The Idaho Department of Fish and Game Commission will be taking public comment on all kinds of things on March 21, 2012 at their headquarters in Boise, Idaho. The public comment section starts their three day meeting where they will set rules for hunting and fishing in the upcoming year. One of the items on the agenda for the meetings is the setting of wolf hunting and trapping rules. The regional managers have submitted their suggestions to the Commission and they are recommending increased levels of hunting and trapping in most areas of the state.
The agenda for the three day meeting can be found here
Wednesday, March 21st, 7:00 PM
Trophy Room
Idaho Fish and Game Headquarters
600 S Walnut
Boise, Idaho 83712
Here is a rundown of the wolf hunting and trapping proposals submitted by the different regions.
There are more details in the individual regional proposals here.
2012/2013 WOLF HUNTING AND TRAPPING PROPOSALS
Panhandle
GRAY WOLF
Propose increasing bag limit for hunting and trapping and other options to increase harvest. Provide extended season on private land in Panhandle zone.
Clearwater
GRAY WOLF
Continue trapping season in Unit 10A in Dworshak-Elk City zone opening Feb 1 – Mar 31, 2013. Consider increase in bag limits for hunting (5 wolves per calendar year) and trapping (5 wolves per trapping season where open) in wolf management zones in the Clearwater Region.
Southwest
GRAY WOLF
Manage wolves to reduce conflicts with livestock and ungulates, manage for sustainable populations of wolves in the SW region, manage to balance/achieve/maintain objectives of other species plans.
McCall
GRAY WOLF
Elk population numbers are at the low end of objective for Unit 19A and below objective in Unit 25. The proposal is:
Add Units 19A and 25 to areas open to trapping, with a season framework of November 15 to March 31. Consider March 15 rather than March 31 closure date because of earlier average bear emergence date.
Magic Valley
GRAY WOLF
Increase harvest limit in Southern Mountains zone from 25 to 30.
Southeast
GRAY WOLF
No change
Upper Snake
GRAY WOLF
Provide Additional Opportunity
Salmon
GRAY WOLF
No change
Comments
My thoughts and wishes go out to these wolves that end up in traps,and which are of course tortured.
I wonder how many good ole’ boys phone back to their buddies when they get a wolf trapped. I bet there’s an audience for some of these trapped wolves, and I bet they don’t always go quickly.
This is the kind of image in my mind that does not allow me to sleep. There are no words.
Anyone with ideas on how to organize some people in Idaho to attend? If anyone already has information about some existing state conservation groups please post. I’ll make sure to call them driectly and I have some voulnteers working with me.
Thank you
Louise…here’s a couple
http://www.friendsoftheclearwater.org/
North Idaho Wolf Alliance (let me know if you need contact info)
Ralph or Ken…..OK to give Louise my contact information.
Louise,
Ravensong Group and Friends of the Clearwater are organizing a rally prior to the IDFG comment period on March 21, 2012, in Boise. All friends of wolves, wildlife and of the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution are invited to join us at the park across from Idaho Fish and Game at 5 p.m. And interestingly, the public comment session will be held in the “Trophy Room” at the Fish and Game Headquarters. Please join us. This killing must stop.
Wolves are an essential part of this planet’s ecosystems & need to be LEFT ALONE!!! The wolves in Idaho, as are all wolves left across this ocuntry belong to all of the citizens of the USA & no one person or state should have the right to play God & slaughter them. Especially, the methods you propose. Wolves are not decimating your elk, caribou & deer populations. IF anything they are helping them to propigate healthier & larger animals for you — hunters to kill. Wolves are responsible for only 1% of depratdations of domestic cattle, sheep etc.. Hunters & politicians in their pockets are skapegoating them because hunters now have to work harder to find them since wolves make them move higher into the mountains.. where they actually belong.. & not decimating ecosystems by overgrazing. The wolf, one of the most majestic & iconic animals on this planet & so much more noble than you hunters & politicians will ever be. LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!
Barbara,
As much as I’d like to see wolves restored to a number of places, I doubt they are really an essential part of the planet’s ecosystem.
I would like to write less about wolves and more about other kinds of wildlife and outdoor issues, events, controversies, but the ignorant aggressiveness of the strong anti-wolf folks and their frequent lack of interest in anything outdoors except for a small number of big game animals irritates the hell out of me. I have always been interested in the geology, weather, vegetation, and a number of outdoor activities or sports, not just one.
Lately, people without curiosity are setting the agenda.
How would you like you, your children or your pet to get caught in one of these traps??? I have already read articles about family pets being maimed. Perhaps, if something (one) a little closer to home suffers needlessly for days on end & dies you will change your tunes.
I’d say cut back on the Elk and Deer tags in draw units! That would be a big plus!!!! Wolf tags?– adjust as needed!
Thank you for the information on the rally in Boise. I will post this on the western carnivore conservation list, and ask some contacts that I have at several NGO’s to post and ensure that the volunteers working with me get out the word. I hope you get a good turnout. Thank you for doing this
Jerry,
can you contact North Idaho Wolf Alliance about the rally. I can not reach them on facebook.
Louise…..they know about it and will be there…..