Wednesday, November 16, 2011

An Elk Hunter's Responsibility

Unit 390 to Close for Wolf Hunting

The quota of 18 wolves has been reached in Wolf Management Unit 390.  It should close on the evening of 16 November.  The closure will eliminate about a third of the state of Montana from wolf hunting.

The quota for all of Montana was set at 220, and so far, 76 have been taken.

Previously, on 10-6-11, Subunit 313/316 was closed.

If you are an elk hunter, it is your duty to engage this hunt.  Elk hunters that have bought elk licenses over the years, or even bought guns, ammunition, or archery equipment have "equity" in the elk herds that are being thinned by wolves that most elk hunters didn't want to pay for.  Do YOUR duty!

He looks so much better with the crosshairs.


Stats of the wolf hunt can be found at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Wolf Guide.


5 comments:

Matthew Koehler said...

I'm a hardcore, dedicated, successful backcountry elk hunter and I'm pro-wolf. There are a lot more of us pro-wolf elk hunters out there than you might imagine, and certainly more than anyone in the media or government cares to admit or acknowledge. Your little graphic and joke with the crosshairs on the wolf is sick and childish.

spike said...

I would love to shoot a wolf, right between the eyes. They are nothing but trouble, those wolves. I hunt www.peartreegameranch.com , no wolves. I like hunting deer,elk, or buffalo, but wolves are bad news.

sfarr said...

i too am a pro-wolf elk hunter.
if you consider yourself a hunter and outdoorsman, why do you hate wolves? they are a natural part of the ecosystem. if you want to eliminate wolves to improve your likelihood of a successful hunt, then why not simply go pay for a canned, high-fence hunt, where you bait the game and sit in a comfy stand? if you pride yourself on wilderness areas and backcountry hunting, then why do you want to dumb-down the wilderness (by eliminating wolves) so that it's wilderness-lite to suit your hunting abilities? if you hate wolves because they are naturally superior hunters to you, then you might want to closely re-evaluate why you hunt. and as much as we all like to put meat in the freezer, you are not in any real danger of starving this winter because of wolves. so it's a farce if you try to justify your hatred of wolves as them being some sort of threat to your very existence. it's not us-versus-them as you try to present it. overall, i've enjoyed your blog and have valued your knowledge, experience and many of your insights. but your perspective on wolves is hypocritical, self-serving, and small-minded.

me said...

Some have made some pointed comments on a view of wolves that I do not have.

I am not anti-wolf. Wolves are protected by the federal government. The numbers of wolves need to remain at the federally mandated level, or they will be put back on the endangered species list.

If a person is pro-wolf or anti-wolf, the best thing they can do is buy a wolf license and shoot a legal wolf. The purchase of a license give Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the money to manage wolves at above the federally mandated level. The shooting of a legal wolf keeps numbers of wolves low enough that they are not a burden to taxpayers (having government trappers and shooters kill them) or to cattle and sheep ranchers and helps the elk herds. Elk are the number one food source for elk. Read the studies.

I also do not believe that killing legal wolves is an us-versus-them proposition. It is keeping wolf numbers above the federally mandated level and also keeping wolf numbers below a level that decimates elk herd.

I do not believe that view is hypocritical.

EcoRover said...

Hope you got out for a little elk hunting this year? First time I did NOT see wolves or wolf sign in the areas I hunt (Pintler/Pioneers)--not that I want to shoot one anyway, but no problem with those who do. If I kill it, I eat it--and though I've tried it, just not a big fan of dog. Had a nice 5X5 elk bull drop dead in front of me while helping a friend on his pronghorn hunt this year ;-) See http://ecorover.blogspot.com/2011/11/friendship-hunting-and-knowing-nature.html