From: ketchum@cs.montana.edu (Steve White)
Subject: Re: Wolves! They're back?
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, MSU, Bozeman Mt 59717
Date: 21 Dec 92 10:26:13 CST
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

In article <1992Dec17.092550.24754@doug.cae.wisc.edu> cavallar@cyber.net (Mark A Cavallaro) writes:
>The latest issue of Western Outdoors has a lengthy article on the pros
>and not many cons of reintroducing wolves in the west.
>Any of you folks read it, or care to open a thread on this subject?
>
>Mark Cavallaro
>cavallar@cyber.net

What a can of worms youv'e opened. There are basically two opinions in
this area (which ain't far, 90 miles, from Yellowstone Nat'l Park) about 
the reintroduction of wolves into the park. So it depends on who you
talk to. The folks with the strongest opinions are the ranchers and the 
far left animal rightsists/ whatever you want to call the others. I am
in between. So follows n #3 is my opinion too, wheter you want it or not.

1) Ranchers point of view:
	basically, the wolf is a predator and doesn't mind eating sheep,
	bovine calves, elk calves, etc. That is money out of the ranchers
	shallow pockets.
2) extremists point of view as best I can tell:
	basically, the wolf is a wild critter that should be reintroduced 
	into the area 'cuz that it was indemic to that area and the habitat
	is there and very extensive. However it could also be a plot with this
	in mind. "Reintroduce the wolf as a predator of the YNP elk herds and 
	then the hunters can't say that they need to hunt the herd outside the
	park, as they/I do, to control the herd as a predator since there are
	not many natural predators of them left".
3) my view: the right one :-)
	Its too bad that there is not enough wild areas that can support things
	like grizzlies, wolves, native americans, wolverines, etc. Development
	happens and will continue to happen, and most of the time the emphasis
	is on financial returns and not on the environment. There is constant
	development going on in the YNPk and in W. Yellowstone. That adversly 
	affects the natural environment's ability to support the diversity of
	wildlife that the area is/was capable of supporting. Of course this is
	taking place most every where. 

	People are moving into this area in droves (mostly from CA) 'cuz they
	"like it here. It's so much more pleasant here." And I'm sure that it
	is. But everytime someone else moves here it becomes more like where
	they came from. (I am a hypocrite. I moved here 10 years ago from 
	Texas/Okla.) But there is now stoping them. And prime areas for 
	development are prime winter habitat for the elk and mule deer.
	And Incidently winter range is the limiting factor in the size of
	our mule deer and elk herds.

Okay I'm off of my soap box. Bring on the flames. But first one more thing.
I don't think that the U.S. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife will ever reintroduce
the wolves back into the Yellowstone Ecosystem. For two reasons; one- there
is too much opposition from the locals who would have to live with them and
two- someone else has already done it. Who? No one
seems to know but several canids have been spotted and one shot that are 
probably very much wolf if not 100% It's not that easy to say this critter
is a dog and this is a wolf, since the wolf is a distant ancester to ALL
breeds of domestic dogs. Yes, even those obnoxious, little punt dogs.
							   _________________
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  Steve White								     |
  INTERNET : ketchum@cs.montana.edu					/___/   
  Trying to stay warm....
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