Reintroduction of Wolves

[Jonathan Randall]

What do you folks think about the artificial reestablishment of wolve populations in the United States? Do you think the benefits outweigh the risks, or vice versus?

Personally, I think that the reintroduction into Yellowstone was a good idea, but reintroductions into states such as Idaho is ill-advised. Wolves and livestock, wolves and domestic dogs and wolves and people do not mix well. There was a reason they were hunted to near-extinction and that reason was not based entirely upon stereotypes and misinformation.

Countries such as France and Italy were long aware of the danger to the peasant population posed by wolves and their far more dangerous cousins -- feral mixed wolf/domestic dogs: particularly mastiff/wolf hybrids. Note, I said feral mixed breeds. Many domesticated mixed dog/wolf animals are extremely tender and have made great pets. It's the wild ones that are dangerous. They are usually not accepted by a pack and while wolves will generally avoid human habitations, mixed feral hybrids go hunting there as that is what they know.

I'm not tied into my opinion one way or another, but wish for more input. My gut instinct says it is grossly unfair to ranchers and human inhabitants in those areas to bring wolves back, but I recognize that I could be misinformed, myself. Thoughts? Thanks.

[Jonathan Randall]

I should clarify that I am speaking of the gray wolf and not the red wolf, which is, functionally, if not taxonomically, speaking, an over-sized coyote.

[Abbax8]

Reintroducing a predator next to human populations is stupid, period ! In vast areas like Yellowstone, I can see it as humans are visitors there and not inhabitants. When I hike, I keep alert for signs of bears, we have plenty of them here. The woods are their home. Here in central PA we have a coyote problem. There have been problems with attacks on pets and some close calls with small kids. Personally, I will kill anything that threatens my family if necessary, endangered or not. Here in central PA we have rattlesnakes, one is protected as endangered. I have never seen one near where I live and don't ever want to, but if one was in my backyard, I would call the Game commission or get the shotgun, whichever was appropriate.

Dennis

[rainesr]

They reintroduced some in NY about 15 years ago and they didn't take. They were successful with Lynx and Cougars.

We had a problem with Coyote mixes, some were quite large and they did form packs. They did not fear people and would roam around killing pets and livestock.

~Rob