A Project of Sage Steppe Wild
On Nov. 14, an Oregon deer hunter’s trail camera probably took the only photo of famous wolf OR7 in the wild. Since then the wolf has moved into northern California.
Here is the story and photos in the Ashland Mail Tribune. Deer hunter’s photo likely first shot of OR-7
by
Tags:
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.
Comments
The Sacramento Bee has a better version of the photo and another story about OR7.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/05/4163846/lone-wolf-causes-stir-as-it-stays.html
And the story has gone national at MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45877288/ns/us_news-environment/
Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong, when asked about wolves last week by the Los Angeles Times, said “we would like to see them shot on sight.”She would not repeat that sentiment when contacted by The Bee on Wednesday. But she said the new transient wolf is alarming to local residents, some of them cattle or sheep ranchers struggling to live off the land.”It’s unfair to ask people to live with this dangerous predator,” she said. “It’s romantic, maybe, for urban people. But this affects our quality of life. It affects when we go out to get mail from the mailbox: Do we have to carry a gun?”
Dumb.
The supervisor’s comments really shows how little many people know about wolves or other wild animals. It behooves the conseervation community to see that public officials are better informed and need not depend on century old myths and tales for personal guidance. Let’s also make sure that the resident ranchers, etc, know about the Defenders program to pay for any wolf losses, if it is applicable in Northern California.
Love this from the article:
+++Not everyone is thrilled by the new arrival, however.
Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong, when asked about wolves last week by the Los Angeles Times, said “we would like to see them shot on sight.”
She would not repeat that sentiment when contacted by The Bee on Wednesday. But she said the new transient wolf is alarming to local residents, some of them cattle or sheep ranchers struggling to live off the land.
“It’s unfair to ask people to live with this dangerous predator,” she said. “It’s romantic, maybe, for urban people. But this affects our quality of life. It affects when we go out to get mail from the mailbox: Do we have to carry a gun?”+++
Right on message….she nailed the lack of tolerance, claims of victimization, and hysteria parts….but she could have beefed it up a little by mentioning the decimation of the elk population, wolf at school bus stops, wolf literally knocking on her door.
She needs to brush up on the talking points a bit.
Actually, it appears that she expects that the less populated ~ by humans that is ~ should be anticepticized for their convenience rather than any proclivity to accepting the natural part of the world she decided to inhabit. Poor thing.
How is it that people living in the urban environment can function with many more dangers and threats, but these poor rural folks are gripped with fear and can barely function when a lone wolf wanders into their area?
I live in a rural area that is about 10 miles from one of the more populated parts of my state. We get bobcats, black bears, and coyotes, and people still get freaked out when they are “invaded” by one of these animals. In Conn last week, an 82 year old man shot and killed a black bear that was in his bird feeders…..It doesn’t even occur to these old timers that lethal options are not necessary
Or, the other “take away” from the entire article is that some folks who are living (and trying to make a living) in areas where wolves are or will be, after an 80 year absence are not as excited to have them back as are the urban folks who don’t have to put up with them. That kind of takes us back to the sentiments and reasons they went away in the first place.
I was kind of shocked at the statement this County Supervisor made, and didn’t realize livestock was that big in the area. She must be reflecting some voter/constituency’s values. I have never been to the Lower Klamath Basin and the Siskiyous. It will likely be a destination in the next year or two, just to check out this area of the country.
WM,
The trouble with rural folks is that they never have any progressive ideas. The never resist the things corporations do to them. They only bitch and complain about the government and tiny, tiny things like a wolf.
How about them doing something about the new “Agent Orange” corn that was just approved and they will be planting soon? How about some community resistance?
USDA Quietly Approves New GMO Corn, While Touting Safety of Agent Orange Ingredient
This stuff might poison them and us both.
Yeah, agent orange, folks. Remember that stuff of Viet Nam war era that created a health nightmare for anyone exposed (mostly war vets and inhabitants of the region) including the folks in the places where the stuff was made? Love’s Canal anyone? Geeze… Let’s use it here, and really screw things up. I’m sure DOW Chemical is happy about this development, probably has been lobbying heavily for it.
