The “Diamond Pack” is in the state’s NE corner, next to Idaho-
Earlier we did a post on this pack, complete with photos taken by a remote camera.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
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Here are photos of the wolf after it was fitted with a collar.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jul/31/gray-wolf-collared-pend-oreille-county/?photos
Gee. They left off the flashing lights.
The photo of this drugged wolf reminds me of the one of Macho B the Arizona Jaguar ten days before he died. I am starting to think that we should fire most of the wildlife biologists in the country so that these animals can be wild and free instead of tagged and collared as if they were some farmer’s livestock.
I agree with Larry, however I would like to throw out a question to those of you who do support radio collaring. Let me first state that I agree there has been very valuable information obtained from wolves which have been radio collared. My question is, at what point do we finally let wolves be wolves and not trap them or chase them down with a chopper and drug them? One year? Five Years? Never?
I think the development of non-intrusive technologies (such as the howlboxes and rub pads) will help determine the time, except for “control.” Wildlife Services and others will always want a beacon so they can go shoot wolves.
” at what point do we finally let wolves be wolves and not trap them or chase them down with a chopper and drug them”
we should have stopped long ago
I just went back for a second look at the wolf photo. I didn’t realize there were three of the drugged and collared wolf. The WF&G officer pictured in photo 3 is typical of the people that dart and handle these wolves and other animals. No protective gloves, no mask, no thought of what she might transmit to the animal. (25% of humans carry golden staph in their throats.) I wonder if they keep using the same capture gun dart needles without sterilizing them. The ONLY photo I have seen of any researcher wearing protective gloves was the one of the woman picking up wolf scat a few days ago and that was to keep HER hands clean.
It is no wonder that Macho B was found to have a large pus- oozing abcess near his capture dart wound when he was skinned and that two Grizzly Bears in the Tetons died from infections of their dart wounds.
Larry,
I talked with the fellow who trapped and collared the wolf. He wanted to have points added to your comments.
He said none of the 3 wolves were injured. They tried to avoid the pups by how they located the traps, but got two of them anyway. The pups weren’t drugged, just grabbed by the scruff of their neck. Each was given an ear tag. They weighed about 30 pounds. The pups are submissive and gentle.
The adult male was tranquilized with a syringepole, not a dart gun which your post seemed to imply. He said that on occasions when they trapped and drugged 2 or more wolves, each wolf would is always drugged using a new sterile syringe.
He said that he, personally will be happy when day comes when radio collars disappear, but believed that the collar will protect that pack from those who don’t want to see wolves coming to Washington State.
He disagreed with your comments that “The WF&G officer pictured in photo 3 is typical . . . .” She had never handled or seen wolves in the field until that day.
If you want to talk with him, send me your phone number and I’ll put you two in touch.
Larry,
Again, you are full of insinuation and short on information. Isn’t it time to give up your crusade against the evil wildlife biologists? Your efforts could bear far more fruit were they aimed at actual threats to large carnivores.
JB, if you see Larry’s name on the post, skip over it as it’s nothing you haven’t read from him ad nauseum. He’s as bad as the anti-wolf faction for throwing out total BS as fact.
Jay, as difficult as it is to say, I have to agree with you…WOW, now it is going to snow in August…LOL
My question is, at what point do we finally let wolves be wolves and not trap them or chase them down with a chopper and drug them? One year? Five Years? Never?
Good point Ronnie.
Read that last comment in the article. Pretty comical. 🙂