Wolves: Time to say 'Enough is enough'

A wake-up call to all sportsmen of Idaho:

The first thing I should tell you is I do not have a degree in zoology or a Ph.D. in genetics. I am the third generation of elk hunters in my family. My grandfather was one of the few sportsmen to facilitate the elk being planted in the St. Joe River drainage in the 1930s. I have 48 years of elk hunting experience in the Panhandle of Idaho. I started out at the age of 12 in the Clearwater and I shot a spike bull that we had to pack out with horses. I have been a very successful elk hunter in rifle and archery over the years.

Now for the reason I decided to write this notice. Yes, I said notice. If we as sportsmen and non-sportsmen don't pool together and stop letting the few dictate to the many, we won't have any elk, deer, or moose left in the panhandle. When I read the Jan. 9 article, "Idaho wolf alliance: No threat" by Alecia Warren in The Press, I made up my mind that having a degree or Ph.D. doesn't make you any smarter than experience.

Mr. Ken Fischman made a statement according to The Press that humans are more of a threat to the furry fellas than they are to us. I said, "Duh." I certainly hope so.

I'm sure that we are the most dangerous predator on Earth, and I hope we remain that way. The wolf would be completely extinct worldwide if we thought it to be different. However, when you add the wolf on top of the human, bear, cougar, and two bad winters, you're asking too much of the elk, moose, and deer to cope with.

We regulate the human so we don't overhunt the game animals. The wolf is not restricted to one elk or deer a year, and believe me, the wolf is very much the top predator at that level. They take way more than one animal each year. They are a more efficient predator than the bear or cougar; both of them hunt primarily alone and not in packs.

About the amount of wolves in the state: Guessing the number of wolves in the state is like predicting the weather; wait five minutes and it will change. Although I think 846 wolves is a low guess, very low!

I wouldn't even try to guess how many are in the state. Our borders are open, not just to other states, but another country as well. I'm sure the wolf doesn't know the difference between Idaho, Montana and Canada.

Mr. Fischman also said according to The Press that hunters who say wolves are to blame for thinning elk herds just need to pick better hunting spots. I'm curious if he is recommending we take our money out of state? Like maybe Colorado or New Mexico. If we did that, Jim Hayden would be looking for work. I personally took this remark as an insult to the intelligence of the elk hunting population.

I think that if I don't know where the elk are in the Panhandle after 48 years, then I'm a pretty dumb hunter. I believe the wolves have thinned the elk herd extensively. If they haven't, what are they eating? I'm sure it's not salad.

According to The Press, Mr. Fischman challenged ranchers' argument on the loss of livestock to wolves. He cited that the wolves were only responsible for less than two percent of their loss and that the vast majority of their loss were killed by coyotes. I would ask this man if he really believes that a coyote is a better predator than a wolf. If I were a rancher I would ask if I could have 2 percent of his income every year. I think I can guess the answer to that and I'm just an old elk hunter.

In the same article Susan Melka was quoted as saying her husband bought an elk license and consigned it to the wolves. I think it's great that he donated his money to the Idaho Fish and Game. I'm sure they could use the revenue to help control the wolf population and raise the population of the elk, deer, and moose.

In summation I think it's time to stand up and say, "Enough is enough!"

Andy Palmer is a Post Falls resident.