@ Ralph,
“They never resist the things corporations do to them”
Why is that? Corporations are the antithesis of democracy. Yet, they’re praised as gods.
Wow that’s scary.
Maybe they are concerned they will be “harvested” by the wolf while they are deep in the woods of northern calif looking after their own harvest of that green stuff people like to smoke….
I’m thinking the greater risk is from the Siskiyou Sheriff’s Department and their drug interdiction team. Looks like there is a fair amount of the wildwood weed being grown out there.
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/features/x1214504720/Over-100-000-marijuana-plants-seized
And, I thought most of this stuff was further to the south in the Humboldt area, where they supported a voter initiative that would have (if passed) resulted in designation of state identified “appellations” where the green stuff was grown. It would have been kind of like the wine growing regions in Europe or some states here. Seems like Wildlife News ran a thread on this sometime back, if I recall correctly.
Oh, and waddayaknow, the Sheriff and other responders seemed to think the grows were attended by Mexican Nationals. Imagine that.
++I consider the influx of these criminals to be a serious public safety threat to our citizenry. It is safe to say that at least some of these offenders are members or associates of dangerous drug cartels, which primarily originate in Mexico.++
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/state_news/x41281619/Marijuan-grow-shut-down-in-western-Siskiyou-County
Maybe we can now scare them off with “Danger Lobo” warning signs.”
PELIGRO LOBOS!
WM,
And don’t forget to be careful if you head off-trail in certain areas of your own state of residence:
http://m.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2011/dec/09/national-forest-areas-going-pot-official-says/
“Washington and Oregon are among the states where major marijuana cultivation sites were discovered this year.”
“Marijuana cultivation sites in 20 states on 67 national forests have caused “severe” damage according to U.S. Forest Service director of law enforcement, David Ferrell.”
Indeed, Daniel. A friend is on a SWAT team that responds to these grow operations in Eastern WA. He does not have good things to say about them, or the individuals who tend them, which they have caught. Some of the grows are mini-superfund cleanups, with the unsafe pesticide and fertilizer handling, and a huge amount of trash left behind.
Wonder if the illegal immigration supporters factor in the costs of these clean-ups (loss of wildlife as a result of some of these chemicals), cost of interdiction, pursuit, prosecution and jailing of these a–holes in their net contribution to America calculations? I bet not.
WM: Illegal immigration supporters? I’ve never met one? I have met people that think our current policy (build a wall and blame the desperate people who climb it) is a joke–and I happen to agree.
If we wanted to keep illegals out of this country, we could do it. Instead one side makes a “show” of trying to keep illegals out in order to score political points with those too naive to see through their farce.
JB,
I think you hit the nail on the head. In fact down here in AZ we have a prime example of this political farce you are referring to.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/us/sheriff-joe-arpaio-criticized-over-handling-of-sex-crimes-cases.html
In Canada, I believe you have to be a skilled worker that meets certain requirements to move into the country. There is a point system that they use to qualify people and you might also have to have enough money to your name to last for around 9 months of potential unemployment. I think this would be a better starting point for the US than the open-door policy that I’ve heard some advocate.
http://www.workpermit.com/canada/individual/skilled.htm
Jeff N.
From the article you cite:
++But when the Police Department was reformed in 2007, officials discovered that dozens of sensitive cases, many filed by illegal immigrants, had not been adequately investigated or investigated at all.++
I think a basic question (not a moral one), is whether law enforcement has a legal duty to that community to spend taxpayer dollars on the illegal immigrant population, at the expense of other legitimate law enforcement priorities for those who are here legally and pay taxes for those services (and yes I understand some/many illegals do pay taxes) but they do not vote, at least they are not supposed to.
