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Denali
05-18-12, 21:37
These images are rolling in from several different camera traps I'm running, all deep in the blue hills of northwest Wisconsin...I've also got a ton of video of this wolf, a female.

Denali
05-18-12, 21:44
Same girl, different camera...

Stangman
05-18-12, 22:10
isolated animal or have you seen others?

Denali
05-18-12, 22:47
There are four wolf packs in the blue hills, 204 in the state, totaling about 800 animals. This one is a member of the blue hills "north pack." Last year that pack was comprised of seven adult wolves, and they definitely had pups.

The blue hills are prime wolf habitat, ringed by agriculture to the south, and both the east and west, they are loaded with white tail deer, really just off the chart deer densities, they are also home to a huge population of beaver, which gray wolves are very fond of chowing on, and thats a good thing, otherwise the beaver just go virtually unchecked and thats a bad thing for all of northwest Wisconsin's trout...

6933
05-19-12, 20:31
Keeping white tails in check, or causing issues?

Denali
05-19-12, 21:30
Keeping white tails in check, or causing issues?

Interesting question, so if I may, Wisconsin has the United States largest white tail deer herd, and its considered by most serious hunters, to also be the nations strongest genetically! As recently as 2006-7 the herd numbered near two million animals, this years count(taken after the fall harvest)has them at about 1,300, 000, give or take.

Gray wolves total about 800 animals in Wisconsin, with each wolf accounting for somewhere between 15-20 deer annually, for a projected total of about 16,000 deer. Consider, we(humans)harvested over 500,000 this past fall, in Wisconsin alone! Automobile collisions took as many as 40-60,000, in Wisconsin!

This past winter was extremely mild, this almost certainly forcasts a spike in the herds population, with wolf depredation being at its peak between January and March, this past winters wolf kill was likely far below average for our 204 packs, its just damn near impossible to run down a healthy deer without the aid of deep snow.

So no, gray wolves are not doing anything that could be considered detrimental to the Wisconsin white tail herd, in fact we have far to many deer, WDNR just released documents indicating that they(the state)would like to reduce the herd down to about 750,000 animals, which is never going to happen, we could have three or four times the current wolf population, it would not represent a serious threat to Wisconsins out of control deer herd...Also, we have certain game units that are classified as herd control units where the hunter is offered as many as ten tags for an additional cost of just a couple of dollars, we have CWD issues, and in some parts of the state the herd is virtually an infestation, the toll on farm crops staggering, I've counted as many as a thousand deer in adjoining pastures in Rusk county.

DeltaSierra
05-19-12, 21:30
Keeping white tails in check, or causing issues?

Wherever those wolves are, they cause problems - whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

Fact is that re-introduction (well, if you can call it that...) was one of the worst ideas anyone ever had...

Denali
05-19-12, 23:08
Wherever those wolves are, they cause problems - whether anyone wants to admit it or not.

Fact is that re-introduction (well, if you can call it that...) was one of the worst ideas anyone ever had...

:nono: You cannot cite one pertinent study that supports such a hyperbolic statement, not one! And FYI, wolves were not re-introduced in the great lakes, they re-colonized both Wisconsin, and Michigan all on their own!

Next, you'll be telling folks how evil the gray wolf is, because they kill, but gray wolves haven't extirpated a single species from its historic range, how many have we? ;)

Denali
05-19-12, 23:32
http://www.timberwolfinformation.org/info/wolfmanplan/final/appendix/appendix_e.htm

This study is from the late 1990's, nonetheless its perfectly valid today, and as its generated by the wildlife biologists of the state of Wisconsin, it trumps any and all, hyperbole, and disinformation created, and or perpetuated, by unscrupulus sport media types...

From the study,
Overall it does not appear that wolves are likely to be a major mortality factor to deer in northern Wisconsin under current conditions or in the near future. Even with a population of 500 wolves, annual predation of 9000 deer would represent only 2.6% of the overwinter population of 343,000 deer in the Northern Forest and Central Forest

Jack-O
05-19-12, 23:39
the re-introduction of wolves reduced montana's elk population by 2/3's. thats a 66% reduction. they killed 2 out of three elk in montana... and they did it in less than 8 years.

yeah, wolves are a positive.

sorry guys, theres only room for one apex predator.

Denali
05-20-12, 00:35
the re-introduction of wolves reduced montana's elk population by 2/3's. thats a 66% reduction. they killed 2 out of three elk in montana... and they did it in less than 8 years.

yeah, wolves are a positive.

sorry guys, theres only room for one apex predator.

Ignorance is a chain that keeps you bound for life! ;)



From the Times News, Magicvalley.com:


“……the report showed that hunters were the biggest cause of elk kills in two other areas with declining populations: the Pioneer zone east of Ketchum, and Island Park near Rexburg. In the Island Park zone, hunters killed 17 percent of collared elk while wolves killed none.”


