Northern Idaho Elk

[Bullelk1]

I am sure this doesn't surprise anyone who hunts the area.

F&G: Wolves hitting N. Idaho cow elk hard

Associated Press - November 27, 2008 4:24 PM ET

LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) - Biologists with the state Department of Fish and Game say they have evidence wolves are the primary cause of death among a shrinking population of cow elk in northern Idaho.

The agency estimates cow elk in a remote area designated as the Lolo Hunting Zone have dwindled by as much as 13% each year. Idaho Fish and Game has previously requested permission for federal trappers to kill wolves this region.

The agency now says it would rather see the wolves delisted as an endangered species and let hunters take care of the predators blamed for the thinning elk population.

State wildlife biologist George Pauley says nearly 90% of the elk in the Lolo Hunting Zone need to survive each year to maintain a healthy population. The state estimates about 75% of the elk survive each year.

 

[deepforks]

when the hell are people going to realize that the wolf problem is getting way out of control! i ran into a HUGE male last year that was about 75 yards away. that thing didnt care one bit i was around. saw him about 45 minutes later in a big bowl with what i think was a female. saw em on west mountain. they are all over that mountain now. they HAVE to been controlled or we are going to be in big trouble in the near future. maybe we should bring in the grizz to help control the grey wolves! hail mary gut shots people!!

 

[Hornseeker]

See, the problem is Deepforks, you should have only seen that female in the big bowl.....

The St. Joe/Clearwater and now even the CDA is getting beaten up bad by wolves right now... real bad. Especially coupled with last winters snow...

 

[deepforks]

hornseeker,

that thought was right on the tip of my trigger finger....problem is the area i was in was WIDE open and a lot of people hunt right there. was not willing to risk anything that day...but i hear what you are saying

 

[bowhunt]

It took a study to figure that out! Holy crap.
Now we will have a two year study on how to
Reduce the number of wolves.
Shoot them on site or have no elk.

 

[BowHuntWithaRifle]

Just in the Lolo Zone..? Christ.. the entire state deer and elk population is under wolf attack.

 

[madmoose]

that headline is funny ..."wolves hitting n. idaho cow elk"... did you notice "only cow elk".. everybody knows wolves dont kill bulls or bucks, they dont taste the same.. and grizzlies "only eat berries". fish and game's sublimable message to those hunting folks out there that bulls are ok and keep on buying tags. like ive said in a past post they will post here soon at how hunter success was down this year. " probably due to wolves and record snowfalls in 07/08". then in april they will post cows have given birth to multiple 5 and 6 point bulls. elk and deer are plentiful and this upincoming season should be a record breaker!!!! so buy all your tags!!!!
i swear we have dumb and dumber running the show for idaho.

just venting...

 

[givemtheshaft]

Hey I knew the problem was bad in the Stanley, Loman area but we just got done hunting a muzzy hunt up there and after a light snow two weeks ago there was literally wolf tracks on every road,every trail we were on for three daysand we would hunt one area and be 30miles from ther the next day and the same thing!!!! Hunter's are going to have to take this in our own hands....or our kids will have nothing!!! The hunting in this state has changed so much just in the last five years it's totally unbelievable!! there was a reason they shot the crap out of these thing's years ago!!! Givem all a stomach ache whenever the chance arises!!!!!

 

[Idahoron]

When you top off low elk and deer numbers with a 20% increase in fees, I can see where this state is going.
The number of Mule deer and elk in this state are depressing and the trophy quality is bad. He11 even unit 45 is not what it used to be. The average for branch antlered deer for unit 44 is a 140 to 150 BC class buck. Unit 54 puts out a lot of tags but Trophy bucks were no where to be found this year, but like I said they sold a lot of tags.
I understand that F&G needs money, we all do. No one is going to come to Idaho if our success is low and the animals we are shooting on public land are fork horns and rag's. The cow hunts are being reduced by 50% or more a year in some units, most of this reduction is caused by wolves.
I have always bought a sportsman?s pack. I don't think I will be any more. If I don't draw a good, tag I won't buy a deer or an elk tag. Hunting in this state for big game and upland game has gone to he11 and it is not worth what I spend. I am sure I am not the only one that will be making decisions about what to cut from my spending this next year.
Ron

Ron

 

[YukonDall]

THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE, BUT ITS NOT OVER YET.....ITS GOING TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM ON GAME NUMBERS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. THE DOGS HAVE GOT TO BE ELIMINATED......YD.

 

[Frontier]

Well the anti's are winning. They don't want hunters, hunting. Doesn't matter that hunters are the ones responsible for returning the herds to viable numbers. If it weren't for hunters the dam wolves wouldn't of had anything to eat and they could not of been introduced.

 

[KamiahKid]

>
> THE DAMAGE HAS
>BEEN DONE, BUT ITS NOT
>OVER YET.....ITS GOING TO HIT
>ROCK BOTTOM ON GAME NUMBERS
>IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
> THE DOGS HAVE GOT
>TO BE ELIMINATED......YD.


+1

Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.

 

[Outwest]

Five of us hunted the Lolo this past September.
I seen wolf sign everywhere. Two of our group ran into seventeen wolves in one pack and one of our group talked to another hunter that had seen 6 wolves just a couple drainages over,
Seems like a lot of wolves in just one area.
The elk were few and far between.

John

 

[SHANEWA300]

The game dept wants 80 wolves to be killed in the lolo zone, when ever they get the season open

 

[bukhunter]

I feel bad for you guys. It seems that the f&g only want to here what they think and what the tree huggers are saying. I live in utah and have heard only rumors of wolves, but it needs to be taken care of "by someones itchy trigger finger" or there will be nothig left.


P.E.T.A PEOPLE FOR THE EATING OF TASTY ANIMALS!!!
I LIKE TO HUG TREES, ONLY IF IM CLIMING TO MY TREE STAND!!!