WM,
+++I think a basic question (not a moral one), is whether law enforcement has a legal duty to that community to spend taxpayer dollars on the illegal immigrant population, at the expense of other legitimate law enforcement priorities for those who are here legally and pay taxes for those services (and yes I understand some/many illegals do pay taxes) but they do not vote, at least they are not supposed to.+++
But that’s not how Sheriff Joe operates…..if these complaints were filed by illegal immigrants wouldn’t it be to the advantage of “America’s Most Grandstanding Sheriff” to follow up, on a legal basis? Because afterall they were illegal immigrants and Joe could have made political hay by detaining these illegal immigrant sexual abusers.
If a community is endangered by individuals that are here illegally and are also sexual abusers how could the Maricopa County Sheriff Dept. not be legally bound to follow up?
Your comment makes no sense at all. Are you saying that illegal alien sex abusers only target other illegal immigrants so why bother pursuig them?
If these weed growers are here illegally than should we apply your logic to them? Afterall, why shift the tax burden to us.
Side note: This thread has been derailed, certainly in part by me. Apologies.
“If a community is endangered by individuals that are here illegally and are also sexual abusers”
edit, should read: “that are here illegally who are also sexual abusers”
“But that’s not how Sheriff Joe operates…..if these complaints were filed by illegal immigrants wouldn’t it be to the advantage of “America’s Most Grandstanding Sheriff” to follow up, on a legal basis? Because afterall they were illegal immigrants and Joe could have made political hay by detaining these illegal immigrant sexual abusers.
If a community is endangered by individuals that are here illegally and are also sexual abusers how could the Maricopa County Sheriff Dept. not be legally bound to follow up? ”
Interesting take, however, in all the articles that I read about the sex abuse issues with sheriff joe it was because the very young victims were latino, not that the abusers were.
Salle,
+++ in all the articles that I read about the sex abuse issues with sheriff joe it was because the very young victims were latino, not that the abusers were.+++
True, but considering a large percentage of sexual abuse occurs within the family I think you can safely assume that in many of these instances both the victims and abusers were latino/illegal immigrants.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. I mean Siskiyou county does have a town named Weed.
JB,
++Illegal immigration supporters? I’ve never met one?++
Sure you have, whether you choose to acknowledge it, or not. Every manufacturer and seller of products that most humans buy in the US is a closet supporter. Goods are sold at retailers like WalMart, KMart, Safeway and lots of other large corporate stores. They are laughing all the way to the bank. Speaking of banks, Wells Fargo has made a mint catering to illegals who send money back to their country of origin.
Then there are the users of the cheap labor (owners of agribusinesses, roofing and carpeting, landscapers), which undercut honest businesses that play by the rules by paying their taxes, SSI, L&I, unemployment taxes, and liability insurance.
Then there is the US Conference of Catholic Bishops representing the church, which seeks amnesty for illegals. More of the faithful means more political power, and more money to pay for those sexual abuse cases that keep cropping up.
I think it is a complex mess, the solution for which needs to start and end with Mexico’s super-rich ruling class. They, in effect, export their poor, uneducated and unwanted, while relishing in the remittances that come back to help those who stayed behind ( I am curious, does your brother-in-law who is here legally on a visa for a Fortune 50 company and has a US born child, send home money, or is his family part of that ruling class in Mexico? This is not a dig, just a question, as I believe in legal immigration, especially those who bring skills.)
Then there is all that drug money that goes back to Mexico from sales of stuff brought in, or grown/made here with the aid of illegal Mexican Nationals in effect working for the cartels.
Maybe we can fix it, but I am not holding my breath, and in the meantime the US is getting turned into a new third world country. I have watched the area where I grew up turn into a third world community in just 10 years. It is disgusting, and the problem is that unless you see it first hand, you won’t believe it.
And, I will agree with you about the “show” and no real effective solutions. The head of INS warned of this situation, if you can believe it, in the late 1980’s as did Colorado Dem. Governor Richard Lamm. Both wrote books about what was to happen, and it has.
Actually, I think I can safely say that I *haven’t* met a supporter of illegal immigration, as I don’t run in the same circles as those owners, heirs and CEOs of the fortune 500 companies you mention–the “ruling class”, if you will.