Its embarrassing, how ignorant and misinformed some of you happen to be. Now this thread is mine, it was not intended as a venue for the "galatically stupid" to air out their idiocy, rather it was intended for hunters who appreciate wildlife, I spend a hell of a lot of time gathering my information, data, and images. I've been doing it for a long long time, I'm in the field 50 plus hours every week, year round!

You want to act like a toothless, backwoods, banjo picker, making silly, disruptively ignorant comments without so much as a cite to a reputable study, you're gonna find yourselves getting thumped....A subscription to Outdoor life, Predator Nation, or any other Peterson publication isn't going to get you very far with me...

Just in case you don't get the hint, if you haven't a polite thing to say, then don't say anything at all, and very definitely do not share with us your embarrassing ignorance, or the "Guns & Ammo only room for one apex predator" cretinisms....:rolleyes:
http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/elk-populations-fluctuate-but-there-s-no-shortage/article_1792f841-d0eb-5a3a-9d4a-f294bb6af09e.html

M4Fundi
05-20-12, 01:05
No Denali it is you who are going to get "thumped"! This isn't the way people treat each other on M4C. You sound like the typical hippie zealot speaking like that. You do not make personal attacks on people's character because you do not agree with them or they disagree with you. Keep the attacks to yourself and act like an adult and prove or back up your point with facts and facts alone.

And for the record I have worked with wolves in YSN and lived in Paradise Valley and there is a wolf problem there. I am glad the wolves are in YSN, but they need to stay out of Paradise Valley.

Denali
05-20-12, 03:27
No Denali it is you who are going to get "thumped"! This isn't the way people treat each other on M4C. You sound like the typical hippie zealot speaking like that. You do not make personal attacks on people's character because you do not agree with them or they disagree with you. Keep the attacks to yourself and act like an adult and prove or back up your point with facts and facts alone.

And for the record I have worked with wolves in YSN and lived in Paradise Valley and there is a wolf problem there. I am glad the wolves are in YSN, but they need to stay out of Paradise Valley.

This is my thread sport, its not about killing for kicks, its about the images I've captured, if you can't be civil, then you can leave!

Like the other two, you haven't offered anything of substantive value, just hyperbolic silliness. You are invited to go whine your heart out to a mod about how you got your feelings hurt while trolling my thread.

BTW, for the record, I don't believe you've ever worked with gray wolves, or wildlife of any kind, in any capacity.

Jack-O
05-20-12, 10:23
Denali,
I guess you will find what you want under the guise of "statistics" and "target populations". You certainly are not at our legislature watching FWP ask for more money because fewer hunters are buying licenses because of population reductions, or watching FWP reduce the numbers of permits for elk because the population no longer supports numbers from just 6 years ago.

thats kinda hard to see from wisconsin tho aint it?

While I support the wolf being around in some capacity I certainly dont think they should be unchecked and support a robust culling to a sustainable number. When montana agreed to the re-introduction of a non native species (the hybrid dog/wolf we currently have), there were only to be a limited number of breeding pairs. we have exceeded that number by more than 10x at this point and politicians and activists like yourself have ensured that foot dragging on control hunts have allowed that number to get out of hand.

Sorry bro, but the wolf was killed off for a reason as many people are now starting to realize. I dont necessarily agree with it, but there was a reason, and I'm starting to see why. When peoples lives depended on eating game and living close to nature, having another apex predator became a genuine threat to survival, so they did thier best to remove that threat (as did some of the indians in thier time!)

heres a few articles that support my previous post. Elk have always been hard to kill and lazy fat hunters on 4 wheelers have always whined about not being able to get one. That has always been consistent. this is different. Not only are harvests down but population is down as well.


The annual aerial survey of the herd conducted during December 2010
resulted in a count of 4,635 elk, down 24 percent from the 6,070 reported
the previous year. There has been about a 70 percent drop in the size of
the northern elk herd from the 16,791 elk counted in 1995 and the start of
wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2011/01/12/northern-range-yellowstone-elk/


In December, an aerial survey counted just over 4,635 elk, that's down 24-percent from 6,070 in 2009...
"We would rather not see a decrease of that magnitude in a one year period," admits MT Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Livingston Area Wildlife Biologist, Karen Loveless.
http://www.ktvq.com/news/elk-population-drops-dramatically-in-ynp/


Yellowstone wolf numbers down, elk up
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2009/03/Yellowstonewolfnumbe.htm


At least 6,070 elk make up the Northern Yellowstone elk herd ... This population count is down significantly from the 9,545 elk counted during the winter of 2004-2005.
http://www.kxlf.com/news/yellowstone-elk-herd-population-down-since-wolves-were-restored/


The Northern Yellowstone Cooperative Wildlife Working Group’s aerial survey of the herd conducted during December 2010 resulted in a count of 4,635 elk, down 24 percent from the 6,070 reported the previous year. There has been about a 70 percent drop in the size of the northern elk herd from the 16,791 elk counted in 1995 and the start of wolf restoration to Yellowstone National Park.

