The myth of the harmless wolf was spread by well meaning proto-environmentalists rightfully concerned about their near extinction in the mid-20th century but has taken on a life of its own among the anti-humanist green movement that views wolves not as the large predators they are, but as some sort of symbol of their reverence for nature.
Thus, even when thriving wolf populations are a threat to the lives and traditions of humans the pro-wolf movement has worked to block common sense wildlife management strategies like hunting and trapping seasons that would both maintain a healthy wolf population while discouraging wolves from losing their fear of humans. In Wisconsin they have been successful in blocking hunting and trapping and wolves have become aggressive as humans relate to the animals not as predators but as prey.
From The Wall Street Journal:
HARRISON, Wis. — David Schoone, a farmer in this lush region of northern Wisconsin, says a lone gray wolf sneaked up on his school-age daughter three years ago as she bounced on a trampoline in his backyard.
More recently, Mr. Schoone was chased into his pickup truck by a wolf, and his cousin’s wife had to run from two wolves that descended on her from opposite sides of a shed. This month, he lost two young steer to wolves.
“We gotta watch all the time,” said Mr. Schoone, 43 years old, who carries a loaded rifle when he works in his fields or goes for a walk, even though he can only legally shoot a wolf in the act of attacking a human. “They don’t show any fear of us.”
The article goes on to show that wolf hunting has been blocked largely by people who have no conception of Nature. And the people who live within nature, who are truly a part of it, suffer:
Wolves occupy just 5% of their range in the lower 48 states before the U.S. was settled, said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the U.S. “The only reason these hunters are clamoring to trap and hunt wolves is for the thrill of getting a trophy,” he said.
People in Harrison, a green swath of hills, farms, woods and lakes ringed with summer cabins 200 miles north of Madison, tend to disagree.
“We hate them,” said John Bailey, chairman of the town of 850 and owner of Bailey’s Town and Country bar. He said wolves have reduced the deer population, a major source of income from visiting hunters. In addition to Mr. Schoone’s cattle losses, Mr. Bailey said another farmer recently lost two pregnant cows and a dog to wolves. He said he had heard stories of people being stalked. “I’m really concerned about it, especially small children,” he said.
[…]
Laurie Groskopf is one. The 58-year-old part-time wildlife technician for the state lost a Walker hound named Morgan during the training season for bear hunting last summer. Morgan was tracking a bear when she was attacked by wolves that killed and ate most of the dog in a few minutes, said Mike Hagen, 66, who lives with Ms. Groskopf.
Ms. Groskopf has won the support of the governing boards of six counties for a resolution calling on the state to cut Wisconsin’s wolf population to 350 from 700. Mr. Wydeven said a scientific board recently recommended maintaining the wolf population at 375 to 625.
Ms. Groskopf and Mr. Hagen live mostly on meat they hunt and fruit and vegetables they grow. They make their own wine in a large vat in their kitchen and store potatoes by burying them in the yard.
The couple now has to drive more than an hour from home to find places where wolves haven’t caused problems yet to hunt for raccoons, coyotes, bobcats and bear. Mr. Hagen also has family land where he hunts for deer, but wolves have greatly reduced the deer stock there, he said.
The wolves’ arrival has “changed our whole life,” Ms. Groskopf said after offering a visitor a taste of wine and bear stew. “It’s a thrill to see them,” she added, “but they need to live in a place where they can be at peace and people can, too.”
Wisconsin isn’t the only state where greens want to reintroduce wolves into a predation free environment and the results will be the same. Outdoor Life has a gruesome series of photos of a wolf killing a deer. It is widely assumed wolves kill like big cats, who take game by getting a hold of it’s neck and suffocating it before eating. Not so. Wolves simply tear off chunks of the victim and eat while the victim is alive. Packs do so much damage that the process is quick. In this photo series, not so much. If you’re in the “I love wolves” camp I suggest looking at this photo set.
The problem here is how do you protect yourself from these huge animals if you aren’t really allowed to shoot them? I’m no expert but I think here’s where bear spray may be the solution, both in the short term for defense if you’re hiking through wolf territory, and long term as packs learn to associate humans with painful blasts of burning chemical spray.