I have encountered numerous farmers who make xenophobic, racist comments about ‘them damn Mexicans’ in one breath, then turn around and hire them to do their pickin’. However, I’ve never met one who would claim to support illegal immigration. 😉
My brother-in-law had an exceptionally hard time becoming a US citizen, in part because he and my sister-in-law decided on a whim to get married in a hot air balloon (my wife and I played the part of best man, maid of honor, witness, and photographer). That was 15 years ago; they’re still married and have two lovely children. To be honest, I’ve never asked Eduardo if he sends money home, though several years ago I rode along with him in an attempt to donate a bunch of computers he’d purchased at an auction to a school in Mexico. The attempt failed, as they had recently passed some law forbidding the importation of “used” equipment, and we were turned back at the border. He’s still one of the most generous people I know, and they do own a home in Mexico, so some of their money flows south, regardless.
Personally, I worry less and less about illegal immigration from Mexico. Given the increasing rate of wealth disparity in our country, in a few years we should have more than enough desperate Americans to fill those below-the-poverty-line jobs. 😉
You may find that they don’t like salmon in those parts either. They seem to be advocates of a small number of selected species that they can make a direct profit from and not much else. They also hate the indigenous folks in the area because they are there and care about the biospheric damage being foisted upon the region and its inhabitants (most of whom were there before the industralist-know-it-alls who vehemently oppose scientific evidence of their distructive ways).
Wow, that is cool!
We live in rural Iowa. Not everyone is thrilled with corporations. Some embrace them, others curse them. Depends on who is being put out of business because of one and who is raking in the dough.
The article states that:
“The photograph was taken at 1 p.m. Nov. 14 on public lands south of Willow Lake, said Daniels, who declined to be more specific.”
Sounds like he’s left Siskiyou County and has headed into Shasta Country.
Sorry to get off topic of agent orange or marijuana cultivation…. Does anyone have a suggestion for trail cameras? I was discouraged from investing in one after my brother’s was stolen from the forest he placed it in (very remote/private property).
Mtn. Mama,
At the risk of being called a know it all, I can offer my limited experience looking for a trail camera.
I have no previous experience with trail cams, but do know a bit about cameras, and photography. Must have requirements were good optics, easy to use, and both color and infra-red (IR) night capability, with a reliable/adjustable motion sensor to tell the camera when to take a picture. It had to be waterproof, inconspicuous wherever placed, and could be secured in a metal case and attached to a mounting surface with lag bolts, cable or chain (to deter the possibility of theft). I was also concerned about cost.
The use was to document construction of a pole barn (big garage) on a rural property where thefts of materials and equipment were known to occur. I believed the camera itself would be a target of theft, so wanted to make it inconspicuous with camo and mount it high in a tree facing the construction site about 40-60 feet away, so no one knew it was there. Kind of the same things one would consider for leaving a camera for wildlife viewing.
Before telling you of my selection experience, you probably know there are quite a few manufacturers, with lots of different models/features. The cameras are generally marketed to hunters, so you see alot of the “scout your trophy” crap language in their descriptions. The stuff is mostly made in China, and none takes as good a picture or has the features of most of the brand name digital point and shoot cameras many of us now have. If you choose well for compatibility, the SD data card can be taken out of the trail cam and viewed in a point and shoot, while you are in the field (some can’t do this, however).
Most trail cam reviews come up short, with the average being about 2.5-3 out of 5 stars. That is not a very good satisfaction level. Ryan, who posts here occasionally, likes the Moultry brand, if I recall. While there are cheaper models, I expected to pay about $250+ for a good one with required features, regardless of brand, and about another $50 for a metal case/cable. If you don’t need all the features or security, you can find something for a bit over $100, and just accept the risk of theft or damage.
