More Idahoans Demanding Something Be Done About Wolf Management

From reports I’ve gotten about a recent meeting in Hailey, Idaho about wolves, perhaps the tide is beginning to turn in favor of once and for all forcing the hand of the federal government to let the people of that state and others take care of the gray wolves the feds dumped in their back yards over 14 years ago.

I wasn’t at that meeting but one report I have says as many as 350 were in attendance and the estimate was that 99.9% were there hoping to see wolves managed properly by the state before more damage is done by expanding wolf packs.

The Idaho Mountain Express headlines its story with, “Anger over wolf management erupts”. I think it’s safe to say that anger over the wolf management, or lack thereof, has been erupting long before the people descended on Hailey and justifiably so, in my opinion.

Tony Mayer, co-founder of Save Our Elk, said that Cal Groen, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, spoke before the crowd in an attempt to assure them the department was capable of managing wolves, if the feds ever give them the chance. (See this video by IDFG trying to convince public it is prepared to manage wolves.)

Cal Groen indicated that the IDF&G is keenly aware of the urgency of this wolf issue. He said his department is capable of managing wolves just as they do all other game species.

Earlier this year I spent a considerable amount of time looking into how places all across the world “managed” wolf populations and came to the conclusion that for people like Director Groen, whose intentions may be good, may not really have a good enough understanding of what it will take. Past history has shown us that hunting – man with a rifle – will have essentially no effect on the packs.

The frustration, or “erupting anger” as we’ve seen some press want to call it, began with promises made and promises broken. Several years later there are at least 5 times the number of wolves in Idaho than the people were told. Not only are hunters seeing their investment of years into deer, moose and elk management being destroyed, many people who once thought the wolf idea was a good one, may not be caring so much for what they see.

With wolves, seemingly unafraid of any human, now bearing down on cities like Sun Valley, killing elk and mountain lions in these people’s back yards, many of the pro wolf crowd is getting a taste of reality and they’re not liking it much.

I read in one account that Wayne Willich, the mayor of Sun Valley, Idaho, attended the Hailey meeting and spoke out. I contacted the mayor in hopes of getting a transcript of his comments. Instead, this is what he wrote to me in an email.

………. as mayor I have a responsibility for the health safety and welfare of the citizens. Our city is right at the critical urban interface area. This has been a traditional wintering area for about 100 to 150 elk. For the last 30 years a private family and then our Community school has fed them on a what I call a “high ridge” location at the edge of town. Last year Fish and Game impressed on us a no feed regimen. Immediately the elk came down into the city and roamed all over. This year the same thing occurred however for some reason the wolves followed them in. Now we have had multiple incidents of wolf kills in back yards, golf courses, etc. The wolves also killed a cougar (mountain lion) about 100 yards from my house and the local citizenry thinks they should be armed when hiking up the trail.

Our city has about $2.7 BILLION in assessed valuation. That’s right, B as in BILLION. We have other wildlife here, foxes, coyotes, black bear, and so far we have lived in peaceful coexistence. Introduction of the wolf element has changed the entire dynamic. We have no intention in turning this into some kind of weird wildlife sanctuary experiment.

My message to the wildlife officials is this: the situation is entirely unsatisfactory and I want it fixed. I want them to step up to their responsibility and MANAGE the wildlife. ALL the wildlife.

Best regards, Wayne Willich

Mayor City of Sun Valley

This is now what Idaho is beginning to see more and more of. The regular citizenry getting a taste of what others have been experiencing for some time. As Matt Douthit of Bellevue, president of Deer Hunters of Idaho, said during the Hailey meeting, “Management of these wolves is long overdue.”

But before that management can be relinquished to the state of Idaho, if first must get around the upcoming lawsuits that have been filed by special interest groups bent on full protection of the wolf. This is the part of the job of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service they need to do. If both of these departments fully believe that it is time to remove federal protection of the wolf, then they need to start acting as though they believe in their own words to do so.

In the last round of lawsuits that effectively stopped delisting, the USFWS put their tale between their legs and slinked off without as much as a whimper. Either the science is there to support delisting or it isn’t. If it is, then Idaho, Montana, the feds and all the other states involved need to stand up to those fighting them and present their evidence.

It’s high time to get on with wolf management.

Tom Remington