Anti-Wolf Group Spreads Message in Idaho Falls. By Danielle Grant, Local News 8 Reporter
Gillett rails against wolves to crowd of 25 in Idaho Falls
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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 had problems with this link—is it just my computer?
The best news is that it was a crowd of 25. Even the Klan has the right to speak…at least not that many care what they say or go to hear what they think.l
Yes, but the bad news is he has the news reporters repeating his spin as “Facts and figures” and even calling them Canadian wolves. Add to that Mike Webster, the Governor’s representative, running back to repeat all those same “facts and figures”.
The article does not come up for me either. I see the header of the paper but not the text.
What is his point? Is he gloating because Idaho is going
to kill, what, 80% of the current population or does he
just think if he keeps going they will eventually kill all of them?
I am sure this is not news to this group but this issue will never (if ever) be resolved until generations to come can be taught to value instead of hate (not a strong enough word) the wolf and recognize its importance to the natural ecosystem. I can think of no other animal so vilified and persecuted. I watch this from afar but to those who work relentlessly on behalf of the wolf, thank you.
The link worked for me, so I will copy and paste the article here, for those of you that couldn’t get it. I did not copy the comments.
“Anti-Wolf Group Spreads Message in Idaho Falls
April 21, 2009 10:38 PM
April 21, 2009 10:38 PM
Video Gallery
Anti-Wolf Groups Looking for Support
2:38
By Danielle Grant, Local News 8 Reporter
Passionate people share their growing concerns about the wolf population in Idaho.
It’s a grassroots organization formerly called the anti-wolf coalition and they’re going around the entire state spreading their message to stop the Canadian wolves from ravaging their cattle.
The meeting happened at the Idaho Falls Shilo Inn and drew a smaller crowd than they usually see.
There were only about 25 people at the meeting but still a lot of passion in the room about what they call the vicious predators of the wild.
“Two things are on our mind: the economy and how we’re going to stop this Canadian wolf disaster in our state,” said Ron Gillett, an anti-wolf advocate.
Gillett preaches his anti-wolf message to eager ears and how he wants to get rid of them.
Some in the audience feel strongly about how the wolves are hurting their bottom line.
“They ran them through 4 fences…took me three days to gather them up…fix the fences,” said Mike Webster, a local rancher and Governor Otter’s field representative.
Fish and game says more than 1,600 wolves live in the Northern Rocky Mountains in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
However Gillett isn’t buying into their numbers or that they can keep an eye on the population.
“This BS that the Fish and Game puts out that there are only 840 wolves in Idaho is a lie. You can not manage Canadian wolves in Idaho at any number because of the terrain and topography. It can not be done,” Gillett explained.
He claims there are at least 3,500 or more wolves roaming the Gem State and now the elk herds, he says, are living in death zones.
Gillett says so far they’ve lost 50,000 elk in the Northern Rockies to the wolves.
But it’s a passionate fight he’s not willing to give up on.
“We are not going to stop, until we get a solution to this wolf problem. If we don’t do this now, those of us will never see big game in our lifetime ever again,” Gillett concluded.
Gillett urges folks to contact local legislators and voice their opinions.
Mike Webster, the governor’s representative, says he’ll be taking everything he learned from the meeting, the facts and figures, straight to the governor.
This Thursday at the Idaho State University there’ll be a panel discussion about the wolves being delisted.
The panelists include the president of the Wolf Recovery Foundation, regional wildlife manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s Southeast Region, a spokesperson for and past president of the Idaho Cattle Association and project leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wolf recovery project in Wyoming.
That meeting will be held at ISU’s Pond Student Union Salmon River Suite at 7:00p.m.
What did i say about the sqeeky wheel getting the oil!!! (or press in this case) seems to be gettin plenty of it while everyone else sits meekly by and relies on attorneys to get around to it,, he is making his case,, despite whether he is nuts or not,
Kim, has it exactly right, Gillett gets the press, because he keeps running his mouth…
Does anyone knows his next stop?
Maybe if Gillett can succeed in getting people to call these animals “Canadian wolves,” then we ought to start referring to him as “that British human” and see if it sticks.
Maybe if Gillett can succeed in getting people to call these animals “Canadian wolves,” then we ought to start referring to him as “that British human” and see if it sticks.
That’s good. 🙂
Gillett’s message is abound in many places not just in Idaho and not just restricted to the United States either, sadly there are more like him that don’t blow their trumpets.
It does make me wonder though where they got their dead wolf mascot from.
