How to gobble wolf myths

To Mr. Kevin Brown author of the guest opinion in the Cd'A Press published Friday, Dec. 19 2014.

I do not know who you are or what background of expertise you have to address the myths and myth information promulgated in our communities about wolves, but in addressing and correcting myths it is appropriate to make factual statements and not promote myths from the opposing viewpoint.

As myth No. 1 is addressed the often misquoted story originally published in the Idaho Falls Paper the Post Register, written by one of the early proponents of introducing the gray wolf into our ecosystem, is restated. The original is quite interesting. Countering the story with the outdated information that wolves primarily target the weak and sick and bury their leftovers does not promote correct understanding.

Before the introduction of the gray wolf into Idaho, the Timber wolf hunted as you described. Genetically the two animals are identical as the whitetail deer in Canada and Florida are identical, yet even as they are the same animal they have different habits and grow to vastly different sizes. Whitetail in Canada are massive, while those in Florida are diminutive. The climate and the wildlife densities where the gray wolf came from promote large body sizes, and the wolves there hunt in large packs, and pursue a much larger percentage of the prey they encounter, and large packs have a higher success ratio on these pursuits especially in areas with higher densities of prey animals. Prey densities where the gray wolves were obtained are measured in square miles per animal where in Idaho we used to measure prey densities in animals per square mile. Wolves are opportunistic hunters and the gray wolf continues to do what its former habitat demanded and take full advantage of its opportunities, even if the new habitat does not necessitate it. It take many generations in a wild population to alter these behaviors. Yes elk and moose and some deer can mortally wound a single wolf with a kick, a response effective against a hunting pair of timber wolves, but not against big packs of gray wolves.

Myth No. 2 where one cannot go in the woods without being armed is improperly addressed by combining partial truths. Documented deaths in the lower 48 States? NO. Documented deaths in North America? Yes. Just outside a Canadian town as a college student on break took a walk. Finding the story on this one is more difficult as it was not reported in mainstream media outlets, only local news outlets and outdoors (hunting) type outlets carried the story. Characterizing wild wolves as timid is incorrect, Dr. L. David Mech, the world's foremost expert on North American wolves, has characterized them as smart and cautious, critical difference. Wolves are very smart and pass their learned behavior to their offspring, history used to teach them that encounters with humans ended badly for them and they would expend much effort to avoid humans. The past few decades where they have been totally protected from humans have allowed that learned fear to expire. Fortunately they are once again learning it, thanks to the efforts of some to hunt and trap them.

Myth No. 3 is an exaggeration not a myth. Idaho has a unique area of study, the region surrounding Dworshack Reservoir. Before the dam was built and water backed up the animal population was cataloged in great detail for the impact studies that were done for the creation of the reservoir. Wildlife populations in the area have been closely monitored since that time to ensure effects of habitat lost to the lake are mitigated. One could also refer to the population studies done in the Greater Yellowstone area where as much as 90 percent of the elk are no longer present. One could also refer to the website of a retired individual who was living in the Lewiston area and spent much of several winter in the area around Dworshack, Lolo, and the Clearwater elk management units. He photographed thousands of animals killed and partially consumed by wolves. The biggest of bull elk, the fattest of cow elk, cow elk where the fetus was ripped out and consumed but the rest of the animal was left to rot. Wolves are not the selective killers of only weak and sick animals needing to be culled, they are opportunistic hunters and kill what they can get. Unfortunately the incidents mentioned where an animal was snared unintentionally happen, but people who go to all the effort and expense to trap and snare cannot and do not continue the practice for long if they are indiscriminate or careless in their practices.

Congratulations on addressing myth No. 4; the answer to it is largely correct. Though wolves are making the news more and more frequently killing livestock, coyotes are the most frequent killers and consumers of pets.

As a final word I urge people to research the animals and the facts, seek original sources and respected experts. Thirty years ago I would have taken the information presented in this guest editorial as "gospel truth" on the topic but time and research have shown much of what is promoted as truth by both sides of the issue to be opinion, feeling, conjecture, bias, and unfortunately a large body of politically motivated quackery and spin.

Time will tell that a travesty has been committed in the treatment of the wolf in this area. The timber wolf, present in Idaho prior to the introduction of the gray wolf, has now almost certainly been replaced by his huge brother the gray wolf, the large dense population of elk and deer once feeding the people of Idaho are reduced to a shadow of their former selves, and gray wolves are here to stay. The only way their population was reduced to near extinction levels before was by the wide distribution of poison baits - often by air - a practice which indiscriminately killed beast and fowl by the thousands. Unless another act of eco-disaster of this type is committed, the wolves are here to stay, but if proper a-political science is not applied our forests are destined to be populated by far, far fewer animals than people here were accustomed to experiencing in years past. Hunting has changed and will continue to change as will all of our outdoor experiences. What they become will depend on how populations are managed and who or what becomes the priority.

Do we believe in a God that created an earth with animals for his pinnacle creation of man in his own image, or do we believe in something else? If it is something else then there are no moral absolutes and the only actions that make sense are those that directly benefit humans the most, and effects caused by having wolves are not in the best interest of humans, as indicated by the words in the article.

William Beasley is a resident of Athol.