I winnowed choices down to Moultry and Bushnell from a total of about 7 manufacturers, and who knows how many models. I selected the Bushnell 8.0 HD Black Ops model (also sold as their Trophy Cam HD), with a built in color viewer. The best feature was no visible flash, and the IR flash sensors are behind a matte black screen. This means you don’t see a bunch of bright plastic LED knobs on the camera face that make it visible to anyone who looks in the general direction of the camera. Those LED knobs do not look natural, no matter how much camo is on the cover -ever- and when there is bright sunlight that reflects off the clear plastic the camera is very easy to see, and it is, unfortunately, almost an invitation that says “come steal me.” It also has an adjustable time lapse feature that allows photos to be taken at intervals, which was perfect for my application – construction and security, and ultimately wildlife viewing.
I got the metal box, because bears love to eat cameras, and a galvanized steel chain, which were then covered with reuseable cloth camo tape. This combination is about as animal and human theft proof as it can be.
The results: It takes some calibration to get the motion sensor set right, and if there is moving vegetation in sensor range you get lots of photos you have to sort through and it eats storage of the SD memory card. I spent a lot of time making sure the field of view was what I wanted to see, since the lens is fixed focal length and focus. Fairly good color images (it has a fixed focal length, grainy high ISO setting) and IR images, but the camera did not have a good way to delete lots of empty frames (so I had to transfer the card and use my compatible Canon point and shoot).
Best on-line reviews/purchase is Amazon.com, or BHphotovideo.com in NY (but they can be jerks to deal with on returns).
Good luck with your purchase, and don’t forget the metal box and cable so you don’t have a repeat of your brother’s experience.
WM, Thanks so much for all the info! Happy New Year.
WM –
I greatly appreciate the review. I “got” a trail cam for Christmas, but the family couldn’t decide on a model and features so I have yet to pick it out. Will take a close look at your chosen model. My purpose is mixed but similar to yours, mainly undetected security observation, mixed with occasional fun seeing what’s using nearby game trails. We had our only serious neighborhood burglary 2 or 3 years ago, but it was a humdinger with 2 cabins and 2 houses ripped into and over $20K in damage to one place. Our house would have been next but I had recently arrived home and they were already burdened with loot, so passed unseen in the beach fringe. Fortunately, I sensed something amiss and checked on my neighbor’s house in time to alert him in town and we closed on them on foot from both ends, relieved them of their firearms and held them for 2 miserable hours in the dark in driving southeast wind and rain until the police showed up on a coast guard boat. Since then I keep a 900 pound fire safe in town along with another lock-up for anything of substantial value that we don’t use regularly. Having taken a number of security measures, I’m looking at photo-monitoring to have something more to help identify future perpetrators, rather than rely on continued luck. I’ve wondered about some way to place a trail cam looking out of a “bird house” as I’m not sure a metal box would do the trick with anybody who realizes they’ve been photographed at the scene of their crime?
JB,
I went with the metal box, which actually is only lightly larger than the camera, mostly because it was represented to be black bear proof (a problem for my area), and because it offered a little deterrent from someone tempted to steal it. Anything that keeps it from being seen as a camera would also help. A wood duck nest would have about the right size hole. It would likely have to have a thin front wall and the camera snugged up close to it, I think, so as not to intefere with the motion sensor field of view, I would think. In my area a bird house of any type, mostly would seem out of place, but for your area you have no doubt thought that part through.
SEAK,
++…relieved them of their firearms and held them for 2 miserable hours in the dark… ++
It is not clear from your post whether the firearms were part of their booty or whether they carried their own, loaded and ready for use. I have always wondered how I would deal with such a situation, maybe having to confront an armed intruder or one absconding with my stuff. Hope I never have to. But, if I/we were successful in subduing them, they might have tripped over their own feet or had some other accident before authorities arrived.
I did have an encounter with a guy, years ago, who broke into my house. He was hopped up on drugs and looking for anything of value. My roomie and I tackled the guy as he tried to escape through a window. He got in a number of pretty solid punches on both of us, as we rolled around on the floor, and were unable to subdue him, with any blows of our own (possibly the influence of the drugs). I was lucky and put an elbow in his family jewels and things quieted down real quick. We hog tied him, and the police arrived shortly after our call, to our relief.