ProWolf, ‘That British human” is ok, but, based upon current events, he seems more like a member of the Idahoe Taliban (spelling courtesy of Danny boy).
Thanks for posting that, Gloria.
I think that Taliban is a much better description. It is a more crackpot mentality.
and “who” are we describing? 😉
He claims there are at least 3,500 or more wolves roaming the Gem State and now the elk herds, he says, are living in death zones.
Gillett says so far they’ve lost 50,000 elk in the Northern Rockies to the wolves.
Do Canadian wolves breed like jackrabbits? Does he think that maybe these are Canadian jackrabbits? Exactly what time frame is he talking about that 50,000 elk have been lost in the Northern Rockies? If he is starting from when wolves were first reintroduced then there probably were that many that have died. Is he considering how many elk have been born since wolves have been reintroduced? I am not good at math but I just don’t think these numbers make a whole lot of sense.
Was he foaming at the mouth during his talk to that “large” crowd?
Did anyone read the comments posted by readers. Holly crap – some of these people are spreading panic..soon the wolves will be knocking on the door in Sun Valley ….
Even mayor of Sun Valley had an opinion…
does anyone knows where is Bruce Willis.
He is from Haily? Right or Ketchum?
Hey..Ralph they were taling about you also and Lynn…
They are deifnately spreading a big panic…
oops …taling = talking
I suggest sending them my favorite Far Side comic:
http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/kmyers/web_graphics/farside%20wolves.jpg
😉
soon the wolves will be knocking on the door in Sun Valley
Will they huff and puff and blow the houses down? Or will they just go and swallow Granny? 🙂
Great Far Side comic JB.
The Far Side comic seems very fitting and hilarious.
I am still fuming about this meeting:
What´s surprising about these decidedly anti-wolf testimonials is that this is by residents presumably right in the heart of the pro-wolf, DOW, John Marvell, Lynn Stone territory. I fully expected that they would amass a major group of pro-wolf advocates supporting their position. Even the Mayor of Sun Valley spoke, and was quite impassioned and expressed his grave concerns about wolves, and the way the population has gotten totally out of hand in the Valley.
He stood before the crowd pointing his finger at the pro-wolvers and occasionally at Cal Groen and other IDF&G personnel in attendance. He said that he came to the valley about 10 years ago from back East and at that time he was decidedly for animal rights, and was opposed to hunting and the killing animals. He since has changed and understands and appreciates the values of most Idahoans. He´s gotten a concealed weapons permit and now enjoys shooting and fishing, along with his many other outdoor pastimes. He says the Valley´s way of life is being threatened “to the core” by these wolves. He believes that this wolf situation has gotten entirely out of hand and something has to be done immediately. He believes the wolves have caused the natural order of things to turn “upside down”. Elk are being chased through the streets of town with wolves killing them within yards of buildings. He doesn´t feel safe in his own home as wolves often wander through his yard and he recently had a mountain lion slaughtered by wolves within 100 yards from his home.
That just isn’t right. Residents and visitors are afraid. Do they dare venture out from their safe surroundings? He is very concerned that someone is destined to soon get attacked by a wolf as they become increasingly domesticated. This domestication threatens visitors who come to Sun Valley from all over the country for its outdoor recreational opportunities. Visitors come to the resort to mountain bike, hike, ski, fish, etc, and if someone is attacked as he´s sure will happen, it´s going to be a major economic blow to the area. He believes it will be an immediate $100 million economic hit. He says he´s been authorized to speak on behalf of the Sun Valley Company and they too see this urgency and are demanding that something be done. They believe a single wolf attack will cost them millions and will result in visitors going elsewhere. They have too much invested to sit.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009Won’t it be intetesting when instead of an elk, livestock, or a pet being killed, it ends up being an innocent small child’s life that is taken? And you know it is going to happen eventually.
Who will be responsible then? I already know what the radicals like the jon Marvels, Lynn Stones, and Ralph Maughns will say, because their statements in the past have already devalued human life. In some distorted way, they hold the lives of some wild animals higher than human life and insist that we turn all of Idaho into a big “sacred” Yellowstone Park. It will be the childs or parents fault, no doubt.
So who will stand up and take responsibility for this mess when human life is lost? IMO, these radical pro-wolf groups, their leaders, and the government officials they bought out should be getting sued and should be ultimately held responsible.
