Wolves Make Shed Hunting Interesting
April 22nd, 2006 David King - King's Outdoor World
I ran across this article a little bit ago and thought is was very interesting. Apparently a shed hunter from Idaho was pretty much “escorted” out of the hills by some wolves. He was not attacked, but it sure did make his day a little more exciting. I wonder how many encounters shed hunters have had in the past, or will in the future, with wolves on the winter range? I think we will be hearing more of these types of encounters. Make sure you take your running shoes with you while shed hunting!
Entry Filed under: News and Stuff
22 Comments Add your own
1. Rob Titus | April 23rd, 2006 at 12:37 pm
For lack of a better word wolves are a pain. There are too many of them and no one knows just how many there are. However as elk herds start to shrink. Something will have to be done or elk hunting as we know will be over.
2. Wyohikeit | April 23rd, 2006 at 2:15 pm
The last 2 years while hiking -shed hunting in NW Wyoming we have been followed, howled and barked at by the wolves everywhere we go! My wife and I hike several hundred miles each year. I am not a rabid wolf hater. I like to see them and the sounds they make are part of the wild I love. We have found one Big Horn ram and two bull elk that were probably killed by the wolves this year. The bulls both seemed to be in their prime , this one died while it’s antlers were in the velvet.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e325/Wyohikeit/DSC03074.jpg
The birds and varmitts picked the velvet off the antlers, leaving them fully formed but never rubbed so they are bone white.
3. Wyohikeit | April 23rd, 2006 at 4:28 pm
If our game managers wait to long to manage the wolves, as in controll the numbers,our game herds are going to be reduced to the point that hunters won’t be needed in the management picture at all. That seems to me to be one of the tree huggers main goals with bringing back the mutts!
4. az native | April 25th, 2006 at 10:26 am
Wyohikeit wolves in my opinion are not necessary or even desirable to have considering all the factors of our current habitat and management ect. Please consider the impact that derogatory comments have on folks and public opinions. I have used many of such words however, it’s not right. I hope and pray the wolves dont find their way down here to AZ but, they apparently are already in Colorado.
5. sreekers | April 25th, 2006 at 11:20 am
The fact is there are too many wolves. The next problem is that the Federal government is holding up the process. I was born and raised in Wyoming and the reality is our officers need the freedom to manage as they see fit. Write your congressman for our sake and yours, we need to be able to take care of wolves they way our state wildlife officials have submitted. The feds have handcuffed them. Help us out by writing to your representatives, senators and governors. Keep them out of your state by helping us get the power to take care of them.
6. Wyohikeit | April 26th, 2006 at 6:16 am
There is no question there are already to many wolves in NW Wyoming. The game and fish here are trying very hard to control them as a predator the feds have locked them up in court. Even if we can eventually control the wolf numbers in our own back yards there will always be the protected ones in the Yellowstone Recovery area that will keep the elk population low around here since a lot of our elk spend their summer in the park.
7. Mark | April 27th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
More wolves shed hunting will correlate to less horns next year. Pretty simple equation. Alaska and Canada already knew the results of wolves would have. We can’t reduce their numbers fast enough in Alaska
8. sreekers | May 1st, 2006 at 9:03 am
For the record wolves have made it as far south as Sandy Utah, and have been seen in Sweetwater County Wyoming. Thats a massive spread of the original area the left wingers said would be the habitat. Wolves are at three times the carrying capacity that the state can support in the form of big game. We have been severely hurt by it.
9. Shane Gerhardt | December 28th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
everbody keeps forgetting that the wolves are not endanged. their are thousands up in canada and alaska. they have to shoot them up there, or they would not have any animals left up there! they were put here by people that don’t even live in the states they occupy. our big game herds or so small you can hardly see any, even on the winter range! please help us, they are takeing over!
10. Rick | January 2nd, 2007 at 8:32 am
its a shame when a animal that has been here for thousands of years has taken so much grief just for living. wolves have always been here and they should be let to live as they always have.
11. Michael Rodriguez | January 4th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
I agree with you Rick, I love to hunt and have never been elk hunting but would really love to go. I still say that everything in the wild should be left alone to survive the only way they know how. Even if it means limiting elk and deer herds.
12. Shane | January 5th, 2007 at 7:58 am
come on out here and live with them for a while. constantly checking your cows and horses, and lets not forget our dogs. they have been a new favorite of wolves the last couple of years. i have a friend who was cutting firewood, and his dog was attacked and killed before he could turn off the saw! so come on out for a while and you will change your opinion, I Guarantee!
