Suzanne Stone had a prominent “readers view” in the Idaho Statesman today. Wolf management Plan is more of an extermination plan.
Suzanne Asha Stone: [Idaho] Wolf management plan is more of a wolf extermination plan
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Suzanne Stone had a prominent “readers view” in the Idaho Statesman today. Wolf management Plan is more of an extermination plan.
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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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I read all the messages attached to this article and it seems to me that the division of opinions fall into the hunter/non-hunter categories. Hunters seem to be “deathly” afraid of losing the right to hunt and their campaign is loosely to scare people about predators in any way they can so that we only feel safe if we have hunters afield. Unfortunately, they are losing the battle, much like history in Africa. There seem also to be two battles for hunting rights. . one is the normal recreational hunter who loves his sport so much they are willing to do or say just about anything to defend it and then their are the more politically organized hunters who are more interested in elite, private trophy hunting opportunities. My original fears of animals came from the first group of hunters who I grew up around who loved to tell me fantastic tales of hedious predators who roamed the outdoors right on the farm I grew up on. Unfortunately, this sentiment has distilled into some very profane and crass posts on the internet now, which are very unlike the half kidding, fun stories that hunters used to tell. It seems like some of these guys (yes it is mostly guys) would love to shoot what they consider their enemies: anyone who has a chance of seriously putting a dent into their freedom to hunt as they see fit. In Alaska this is even more pronounced. . not from Alaskans who live there, but hunters who visit with a swagger and a spit and who threaten anyone they think might be a “bunny hugger”. Unfortunately, the lines are not that neat and there are quite a few hunters who are reasonable, have common sense and honorable in the field as well as not all wildlife defenders are “bunny huggers” who live in the city and sit at desks, many of them are very knowledgeable naturalists who have spent perhaps more time in the field than hunters. I hope both groups can overcome their fringe personas and work together to save habitat and the natural status quo which includes predators. Merry Christmas to all and a better New Year.
Linda – it’s not that simple – if I’m correct in understanding that you are saying that the argument over the Idaho Wolf Population Plan is because of differences between hunters and non/hunters. Several hunters spoke up in favor of wolves at the Hailey hearing (see that earlier thread that now has over 30 comments — you’ll get a better understanding of the plan).
The state of Idaho is proposing to kill hundreds of wolves because of politics driven by livestock interests, big game outfitters, anti-predator groups and some “sportsmen”. What’s being asked of us “fringe” “bunny huggers” is to go along with the shooting and trapping of most of Idaho’s 800 wolves. The Hailey hearing on Dec 17th was packed with Blaine County (Hailey, Bellevue, Ketchum) residents who live among wildlife all year and most would like to have that include wolves.
There’s a lot of responses to Suzanne’s guest opinion on the Statesman website. Reading them you might get an idea of what we are up against here in the spud state.
Linda, I am a big game hunter and am all for the wolves 110%. I have spent countless hours in yellowstone watching wolves, watching their interaction with each other, listening to them howl. Heck I would even love to see grizzly bear re-introduced to central Idaho.
Reading the comments that Lynne mentions tells me there’s lunatics on both sides of the fence (e.g., the person posting as terigro spouts nonsense as equally wrong and stupid as Ron Gillett)–I can only hope there are reasonable people in the middle that don’t believe the fairy tales that both extremes are selling as fact.
Jay, there are plenty of people in the middle, unfortunately they are not in power in Idaho and Wyoming. It’s no fairy tale that those in charge want a wolf slaughter.
Lynne. . no I wasn’t saying that it was that simple. . I was just commenting on this particular group of posts not the article or the or the Wolf Plan in Idaho. My comments were about the reactions, which also seem common at times in other blogs. I should have been more specific. I have seen the same kinds of emotionally charged posts on Amazon.com with Tim Treadwell’s book which go on forever! Jays comments are more in line with what I meant . . for that group of comments only . . I apologize to all honorable hunters, but there seems to be a common thread in those kinds of almost violent reactions that this article generated. And they all claimed to be hunters. I have been threatened at gunpoint in the wilderness for being a “bunny hugger” by someone who didn’t know my name or my politics just because I didn’t have a gun so I fully understand what you are up against and we are all up against and unfortunately logic, science and common sense don’t seem to phase this group. Perhaps the group who leave these posts are not hunters at all. What do you call this group who are quick to anger with profane and violent speech whenever anyone talks about leaving the natural world natural. And, Jay you are right, seem to be a fringe group on the other side who are just as out there in their line of thinking.