Ralph,
Some of the Idaho people really hate you.. 🙂
Your also uninformed, extremely biased, and dead wrong. Ralph Maughn is a radical eco-freak with a hatred for ranchers and farmers like yourself. He has NO (zero) credibility due to his extreme views.
Wildlife has THRIVED along with grazing and ranching for decades and decades so your rhetoric is pure BS. If you were to get off the couch and spend time where the decimation of our wildlife is taking place you will see the impacts of the wolf. The wolf introduction was a huge mistake, the damages and chaos were easily predicted, and it never should have happened. Period.
Hundreds of years of responsible wildlife management have been reversed because of extreme pro-wolf groups getting their way, abusing our state rights, and forcing this problem on all of us.
“Wildlife has THRIVED along with grazing and ranching for decades and decades so your rhetoric is pure BS.”
Rather depends on your definition of wildlife, doesn’t it? 🙂
Izabelam, that sounds like pure Little Red Riding Hood fear. I think I probably speak for most of us here when I say that we base our opinion on science and not the likes of Ron Gillett and the save elk web site.
I also beg to differ that wildlife has thrived in the presence of ranching and grazing. Predators like wolves, grizzlies, and jaguars have been slaughtered due to ranching fears. The Columbia pygmy rabbit was pushed to extinction due to grazing, the sage grouse is at low numbers and they live in grazing land. Let’s also take into account trout streams that have been eroded due to cattle overgrazing and bighorn sheep catching diseases from sheep. Also, what caused brucellosis to be spread to the buffalo and elk in Yellowstone? Do I need to go on here?
I am not anti-ranching. I just do not like the fact that their interests take so much precedence and grazing on public land.
izabelam,
Your ignorance is stunning. You’ve bought the propaganda hook-line-and-sinker.
izabelam: You have me totally confused. The title of this blog is “Gillett rails against wolves to crowd of 25 in Idaho Falls”. Your first lines are “I am still fuming about this meeting: What´s surprising about these decidedly anti-wolf testimonials is that this is by residents presumably right in the heart of the pro-wolf, DOW, John Marvell, Lynn Stone territory. I fully expected that they would amass a major group of pro-wolf advocates supporting their position.”
To which anti-wolf testimonials are you referring? I don’t know if Marvel went to the meeting or not, but I do know that he lives 3 hrs away, 1 way, Stone about 3 /12 hrs, fr Idaho Falls.
Then you state: “Even the Mayor of Sun Valley spoke, …………………. gotten totally out of hand in the Valley.”
Are you saying that the mayor of Sun Valley attended the meeting in IF? I wasn’t there, but the newspaper article doesn’t mention the mayor. Were you at the meeting? And do you live near Sun Valley? You also state in reference to SV: “Residents and visitors are afraid…….Visitors come to the resort to mountain bike, hike, ski, fish, etc,” Well, I do live near there, and the residents and visitors ARE out biking, hiking, skiing, fishing, etc. They are also out working in their yards, and carrying on their lives as usual. I’m wondering where you are getting your strange views of our life in this valley, since I don’t see any of what you mention.
And you state: “……..jon Marvels, Lynn Stones, and Ralph Maughns will say, because their statements in the past have already devalued human life” – What statements are these? Do you even know these people? I have never heard any of them devalue human life; rather they are trying to improve upon our life on this planet by improving the planet. They are all very humane, caring, intelligent people, and I’m grateful for the time they devote to their passions, for the sake of all of us.
Your long rant doesn’t make any sense, it’s confusing to read, the name calling is a sign of ignorance, and appears to apply more to yourself than those to whom it is directed. If you have some actual facts that you would like to impart, I would be interested in reading them, but would also just settle for your answers to my questions.
I am going to speak in defence of izabelam here.
For those who have not been on this blog long or maybe don’t pay attention, izabelam is an emigrant to this country, from Poland I believe, and as such English is a second language, still being learned.
She has, in the past given good insight on issues and I would suspect was in a hurry or flustered over something. Please go back a year or so and read some for a historical perspective, suffice to say Izabela is a friend here.IMO
I would say, that the post by Izabelam was actually a quote based on what I have read in the past, it is pretty much word for word of what I have read in various publications..
yes – it looks like maybe Izabelam was expressing that she was still upset about an account of the Hailey meeting from an anti-wolf source (‘SaveElk’), which Jeff E posted here – it’s identical language – a passage of which she had cut and pasted under the colon — and then was commenting on the passages pasted without it being readily apparent where the quote ends and where her reaction to the quoted material begins – i.e. that angry wolf tirade was not her own sentiment.