BOISE, Idaho (Feb. 23, 2012) – Idaho Department of Fish and Game announced yesterday that it helped fund USDA Wildlife Services’ removal of 14 wolves in the Lolo zone of the Clearwater National Forest in northern Idaho. The federal action is part of an Idaho program to remove most wolves from a remote section of federal land in an attempt to boost elk numbers. An additional 28 wolves have been removed from this area through trapping, hunting, and previous aerial gunning.
Statewide, more than 400 wolves have been eliminated from Idaho’s population since the beginning of 2011. This represents a significant impact on the state’s wolf population, which was last estimated at 705 animals at the end of 2010. The participation of USDA Wildlife Services in state wildlife management is an inappropriate expansion of the federal role in non-endangered wildlife management under the Obama administration.
The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife:
“It’s wrong to ask American taxpayers to subsidize the pointless killing of wolves in order to boost game populations. The removal of wolves in the Clearwater National Forest runs counter to science-based wildlife management and is an inappropriate use of limited resources that should be aimed at conserving wildlife. Hunters and trappers have already killed more than 20 wolves in the area in the last six months, and the season continues until the end of March. There’s no scientific evidence that the ecosystem is out of balance due to the return of wolves and thus no justification for having Wildlife Services kill more wolves to boost elk numbers.
“The decline of the Lolo elk herd was the result of multiple factors, including historic habitat changes, road-building, and over-hunting by humans. Killing wolves without addressing these other factors is misguided. Further, biologists do not have an accurate count of how many wolves are in the Lolo region, and Idaho has no formal plan in place to measure the impacts of killing wolves on the elk population. Targeting dozens of wolves could wipe most of them out of the area, defeating the purpose of restoring the species to its proper ecological role. Wolves are vital to maintaining nature’s balance and should not be eliminated so carelessly.
“Now that removal of wolves to boost elk herds has been allowed on the Clearwater National Forest, there’s nothing to stop wildlife managers from pursuing it elsewhere in the state. These actions validate our long-held concern that wolves were prematurely delisted based on inadequate state management plans that allow wolf numbers to be drastically reduced.
“It’s time to put a stop to these aggressive, unwarranted actions by the state. It’s also time for the Obama administration to stop allowing Wildlife Services to help states eliminate native wildlife.”
Read more about Idaho’s aerial gunning plan
See Idaho Fish and Game’s wolf harvest information
Learn more about what Defenders is doing to protect wolves in the Northern Rockies
Get weekly wolf news updates on Defenders blog
Defenders of Wildlife leads the pack when it comes to protecting wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
After today’s email from Defenders of Wildlife, I thought we won for wildlife. That hasn’t stopped the aerial killing of wolves? What a let down!
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This is unbelievable and makes me sick!!!!
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Key sentence: “It’s also time for the Obama administration to stop allowing Wildlife Services to help states eliminate native wildlife.” Not saying this is the fault of the Obama administration specifically, Wildlife Services has always been (but should *not* be) under the USDA, whose mandate is to protect ranchers and farmers. And U.S. Fish and Wildlife has always been a service for hunters and fishers, not for wildlife protection for any reason other than to maintain populations of game for hunters, not for those populations’ intrinsic value to the ecosystems that support them. The closest thing we have to an agency that actually protects wildlife is the EPA, and their primary mandate is protecting the environment in general, plus they are constantly under siege from anti-environment forces. We need a high level Department that has as it’s primary mandate the protection of wildlife and it’s critical habitat, and how likely is that to happen? In the meantime, we keep fighting (and more often than not losing) these battles.
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This is wrong to take s life and its wrong to kill gods animels people stand up for our animels
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I am completely outraged and saddened by these people that will not leave wolves alone. Something really needs to be done about this
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We all know the real reason Wolves are being slaughtered! Damm ranchers own the Idaho Department of Fish and Game ie brown nose.
Over hunting of Elk by humans is the real reason for there decline NOT Wolves!
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It is obvious that de-listing wolves has led political management of them state by state and even locale. State Fish Wildlife and Park agencies and even USDA Fish & Wildlife services have capitulated to sportsmen groups and ranchers and politicians. These agencies are failing in understanding and practicing ecological wildlife management. A supreme effort needs to be made to return the wolf to ESA oversight and scientific management. Time to go to courts before this anti-wolf mentality is totally out of control.
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You people have no right to harm wildlife . You are not God. Those are his creation. They serve a purpose, weeding out sick and weak animals. You stupid dump people, just relocate them. You make me sick.
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SENSELESS killing of these magnificent creatures!!!!Even the reason for these actions, has been proven to be baseless!! Your agency protects WHAT???? Man, is truly clueless moran.
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These wolves are endangered. What in Gods name are they doing out there. This years has been so anti wolf. My heart hurts:((
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What is wrong with these people???? Have they all lost their freaking minds????And when does it stop—when every last wolf is gone???
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This is very unfortunate. Not only is this “sport” of killing wolves to boost populations an improper way to “balance” the already balanced ecosystem, it appears to be purely for human consumption. Since when are humans and hunting more important than wildlife?
I also must comment on the future affects of killing these wolves: does nobody in charge of the mandate that allows the culling of these wolf populations realize the peril the Mexican Wolf populations have been going through for years? Do they think that the same situation will not occur with the wolves of the Idaho and Montana regions?
Or do they just not care.
Personally, it pains me to see such an old fashioned hatred of wolves still alive in this modern world.
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What is to be said, that hasn’t been said by the above citizens. This is a travesty and a slaughter. We who love and support the wolf are being sent the bill for this.
I for one, want my money back. We allow the ranchers free roaming rights on national land and we allow hunters to kill animals which belong to all of us.
Who the hell decided that we/govt. had the right to kill in mass any animal because it was getting in the way of the great mighty hunter?
Americans think of themselves as so wise and sophisticated. We are nothing
, but a bunch of crybabies,and idiots! We were blessed with this beautiful country and look at what we are doing to it?
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