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Old September 14, 2009, 09:01 PM   #33
Buzzcook
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 29, 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 6,126
There is a nother old saying that goes like this: You might be able to bull[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] the fans, but you can't bull[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] the players. One more time Buszzcook, I can run you into the dirt with facts and links that will turn you around an spit you out.

There's the spirit.

So how about chewing on my link that indicates wolf predation is 0.4% of total sheep lost to predation.
If it is correct, it indicates that Idaho, with a much larger wolf population, doesn't have an insurmountable wolf problem.
Go ahead and start spitting.

I understand that dry statistics don't cover the entire story. There is also the possibility of serious under reporting, or other errors in the data. But we gots what we got.

http://www.peer.org/docs/doj/06_9_5_nass_report.pdf
According to the Ag. department wolves account for a minor percent of livestock lost to predation. 2.3% of cattle loses nation wide, for 2005. From the same source Idaho lost 105,000 cattle and calves to all sources, 2,500 of those to all predators. Unfortunately this report doesn't give state by state numbers for wolf predation.

Each of those animals lost to predation is statistically small, but it means a lot to the ranchers and herders who lose them. I don't want to denigrate their loss.

Bearpaw gives us this above.
Quote:
The Washington Draft Wolf Plan is recommending a minimum of 15 breeding pairs but not limited to that number of breeding pairs, for 3 consecutive years (in appropriate distribution, see page 50) before delisting. Data from Idaho and Montana indicates that 15 breeding pairs translates into as many as 361 actual wolves.
361 total wolves. Lets round that up to 500. 500 wolves doesn't seem to be a large enough number for us to use aggressive control measures right now.
To put that in perspective
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/living/cougars.htm
Quote:
Cougars occur throughout Washington where suitable cover and prey are found. The cougar population for the year 2008 was estimated to be 2000 to 2,500 animals. The cougar population in eastern Washington is declining and the westside population is stable. The Department of Fish and Wildlife has nine management zones around the state designated for "maintain" or "decline," and adjusts harvest levels accordingly.
That population is after the state put restrictions on cougar hunting.

My point here is that 500 wolves is not a large enough population to get so excited about.
Should we start allowing wolf hunts? Maybe. But telling me we're hip deep in wolves, when we are plainly not, doesn't make me want to condemn the WDFW.
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