13. Michael | January 6th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
I doubt that it would change my mind. I’m not saying that you shoud’nt kill them if they are killing live stock or are around where they are going to kill a family pet or a family member. Yes deal with them the proper way, and to me that would mean killing them if they are doing something like that. But dont just kill them cause they are out in the wild killing to survive
14. Rick | January 8th, 2007 at 7:21 am
actually shane wolves have been seen where i live for thousands of years. just remember everything is connected if one part of the circle is lost eventually the elk and deer herds will be so large people will begin shooting them because they wont have enough feed for there cows or horses. its basiclly pick your poison. Its just people are scared of wolves
15. Tony M.- NM | January 8th, 2007 at 10:36 am
I hunt elk in the gila of NM. In my opinion the number of wolves has increased double within the last three years. Me personally have had two encounters none of which have been toward me. Although outhers in our party had several encounter each day with a pack of three, which they believe to be stalking them. I have not notice an impact on herd population but it is only a matter of time. It is also bone chilling when you have a couple of miles in between you and the truck while hiking out in sheer darkness. Armed with only a flash light and archery tackle, while bieng surrounded by the hunger of nature’s wild kingdom.
16. Ashanti | February 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Hello everyone. I have a random question: What is the proper name for a hunters shed. Y’know, it’s the room where game is drained. For visual reference of what I am talking about, see “The Queen” with Helen Mirren or Babe (the pig).
There is also a pretty famous painting of game birds and a rabbit in hunting shed too.
Could someone provide the proper term for me?
BTW, sorry about everyone’s dog’s. I like wolves too, but I do believe their numbers should be reduced when they are upsetting the balance of nature. We have coyotes out here in California who eat our cats. It’s terrible! So, I agree with the Iowan residents—to a point. For the record, I am also a San Francisco tree huggin’ bo-hippie. Not all of us are inflexible on conservative ideals.
17. biscuit jane | February 5th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
To #16, Ashanti–
Around here
“…the room where the game is drained…” goes by many different monikers. None of ‘em are fancy or mysterious.
Here are several examples:
The Barn
The Carport
The Front Lawn
The Playstructure
The Walnut Tree
These are just a few examples, but you get the idea. It just depends on how a persons place is set up.
18. Ashanti | February 6th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Hmm…you’d there would be a proper term for it from like an old British or Saxon story or something.
I have recently found the term:
Game Stall
Thanks for responding though! That was most smurfy of you!
19. Marie | February 6th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
More wolves doesn’t always mean fewer deer. Livestock have a larger impact on deer populations than wolves do. Wolves also don’t prey on the stronger, healthier animals that trophy hunters want. Wolf packs pick off sick or injured animals, which keeps the rest of the herd healthy.
20. joe | February 15th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
realy i dont think that michael or rick have actually hunted i think they dont know what they are saying my frend had six of his dods killed on last years bear hunt he only saved one but it was allmost ded all that was left when he went back to git there boddys was there heads
21. willy | February 15th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
last year my frend had six of his dods killed on last years bear hunt he only saved one but it was allmost ded all that was left when he went back to git there boddys was there heads
22. Michael Yarnes | February 17th, 2007 at 11:57 am
I think everyone needs to realize the reason all wildlife populations are shrinking is because of people. Not wolves. Period. Habitat fragmentation, loss of range due to roads and development, introduced species, disease, poor concepts of management, grazing, ranching, (although I would rather see cows than condos), poaching, you name it are all factors. The wolf has been histories scapegoat. We need to take a much harder look into our own actions and extend our combined passion for the outdoors beyond just hunting and into our everyday lives. If we the outdoorsmen don’t come together and protect these lands no one will. That protection must come beyond voting for politicians it must be incorportaed into our everyday lives and the lives of our children. Join outdoor groups, educate young people, practice and enforce the ethical use of our wildlands, and just maybe we can have wolves and elk and deer and people.
A note for everyone who will email me in response to this and whom questions my comments I have been a hunter for as long as I have been alive and I will have it no other way. I live in AZ where we just reintroduced the Mexican Grey Wolf and I have a degree in Conservation Biology and I believe that if you want to gripe become educated and find a way to make a difference. I hope you all enjoy many beautiful days a field.
Leave a Comment
Comment Post Guidelines
1. If you include swear words/vulgar language, your comment will be deleted
2. If you attack somebody personally, your comment will also be deleted
3. If you have something beneficial to add, please carry on...Thanks!
NOTE: All Comments are moderated and must be approved before being posted
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed