In Boise today, an anti-wolf group which calls itself The Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW) rallied on the steps of the capital building. The group of hunters came from around the state in hopes of generating public support for a federal proposal to eliminate crucial Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies. These are the same wolves that were almost wiped out in Idaho completely just a few years back.
The group claims that the reason for the rally is that wolves are killing livestock and sheep, and are ruining hunting opportunities. In realty, less than 1% of sheep and livestock are killed by wolves (Source: FWS.gov), and deer and elk populations have been relatively unaffected by the wolf reintroduction (Source: Idaho Department of Fish and Game). Meaning, hunter harvest rates have remained the same; hunters do not have less deer and elk to hunt because of wolves.
So, what do you do with a campaign founded on misinformation instead of science and facts? Bring on the Governor and the TV cameras, amplify that misinformation…
Idaho Governor Butch Otter stopped by to lend his voice and ultimately elevate the overall level of ignorance. During his speech, Otter stated how he eventually wants to see hunters kill enough wolves to bring the population down to about 100 wolves or 10 packs. That’s the lowest threshold the federal government would allow before wolves again would be considered endangered. Hence, the cycle would start anew as taxpayers would again have to foot the bill for wolf reintroduction efforts.
Otter told the SFW hunters that once wolf-hunting is allowed, he wants to bid on the first ticket to shoot a wolf. Otter also supports an aerial gunning program where low-flying aircraft enter into protected wilderness areas in order to machine gun entire packs of wolves. However, he failed to mention the latter to the rally-goers. I wonder why?
What You Can Do
Please spread the word to your friends and family. Education is key. Please feel free to call Governor Otter’s office at 208-334-2100 and urge him to let science, not misinformation, guide Idaho’s wolf management plan.
Wolf Resources:
Additional Sources/References:
- Defenders of Wildlife/SaveWolves.org
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game: “Idaho, eleven years with wolves what we’ve learned.” News release, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, April 25, 2006.
- KBCITV.com
- KTVB.com
“That’s the lowest threshold the federal government would allow before wolves again would be considered endangered. Hence, the cycle would start anew as taxpayers would again have to foot the bill for wolf reintroduction efforts.“
I blogged this earlier but that’s a very good point.
Nice job.