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 Gov.
Butch Otter Will Include Hunters In Wolf Management Plan
By Thomas K. Remington
Tom Remington is an
outdoor writer and published author. He is
owner/administrator of
U.S. Hunting
Today and managing editor.
Yesterday,
Idaho Governor Butch Otter addressed around 300
sportsmen and women on the steps of the state house and
talked about the upcoming de-listing of the gray wolf
and promised those in attendance that the plan for
reducing wolf populations to as few as 10 packs and
keeping them in check, would involve hunters. Too often
we see state fish and game taking it upon themselves to
reduce problem wildlife without giving hunters a chance.
Without giving any specific details in his address,
Otter did do a little, "We told you so" bantering while
pointing his finger in a direction we can only assume
was directed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
other wolf advocate groups and individuals - a
collective Them.
While exclaiming
the efforts all Idaho citizens, including
conservationists, biologists, etc. have put into
managing its wildlife, Otter said this:
".......and to see that (effort) destroyed in
1994 and 1995 when we brought the wolves in. We
told them exactly what was going to
happen...........U.S. Fish and Wildlife admitted
to it, that every wolf pack (of which there are
now an estimated 60) was going to take 86
ungulates a year and about 80% of that was going
to be elk. It doesn't take a Phi Beta Kappa to
figure out, when you look at the counts today,
exactly what happened."
While Governor Otter was making his claims to
sportsmen on the steps of the capital, Defenders
of Wildlife was announcing that there is no
scientific evidence that wolves are decimating
the elk herd in Idaho. |
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"At this point there is very little evidence that the presence of
wolves has caused a decline
in elk numbers anywhere,
especially in Central
Idaho," said Jim Peek, a
retired professor of
wildlife biology and a
member of the Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation board of
directors.
Obviously, there are immense
differences in scientific
conclusions. We know that
the Defenders of Wildlife's
agenda is seeing to it that
the wolf is left alone at
any cost. We also know that
the Governor is looking out
for the best interest of the
citizens of Idaho. I also
think there is much greater
consensus among the
scientists and professionals
in Boise, that the wolf
numbers need to come down.
As Otter shared that part of
the wolf management plan was
going to include game
hunting of the animal, he
proclaimed that he was
prepared to bid on the first
ticket that would allow him
to shoot a wolf. The 300 or
so chilly onlookers erupted
in cheers.
Otter immediately followed
that by reading a
proclamation declaring
January 11, Idaho
Sportsman's Day. |
