Wolves and Hypocrites

Since their introduction into Idaho in 1995, wolves have certainly been a polarizing topic for Idahoans.  Hunters and ranchers tend to hate them, animal extremists love them.  It occurred to me recently during a conversation with a friend, that I might be part of a hypocritical group that is, I am certain, full of many Idahoan hunters.

This friend of mine is a large land owner near Council and was telling me that another friend of his was asking him if he would take him out to shoot a wolf some weekend.  It never occurred to the would-be-hunter that wolves are not so easy to hunt that you can just simply go out on a Saturday and pick your wolf to put a tag on.  So, I began to wonder just what the tactic is for hunting these wary predators.

Wolves can be so nomadic, it can be difficult to locate them, and locating them is only half the battle at best.  I’m not being contradictory when I also mention that wolves are extremely territorial, because their territory can cover so many square miles that their whereabouts are not easily figured.  Even my large land owning friend, who has battled wolves for ten years, can’t say for sure where wolves might be at any given time.  While I began to realize I really don’t have even a starting point for hunting wolves, it occurred to me that perhaps that is the reason why I’ve had this wolf tag in my pocket since September and have gone hunting to target wolves exactly zero times. And that led me to the conclusion that I may be, in part, a hypocrite.

When a wolf season was set for the 2009 season, I was skeptical of ever getting the chance to tag one, so I didn’t bother buying a tag.  That season, while I never saw a single wolf, I had multiple occasions where their howls surrounded me.  The feeling was discomforting, and when the season was opened again for the 2011-12 season, I went right down and bought a tag.  I’ve been a long-time proponent of allowing hunters the chance to manage wolves, and here was our chance.  But as it sits now, I realize that my buying a tag hasn’t done a thing to help Idaho’s wolf problem.  There has to be some action – regardless of success, there has to at least be an attempt.  And when I realize that, I circle right back to the fact that I’m clueless as to the methods for finding, and bagging, a wolf.  One thing is for sure, though: I intend to quit my hypocritical ways and I plan on getting in the mountains in an attempt.

 

As of January 26, 2012 the Idaho Fish & Game has documented 201 firearm wolf kills and 59 taken by trapping.  In the 2009 season, 188 wolves were killed.  You can read into the numbers however you would like. Personally, I don’t think they tell us much, but that 31,400 tags were sold in 2009* tells me with a fair amount of confidence that I am not the only hypocrite out there.

*Harvest and tag sale numbers from the Idaho Fish and Game website.