Wolfer

[BillyGoat]

Took the wife and kids over to Boise's Foothills Learning Center the other day to watch a presentation by Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf biologist and professional trapper. I think I may have been the only hunter in the audience. He said he was in Jackson, WY, the week before and it was a much tougher crowd. Anybody read his book called "Wolfer" and have opinions? I picked up a copy to learn a thing or two, but haven't yet had a chance to read a single page.

 

[TheTone]

I haven't picked up his book yet, but I plan to. I'm sure it will be a good read.

 

[Elkmagnet]

Somehow I don't picture Jackson as being a tuffer crowd than the northend foothillers as we call them. I would like to buy a used copy when you finish it.

 

[BillyGoat]

You can get his book on Amazon...
http://www.amazon.com/Wolfer-Memoir...9482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321989628&sr=8-1

 

[brymoore]

One of my sons went to the Foothill event with a buddy. I did a quick search on Carter to make sure he wasn't going to a PETA event. I decided to read his book - picked up a copy at the library. Good book - it took me two days to finish. Carter is middle of the road on the wolf issue so everybody hates him. The Big Game Forever crowd hate him for being part of the introduction and the PETA types hate him because he managed (killed) wolves. Carter seems to have a lot of common sense.

Great book. I'd like to have a beer with Carter some day to hear some of his stories.

 

[6speed]

Read the book. Good read, hit the back cover the day after I bought it. I knew/know some of the people he mentions in his book.

I did find it interesting that he had such a good relationship with the high ups at Defenders of Wildlife. They helped him get the job in Idaho, then sued the government that he worked for every time they tried to delist wolves, when the wolves weren't delisted then he kept his job. Kind of an ironic circle. The skeptic in me wonders if there was a little behind the scenes action going on between the USF&W and the DoW that helped the DoW win the lawsuits and the USF&W stay in charge and employed.

I had to laugh at the comment about everyone in Idaho who doesn't live in Boise or Blaine County is a redneck. Funny how it seemed like in his early years he spent a lot of time convincing others that he was educated and then as he moved up he spent time convincing people he wasn't an all book smart talking head. Then he makes that kind of statement. I grew up in the very county that he seemed to have the most contempt for. My dad has 3 degrees and still lives there. Hardly a redneck.

My biggest problem with the book was that he made me feel as though he thought he worked for the wolves. He was an employee of the federal government and yet there were several times it seemed he had a problem with other federal employees acting as though they worked for the people who payed the taxes and fees that funded the departments that they were employed by. On the flip side of that I was amazed at the amount of time and effort he put in to his work and how thoroughly he investigated the animal deaths. I always thought that was how it was done but apparently some skip out on the investigation process and just call a kill as the rancher sees fit.

He describes John Marvel as a well as anyone could without just using four letter words but then thanks Dr. Ralph Maughan at the end of his book. The two are both cut from the same cloth as far as I can tell. Marvel started the Western Watersheads and Maughan is considered his "Right Hand Man" by many. I also find the fact that he lists Lynne Stone as a friend unsettling. I wonder if he wrote the book before or after she tried to use a wolf tag on a dead wolf she illegally possessed in an effort to run up the number for the quota during the first hunting season?

By the end of the book I wonder if he has trapped anything since he retired. I'm guessing not.

 

[BillyGoat]

Opened up the book earlier this week and finished it three days later. I agree -- fascinating read. The guy certainly had an unusual career. I'd like to have a few beers with him as well.