Nate Helm: Balanced wildlife management will help offset the costs of the wolf

[Ithaca 37]

"No doubt about it, man is a part of this ecosystem we call Earth. With man and his support structures limiting wildlife's freedom, it becomes necessary to play an active role in management. This concept of man's role in wildlife management is what motivates us to write our opinion of wolves in Idaho.

Wolves do not deserve the humanistic characterizations they frequently receive. Wolves are not human. However, man and wolf have had a relationship. They are now and always have been competing predators. The reality of one wolf's life is no different than any other animal's in our environment — each one struggling to survive and pass on his genetics to the next generation.

There is no doubt that some have felt net gains from this government-driven program — in job creation (or bureaucratic growth), fund-raising opportunities, and general land management control. These same folks suggest no impact to game populations from wolves (or any other predator for that matter). Maybe a short lesson in basic math or population recruitment and fecundity rates is needed.

Not surprising to us, in a recent Statesman article, a political science professor argued with emotion to defend his opportunity to "feel" rewarded in hearing and seeing wolves. We acknowledge that there is inherit value in those surreal moments and natural resource economists can represent those feelings in dollars and cents.

However, while these values are always a part of the recovery story, absent is the balancing of costs and benefits to Idaho citizens at large — not the least of which includes Idaho's 340,000 sportsmen and women who buy licenses and tags on an annual basis.

So what are all of the costs? Has anyone ever really calculated them? What is the............."

This is written by: Nate Helm, executive director, on behalf of the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Board of Directors. SFW-Idaho is committed to actively conserving wildlife habitat while protecting our heritage and our right to hunt, fish and trap by engaging in the debate surrounding Idaho's resource management.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040615/NEWS0503/406150320/1052/NEWS05

 

[nmtaxi]

Interesting article. I'm undecided on the whole wolf issue (probably because they don't have any where I live, although they're trying). For you people in Idaho and Wyoming, is the wolf having a big impact on wildlife? I see studies that claim that while wolves will kill a lot of elk and deer every year, they also kill a lot of coyotes and other predators, therefore minimizing their impact on the wildlife. But I'm more curious about the observations of the sportsmen in those areas, and what they've seen happen to the herds in those areas.

 

[Ithaca 37]

D., I'm not seeing much impact where I hunt, but others are claiming the wolves are wiping out all the elk. Usually that's because they didn't get an elk last season. We have about 400 wolves in Idaho. We have 20,000 bears and 4000 lions. It's real controversial. I hope you get some other opinions.