As for the risk to a camera, I suspect a good smack with a heavy stick, or a shot fired from most anything will kill it. Maybe not the card, however, and if the card is not destroyed the images of the bad guys might still be retrieved. And, another fairly new option for a few cameras, I am not sure which brand(s), is that the data can be viewed/stored on another device via wireless technology. And, that device can more easily be concealed, though it surely adds cost.
WM –
They had a 22 magnum rifle of their own (or who know’s whose?) and a couple of hand guns they got from my neighbor’s house, after stashing most of his long guns under beach logs for later recovery. Fortunately, he got to the guys moments before I did and they didn’t expect trouble from up ahead, so he took the rifle away decisively and unloaded it first off and the handguns had been stashed in a pack out of easy reach. Fortunately, he’s the only one who came away with any injury (pulled rib) after wrestling with a buff 22 year old for 40 minutes. He was early 50s, same as me, but 6’5” and out-weighed the guy by 70 lbs. There was a similar same size difference between me and the other guy but he complied without any problem and I was able to stay on the cell phone with police without holding him down. As you know, it is certainly a touchy situation but we didn’t want to leave it to chance, given the very slow police response time in our off-road neighborhood — and that was also confirmed the next day after checking over the rest of the neighborhood and seeing the full trail of theft and devastation, and learning that the one that resisted was on security camera footage at another break-in in town. It’s certainly possible that we could have guided the police to intercept them at the edge of town, but my history of trying to direct the actions of police has not been productive.
I’ll have to give some thought and maybe some experimentation to positioning of the trail cam.
WM/Seak:
I haven’t had a chance to look at cameras yet, but we’ve been discussing a surveillance study of sorts that would utilize trail cams. We talked about disguising the camera’s using wood duck, bat boxes or bird houses. Thought I’d share the idea, as this may be cheaper and less obvious than a big steel box.
Moultrie M-80. Great value for what you get. Be sure to order the 8 GB memory card if you do:
http://www.amazon.com/Moultrie-MFH-DGS-M80-Game-Spy-M-80/dp/B004V3ATMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325954993&sr=8-1
It takes a picture and video for 15 (to more) seconds. Really cool. I put one out in December in MA and have 2 really cool eastern coyotes/coywolves for 1-2 sec in 2 separate video frames. However, it missed a darn otter that I still haven’t seen in a conservation area near my house. I don’t know what happened there. Bushnells are good too…
All you need are batteries (4 to 8 AA) to go with it. I put a business card and note “Wildlife study, please do not disturb” on the camera and more importantly hide it off any major trails.
– some might wonder how I missed the otter picture – it left some fresh fishy scaled tracks within range of the camera.
Journey’s (OR7) journey, was featured on a segment of NBC News tonight.
Here’s a poem about a lone wolf’s winter journey. Maybe Journey will share a similar happy ending:
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-winter-journey-home-10732249.html?cat=47
“SHOOT THEM FROM THE AIR AND GAS THEIR DENS”……….a quote in this article from David Allen, President of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
http://www.ktvz.com/news/30162252/detail.html
What happened to David Allen?
Since David Allen has emerged as the mouthpiece for predator haters everywhere his organization continues to lose credibility as a “wildlife conservation organization” Maybe he doesn’t realize that elk are just one of many animals in an ecosystem. I have to ask once again- Is there something in the water?
Batshit crazy.
Maybe someone can get him some much needed help. Maybe ECT treatments or an anti-psychotic medication would help.
More on OR-7….
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2012/01/11/MNPR1ML09K.DTL
Here we go again….it’s about the safety of the children.
+++”We’ve heard the accounts from families with children who have lived with reintroduced wolves and how it has restrained their lifestyles and put them in fear,” said Marcia Armstrong, a Siskiyou County supervisor whose constituents are mostly farmers and ranchers. “This is introducing a predator into a community where there are families.”+++
Apparently willful ignorance, cowardice, and scapegoating children are honorable qualities for many in the farming and ranching community.