Predation by wolves and grizzly bears is cited as the major reason for the decline in elk numbers.
http://www.islandparknews.com/atf.php?sid=9418&current_edition=2011-01-13

So while I can and do appreciate the love for a beautiful animal and and it's place as an important part of our ecosystem, dont for a second think I'm some retarded, hard line spouting, apologist. Maybe take some time to learn about the drawbacks as well as the positives of wolf re-introduction, then approach it from a more rounded and mature perspective.

I initially supported re-introduction.

Denali
05-20-12, 12:48
Denali,
I guess you will find what you want under the guise of "statistics" and "target populations". You certainly are not at our legislature watching FWP ask for more money because fewer hunters are buying licenses because of population reductions, or watching FWP reduce the numbers of permits for elk because the population no longer supports numbers from just 6 years ago.

thats kinda hard to see from wisconsin tho aint it?

While I support the wolf being around in some capacity I certainly dont think they should be unchecked and support a robust culling to a sustainable number. When montana agreed to the re-introduction of a non native species (the hybrid dog/wolf we currently have),

The thread was not about your western state "blood lust!" It was intended for those hunters and outdoorsman who rarely, if ever see a wild wolf.

Out west, you, and your ancestors, murdered off your ecosystem by the early 1900's, almost every large game animal, in most of the rocky mountain states, had to be "re-introduced!" I have posted to this thread, easily obtainable documentation that outs the "Predator Nation" misinformation for what it is, simple lies! If you wished to open up a thread entitled, "Killing wolves is great, or Wolves suck because," you should go do so, not hijack mine to conform with your blood lust!

Your elk populations are up & down, just as white tail deer populations rise and fall, the problem is that you have no wilderness left in Montana, just a paltry 2.6% of the state is designated wilderness area! Yellowstone is really, nothing more than a very pretty zoological garden, the ecosystem artificially concocted, as a consequence its elk are genetically inferior, and were/are virtually helpless in the presence of keystone predators.

You have attempted to introduce an outright lie as truth, without so much as a scintillia of documented fact to support it, this of course is the ignorant belief that the yellowstone wolves are "genetically" different animals from those here in the great lakes, which they are most definitely not! They are not "mutant giant killing machines" brewed up in some super secret government area 51 type biosphere to force you onto Obamacare, these blatantly ignorant misperceptions are the fruit of unscrupulous politicians & sport hunting types who know well, how to capitalize on yours, and your fellow Montanans ignorance! They are the exact same animal that inhabit the great lakes, grown fat upon your genetically inferior elk herd, which in turn, they are also improving, by weeding out the genectically inferior(natural selection ring a bell?).

I posted documentation, and articles from your own media that can be classified as nothing short of a direct shot at you, and like-minded lazy hunters, for whining about dwindling elk numbers, which is a lie! Read the links, sport!

From the very first paragraph from one of the links you posted me,
Wildlife biologists say increased predation, ongoing drought, and hunting pressure all contributed to a decline in the northern Yellowstone elk
population from 1995 to 2010.

You are responsible, just as you westerners have always been responsible, for the catastrophic declines in game herds, you extirpated the keystone predators, arrogantly supplanting them with yourselves, you, and your ancestors so destroyed the natural ecosystem that of course, anything re-introduced will easily be demonized by the ignorant masses into "Art Bell late night talk radio fare Canadian killer super wolves intended to push you all onto the government welfare rolls."

Grow up!

broylz
05-20-12, 13:41
well i can at least appreciate the pics without the arguments. thanks for sharing. i have always likd seeing the wolves.

Jack-O
05-20-12, 20:43
wow. true stripes just came out there didn't they!!

maybe take some time to re-read my post, apparently either you didnt or you are against moderation when it comes to wolves?

I think you might also be misunderstanding the "superior" in Superior Wisconson :rolleyes:

Jack-O
05-20-12, 20:46
lol, looks like he's taking his pictures and going home too huh? Guess we are not worthy of them now.:D

M4Fundi
05-20-12, 22:05
I do not care what he says about wolves that is his right.

The great thing about M4C is that we attack ideas here and do not tolerate personal attacks. Argue the opinions with facts and do not attack the person simply because they disagree. Denali does not know the difference.

"Owning" the thread and arrogantly "thumping" dissenters... child like zealotry. :rolleyes:

K.L. Davis
05-21-12, 12:58
Everyone take a day off from this thread.