Elk herds critically in peril

Since the reintroduction of wolves in Idaho and Montana, certain elk herds have been reduced in size at an alarming rate.  The Yellowstone elk herd had a 60% decline in elk numbers (2009) since wolves were reintroduced in that park alone, so do you really believe other factors such as habitat loss and hard winters were to blame for the loss of so many elk?

Lets consider the sad plight of yet another southwestern Montana elk herd in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River drainage.  In 2011, the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks reported that this particular herd was estimated to have had about 2,000 elk just a few years ago, but since then its numbers have been reduced to a mere 764!  Now lets consider the wolf factor for this same area. In 2000, 11 packs of wolves were found to inhabit the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, up to date it now has 60!

In 2010, Commissioner Randy Budge from the Idaho Game and Fish stated that the Lolo Idaho elk herd that boasted a whopping population of 12,000 elk, is now down to a small table scrap of about 2,000 elk, due to the hungry appetite of these wild canines.  North Idaho's goals were initially 10 breeding pairs of wolves to eventually total 100 wolves, but with the wolf population going unchecked and wolf numbers increasing to as much as 25% each year, N. Idaho now has 85 packs and approx. 1,000 wolves to contend with. Consider this alone, according to Idaho wildlife biologists, a single wolf will consume an average of 16 elk in a entire year, that's 16,000 less elk!  Folks, we are losing our elk!


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Wolves don't discriminate!

As long as there are wolves in an area where livestock and pets frequent the same range, wolves will trump.  What options does a rancher or rural home owner have to control these canine predators?  While most of the western states now have a regulated hunting season for wolves, it doesn't seem to be doing enough in stopping these elusive predators from taking their toll on our wildlife and livestock.
  
What options does the poor rancher or pet owner have to protect what is his? Wolves are among some of the most elusive cunning predators to be reckoned with.  They are canines on steroids that just don't kill to survive, often leaving their prey half alive to die in agony from their mortal wounds. Domestic cows become so stressed knowing wolves are in the vicinity, they end up aborting their fetus.


Hunters are also suffering huge losses due to habitat that was once used by thriving deer and elk herds, to an almost complete decimation of these ungulates from their natural environment.  Why did the wolf get re-introduced, especially in areas where there were no wolves in the first place?


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