On Jan. 17, I posted my story on the death of Idaho wolf B7M.
Today Rocky Barker at the Idaho Statesman wrote a long feature article tying this very long-lived wolf (the oldest yet?) into the Idaho wolf recovery story. It is an amazing story! The long life of one wolf embodies the story of wolf recovery in Idaho. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
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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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This story eloquently embodies how education and experience can change perspectives.
I am hoping that more ranchers and livestock owners would open up to non-lethal means of control. Especially when it comes to putting calving herds on public lease holds in the spring where Packs are present!
Science proves that wolves are condition from birth and can be trained to avoid habituation and domestic predications by non-lethal means. This is a prime example of what the scientists did not know about wolves until their reintroduction and their ability to study them.
This reporter told the life history of a legendary wolf in the wilds of Idaho. Life doesn’t get better than that!
Carter Niemeyer‘s efforts were key to the reintroduction of the wolf. He too is legendary to me. He took a lot of abuse for his job. I’m glad that he retired and is continuing his work with the wolves.
I often wonder what he (Carter) thinks of Idaho’s delisting plan. Have you spoke with him lately Ralph?
Ed Bangs calls it “okay”. He expresses that tentatively at best. We have come a long way with the wolf. And we have a long way to go to fully understand these magnificent creatures.
Idaho comprises the greatest habitat. And the worst plan.
The DSP (Distinct Population Segment) area chart reflects how they do not want the wolf population to disperse outside of the already saturated habitat. They have included parts of Wyoming that people don’t want to live much less the wolf. Why? To prevent dispersing through habitat corridors into Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado and the Dakotas. Where they remain endangered under the ESA. They also plan to put these states (with the exception of Colorado and the Dakotas) under another states delisting plan and will be working on that with DWR by 2008.
I suggest that they modify the collars on the wolves of Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks to shock the wolves when they reach the Parks protection perimeters.