Quota of 2 wolves has been reached in North Fork of Flathead area-
The quota was only two, but three wolves were poached in the during the hunt.
Story: Wolf hunt closed west of Glacier. Missoulian.
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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2 wolves was the quote, yet 3 were poached earlier on, why did they not close the hunt due to 3 being poached. I hate our, yes our, wild life services sometimes…
That’s what they want the government,they do not care about the numbers it’s all about the dead wolves. Defenders has an advertisement in times square on thanksgiving, this should get more people aware of this wolf kill.
This is a huge burn area and many of the locals have a method of just sitting in their car or truck and watching the burn snags on the hillsides for movement. Some very nice high powered rifles spotted along the road there.
I’ve met a ton of northfolk people(the road up there has a bunch of traffic thanks to all the homes up on the beautiful north fork) and I can tell you that many of them would shoot a wolf on sight.
I think that it is important to keep in mind that state wildlife agencies factor mortality due to poaching into their calculations for setting quotas for most trophy game species. Obviously, I’m not sure that makes much sense in the case of wolves, but that’s generally how these quotas are set. ! 10-15% mortality is factored in resulting from poaching in most cases.
I can tell you that many of them would shoot a wolf on sight.
I lvied up in that area for a year and saw a lot of that kind of sentiment. I knew people with no ranching or hunting interests who had a fit when wolves were even so much as seen. What is strange to me is that they were never reintroduced there so they can’t even make any of the Canadian wolf or government meddling arguments.
All western states need to change their road hunting rules.
Requiring hunters to be 100 yds. from the edge of a road before firing a weapon, would help stop poaching and promote fair chase. It is too easy with the present regulations to jump out of a vehicle and start blasting away.
2 wolves poached, $1100 total fine and……..
From the Hungry Horse News:
“Randy Houk of Columbia Falls was fined $1,135 for poaching two of the North Fork wolves. Houk, an equipment operator for Flathead County, shot two young wolves near Whale Creek last month.”
“According to court documents, because Houk cooperated with FWP wardens, Warden Capt. Lee Anderson did not recommend that Houk lose his hunting privileges. Under state law, a poacher doesn’t automatically lose their license if they shoot a wolf.” (or two)
I agree toon easy,but who cares about the wolves,the o get rid nof these creatures. People do not know what they have until they lose them,and looks like we are going down that road again. Hatred of these animals traces all the way back to Draculs and the Black Forest, Foke law I believe, education should stop the hatred.
error too not toon
sorry many errors ,phrase the bottom line is too get rid of these creatures. Dracula not Draculs