IDFG says poachers kill more than wolves

[blindsquirrel1]

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2014/apr/18/north-idaho-poachers-taking-heavy-toll-game/

 

[OLDHORNHUNTER]

I believe it !!! we don't have stiff enough penalties for poachers they get off with a slap on the hand !! slap their poaching Azzes behind bars & take their wheelers & trucks guns binos etc !!! Might make a few of them think twice !!

 

[lang]

Makes you wonder how they know they only catch 5% of poachers. To complicate thier government math what percentage of wolf kills are they actually counting?

 

[nvbones]

thats because idfg is delusional

 

[OLDHORNHUNTER]

that is how IF&G figures all their herd counts tag allocations fish limits bird bag limits ALL by GUESSING !!! what a joke hell it takes them years to even get enough solid evidence to try a case !!! & like I said than all they do is slap their hands

 

[clearwater150]

Poaching or taking animals through illegal means is rampant here in Northern Idaho. I wrote the IDF&G a couple of years ago about it and suggested they award a Super Tag to the person whose tip yields a conviction. My point was that there is no incentive or reward large enough to change current, "standard" North Idaho hunter mentality of looking the other way when a friend or acquaintance breaks the law. After an article appeared in the Lew. Morn. Trib last week, I wrote them and again suggested they do this.

 

[blindsquirrel1]

If they are correct on the poaching numbers 600 elk,80 moose,260 muleys, and 1000 whitetail. This needs to be addressed.

Consider that if we have a minimum of 600 wolves they are eating 16-23 elk each per year. At 20 each that is 12,000 elk per year, by far the biggest issue we have with big game populations in Idaho.

If we can solve the wolf problem, non res tag sale increase again. With the increased funding we can properly deal with the poaching issue. Until wolf predation is under control we will have frustrated IDFG employees and frustrated sportsmen.

This article appears to quote frustrated co's that have not done the math on the issue.

 

[clearwater150]

Excellent point. Research in Minnesota suggests that the 2200 wolves in that state killed and ate an estimated 33 - 42,000 deer in 2013! It will be enlightening as more research is done here in Idaho on wolf predation to see just how many elk are being killed and what ages are being killed.

 

[blindsquirrel1]

>Excellent point. Research in Minnesota
>suggests that the 2200 wolves
>in that state killed and
>ate an estimated 33 -
>42,000 deer in 2013!
>It will be enlightening as
>more research is done here
>in Idaho on wolf predation
>to see just how many
>elk are being killed and
>what ages are being killed.
>


The studies have already been done, and results vary from 16-23 elk per year.

Locally we have watched things change as the wolves move in, it starts with lower cow/calf ratios with in a few years of wolf arrival. The cow/calf ratios continue to drop, as wolf numbers increase, reaching low teens and can even reach single digit. After five years of low cow calf ratios, the over all population begins to plummet as the older animals die off.

We also see plenty of mature animals taken through wolf predation, they can be very hard on the mature bulls at times while these bulls stay high in the deeper snow.

 

[UGAhunter]

OK. That officer's comments caused a stink! Clarification press release today. No empirical data to support his claim.

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/media/viewNewsRelease.cfm?newsID=7107

 

[Deerlove]

Woops!