Check your local laws and be wary in the woods. Nature is cruel as well as beautiful, and our green movement makes it more dangerous everyday.
h/t Survival Blog
We have the exact same problem here in Kentucky, not with wolves but with bears, though the situation here has improved somewhat since one man was prosecuted for killing bear trying to break into his own home. I never yet have heard how that turned out. But at least they now allow hunting, but even there, the Green nuts in Kentucky want to limit the kind of weapons you can use to hunt bear.
My dream scenario is one day being out in the woods and watching as one of these Green creeps is mauled to death by one of these “majestic creatures” and he screams for help, and I shout out, “hey buddy, I would help you but all I can do is shoot, and that’s against the law”. Then I’d film the whole damn thing from as safe a distance as possible and upload it on YouTube. Let everybody get a first hand glimpse of “the wonders of nature”.
Jersey has the same problem. I was attacked by a rabid raccoon in Montclair and saw large deer herds in Eagle Rock state park (feet from major traffic) and there were quite a few accidents caused by them. This was more than a decade ago. Nature doesn’t urbanize, you’ve got to hunt or there will be animal anarchy
You can’t tell these jackasses anything, Rob. I remember posting about the situation in New Jersey myself, three or four years ago. I remember that because I was surprised they even had animals there, let alone an overpopulation problem. As a Kentuckian, New Jersey isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when you think of the great outdoors.
Yeah, we’re all highway. But Jersey (and a lot of the northeast) do a good job with the whole “greenway” concept so you end up having parks everywhere that interconnect. Plus the cities are laid out in a grid pattern. I used to hike all day long on Bloomfield Ave in Essex County which started in Newark which was like what the ghetto in the movies looked like, and led several hours by foot latter to a strip mall next to a large expanse of woods. It went through several towns that were more affluent than the next, thus had more parks and thus started looking like real woods.
I’ll never go back to Jersey myself (had enough) but that wild quality is one of the things I miss.
First of all, Rob Taylor I think your a f#!kin ignorant idiot!!!! You should go back to yuppyville New Jersey where you belong!! You moved to wisconsin & think you have a right to complain about our apex pretitor. I suppose if you moved to florida you would want to kill the alligators cuz, oh no they could eat someone!!!!! Second, I am a northern wisconsin native born & raised. A true hillbilly gun owning hunter. I eat what I hunt, fish & trap. And unlike guttless little whimps like you, I’m very much thrilled to share the woods with wolves, bears & mountain lions. I think people like you & your buddy patrickkelley should stay in the city where you people belong!!!
You’re a liar. You’ve never seen a wolf attack and you’ve never been alone in the woods with them. Grow up.
I just recorded a really good interview with the Wisconsin Wolf Manager. It is interesting to hear the WI DNR’s assessment of the situation: http://foremosthunting.podbean.com/2010/11/05/wolves-in-wisconsin-the-great-lakes-states/
There is also a lot of great history on how we got to were we are with the native wolf population
In another 5 years the deer will be the ones on the endangered list maybe sooner. The number of hunters has dropped 50%, in the last 2 years because the deer are down in numbers.In some areas the wolve scat is common on trails and logging roads and its full of deer fur. They are also doing damage to most local economies. In effect the wolves are graising off the deer herd.Last Bill Frickson you will soon be going hungery living on what you hunt and trap and the city foke will be sending you welfair so be nice, “fool”
We hunt and live up by gilman wisconsin and in the past three weeks we have found close to a dozen or more dead deer some are out on the farmers feilds with just there gutes gone. We feel the wolf population in taylor county is getting out of control and if something is not done by the dnr our deer population will be no more. A current resident from that area was woken up by the sound of his dog barking and growling and when they went to see what the dog was barking at the owner say five large wolfs in his yard looking back at his dog. I feel something has to be done to control this population again before we have no other wildlife left.
My family owns land in Ashland County, WI & there is a definate wolf problem. They’ve killed hunting dogs in the area & we can no longer safely bring our pet dogs to the property as there are two packs established nearby. The deer population is down, & while bird hunting last year a family member was followed, or I should say stalked in the woods & he only realized it when he turned around and yards away was a wolf. The wolf scat is everywhere on the ATV trails & roads. The WI DNR needs to realize that is isn’t just ruining people’s livelihood, it is runing the economy of northern Wisconsin that relies not only on recreational visitors, but hunting as well. It is a BAD situation that will only get worse as more time goes by & nothing is done. I love animals, but I don’t love what is going on. Wolves are at the top of the food chain in WI & are going completely unchecked.