spot for his rifle. Got a couple of very dangerous coyote that had *NO* fear of people last winter.

[Sir Krustin]

Originally posted by Neb: I'd rather let a couple of wolves devour a few sheep/cows than shoot them. Even if the livestock were my livelihood. Wolves are in my opinion so intelligent and beautiful that I'd be tempted to put a ban on killing them if I was in power, unless of course their numbers were threatening the populations of other creatures dramatically.

You'd feel different if it was YOUR life or the lives of your children that were at risk. Wolf (and coyote) attacks are on the rise, and these things are dangerous.

The animals I hunt are a threat to society, many have no fear of people whatsoever.

Bear in mind, the coyote and wolf up here are much larger than in, say, Nevada.

[Sir Krustin]

Originally posted by WillowIX: BTW isn´t the wolf an endangered species in most countries?

Not in Canada, as far as I know. In fact in most areas of the states I believe they are not considered endangered - but I'm not as familiar with the states.

In fact, wolves are a very serious problem up here (acually, coyote more than wolf; what most civilians up here call wolf are really very large coyote - a breed that came up from Nevada originally and crossbred with the red wolf...but I digress)

[Timber Loftis]

[quote]Originally posted by Sazerac:

Point conceded, from a strictly species-oriented point of view. When it becomes personal, one's viewpoint tends to change quite a bit. -Sazerac

Oh, to be sure the things I philosophically believe take an interesting twist when it's my own well-being on the line.

[Neb]

Nacht, it has been CLEARLY proven that wolves will ONLY attack humans if starving, rabid or continuously bothered by them. Personally I think that your friends had stumbled upon a starving pack AND went deep into their territory.

And is that so different from humans? When insane, constantly annoyed or really, really desperate humans will do close to anything as well.

[Neb]

Originally posted by Sir Krustin: You'd feel different if it was YOUR life or the lives of your children that were at risk. Wolf (and coyote) attacks are on the rise, and these things are dangerous. The animals I hunt are a threat to society, many have no fear of people whatsoever. Bear in mind, the coyote and wolf up here are much larger than in, say, Nevada.

Wolves would NOT attack humans unless rabid, starving or something else. So that's pure BS. Children, perhaps, if they wandered off into the woods and far into wolf territory, but I think that even children would be reasonably safe.

Farmers should not kill wolves that eat some of their herds, but perhaps let them, as was suggested earlier, kill the old and weak of the herd so that the herd in general is improved?

I can't say anything about coyotes, but they seem like the "evil wolves" the ones that will attack and devour anything they can, a less "noble" version if you want, and ones that I would have no problem with anyone shooting for the safety of their children or pets.

[John D Harris]

Wolves are predators, they will hunt and kill what ever they can. They usualy catch the sick or weak because they can't get away from the wolves. If given the chance wolves would eat you in a heart beat (your last heart beat). Now does that mean we should kill all wolves, NO WAY! That wouldn't make ecological sense.

Any individual predator that becomes a threat to the humans or their livestock must be dealt with. If the enviromentalists want to protect the wolves prehaps they should set up a lot of teams, with their own money, to come out and capture the wolves that are attacking ranchers livestock. They could then move the wolves to an area where the was a smaller chance of the wolves being a threat to humans or the livestock that is raised to feed the majority of humans. If the enviromentalist would do something like that I bet they would receive more money in donations then they would know what to do with. Most farmers and ranchers don't want to kill wolves for the fun of it, they have to kill wolves because their livestock and property are threatened by a wild animal. An animal, that by either of the two largest competing theories (philosophies or what ever you wish to call them) on how this carnival ride we call earth came about, is inferior to humans.

For the animal rights groups: Humans are the top of the food chain get over it.

[The Hunter of Jahanna]

All of these opinions about wolves are quite interesting. I have to ask, just how many of you have actualy spent more than a few hours at a time outdoors? I wonder what some of you would do if faced with a wolf and 6 of his friends all intent on making you into dinner? "Inteligent and noble" are pretty words, but when you cut through all the B.S. all wolves realy are is sharks with fur. Just like a shark a wolf will eat anything it can get its jaws around and it is the master of its domain.As for farm animals,your average cow is over 1200 pounds and quite capable of crushing a 200 pound wolf like a grape. If livestock is dumb enough to stand there and let itself be eaten then it pretty much deserves its fate. I am against hunting wolves just to hunt them. If you arent going to eat them then you shouldnt kill them, unless they are trying to kill you. Dont give me the you cant eat a wolf crap either. If Korean people can eat poodles and rotweilers you can damn well eat a wolf.