A HUNTING CONTROVERSY

Monday the ninth of Nov.has seen an increase of 59 wolves harvested in Montana and 98 wolves harvested in Idaho.

This is most likely due to the snow bringing the Deer and elk down to lower elevations and more hunters in the field due to the weather. 

As of today the wolf harvest in Montana has reached 52 wolves harvested.

In Idaho the tally for wolves harvested is 92 so far this season.

As the hunters check in with freinds and fish and game they have stated very few Elk calves have been sighted and also very few Elk and Deer.They have also seen much wolf sign and wolves as they hunt.Not all hunters have wolf tags so when they spot a wolf,they can do nothing but let it go about it's buisness.

One hunter said he came across two wolves chasing Elk and when the wolves spotted him they quit chasing the Elk and turned on him.He had a wolf tag and shot one wolf and the other ran away. 

As of this evening there have been 36 wolves harvested in Montana and 81 wolves harvested in Idaho.

Did you know that a wolf pack will kill between 11 and 35 Elk per year,this is not counting Deer or other animals.

If the wolf population is left unchecked,they will eventually wipe out all Big game animals except the Bear.

This would put a big strain on the Fish and Game Departments,as many people would quit buying a hunting license,so that means the fisheries will suffer from lack of funds to supply stocking of many streams in the United States.

Our forefathers eliminated the wolf for a reason,not to just shoot for fun.

The animals were killing off all the Big game in the United States which pioneers depended on for food and fur. 

Today there have been 23 wolves reported harvested in Montana,with a lot of wolf sightings throughout the state.

As all hunters and fishermen have reported,there are more wolves in the state than the Fish and Wildlife estimated.

There are also many fewer Big Game animals than in earlier years harvested due to the impact of the wolf population.As 1009 hunters bagged 45 Elk on the first 2 days of season in one of the heaviest Elk herds in the state.The hunters harvested even fewer Mule and White Tail deer at the same time.

Idaho has harvested 79 wolves and the majority of wolf kills have been on the Montana-Idaho border,mostly in the Lolo,Selway regions of the state.

As the day draws to an end,archery season is over in Montana and this is the first year I didn't bag a buck deer or see an elk.

But I did see lots of wolf tracks and a few mountain lion tracks in my favorite hunting spots.

Montana has not bagged a wolf since my last posting on the wolf hunt.

As I said all along once you start shooting at the wolf he will be much harder to find as like all animals,they get gun shy real fast.

The opening day of rifle season will start on the 25th. of oct. in Montana and I will try my luck at getting some meat for the winter then if all goes well.

I have talked to numerous hunters and they all have the same unfortunate answers as they haven't seen any game animals either but have seen wolf tracks.

Good luck hunters.. 

Oct.15,2009

There have been 12 wolves harvested in Montana,with only one hunting backcountry zone left open until rifle season opens on the 26th of Oct.

In Idaho there have been 54 wolves harvested with 166 left to harvest.

The whole state of Idaho is open to wolf hunting.

Updated today the 13th of Oct.

The wolf hunt is still standing at 11 wolves harvested in Montana.

Update as of today 10/6,2009.

The wolf hunt in Montana has produced 11 wolves.according to the fish,wildlife and parks.

The wolf hunt in Idaho has produced 28 wolves. according to the Idaho fish and game dept.

Montana has temporarily closed a hunting zone near Yellowstone Park as the quota is nearing the end.

Idaho Fish and Game has reported that as of today 15 wolves have been harvested in the Gem state.

Montana's wolf harvest is at 9.

 As of this evening there have been 6 wolves harvested in Montana.

As of today Sept.25,2009 there have been no wolves harvested in Idaho or Montana.

Some educational text on wolf life.

Wolf packs typically include a breeding pair, their offspring, and other non-breeding adults. The average pack size is 8.1 animals. Wolves are capable of mating by age two or three; sometimes form lifelong bond. Wolves can live 13 years and reproduce past 10 years. An average of five pups are born in early spring. They are cared for by the entire pack. For the first six weeks, pups are reared in dens. Dens are often used year after year. Pups depend on mother's milk for the first month, then weaned and fed regurgitated meat brought by pack members. By seven to eight months, pups begin traveling with the adults. After a year or two, wolves may leave and try to find a mate and form a pack. Lone, dispersing wolves have traveled as far as 600 miles in search of a new home. Wolf packs live within territories that they defend from other wolves. Territories range from 50 square miles to more than 1,000 square miles. Wolves travel as far as 30 miles in a day to hunt. They trot at about 5 miles per hour, but they can run as fast as 40 miles per hour for short distances

Sept.24,2009;

No wolves harvested today so far.

By the way sportsmen and sportswomen,there is a shortage of ammunition in the United States.

Better get out and stock up before hunting season kicks into full force you need to buy pepper spray as there is an increase in the Bear population also.

I have noticed numerous wolf tracks and lion tracks while hunting here in Montana,so it is advisable to were a canister of bear spray.

Bear spray is easier to use then a gun if you have an encounter with a wild animal.

The spray shoots out in a 3 to 4 foot circle compared to a bullet the size of your finger.

That makes it much more efficent in hitting a charging animal in the facial area and detering his actions towards you.

While the animal is trying to rid the burning of his eyes,you can make a quick getta way from it.Pepper spray will reach out to 20 feet.

 Sept. 23,2009

No wolves harvested today. 

Sept.22,2009

As of this evening I have no reports of a wolf harvested from Idaho or Montana.

I have some information for the interested persons following the wolf hunts from Idaho Fish and Game.

Wolves live in packs, are territorial, and have large territories that they actively defend. They are relatively easy to count when compared to solitary predators, such as cougars and bears. Eighty-eight wolf packs were documented in Idaho at the end of 2008, and wolves in 58-or two-thirds-of those packs were radio marked. The estimated population is at least 846 wolves. They can reproduce at remarkable rates of 40 to 50 percent annually, without mortality.

A wolf was harvested in Montana friday evening,making it the third wolf shot,with 71 more tags to fill before the season ends.

 Sept.20,2009

As of sunday evening there has   only been two wolves harvested in Montana since the season opener on Sept.15,2009.

As the wolf gets shot at,they will go farther back into the high country,and hunters will be lucky to see one as time goes by.

I predict the license sales will fall off as years go by because of the wolf staying away from humans,which isn't the case now because humans haven't been shooting at the wolves. 

Sept.18,2009

There has been no recording of a wolf harvested today.

Wolf hunting is not as easy as one might think.Just because people take photos of the animal in Yellowstone is not a sign of an easy wolf kill.

If you were to shoot at the wolves in Yellowstone,you most likely would not see any sign of them in the day light hours anymore.

Hunters call wolves with various methods,and sometimes when hunters are bugling for Elk a wolf may show up looking for that call the hunter just made thinking it is an Elk.

Wolves do use roads and game trails to move from one territory to another,and when you see one set of prints,it doesn't mean there is only one wolf.

Wolves will follow single file and step in the leaders foot prints,thus making it seem like only one wolf was there.

Wolves grow to 140 pounds and up to 6 feet long.They have a footprint of approximately 3 inches wide and 4 inches long when full grown.

If you are hunting alone and see a wolf track,you most likely will get a chill up your spine,as the thought of a pack attacking you would not be a nice sight.Especially if you are archery hunting.

Don't get me wrong,wolves are a good animal to have around,just like the mountain lion.

They both keep old and diseased animals at a minimum,plus protect the water sheds,by keeping the over population of the herds down.

But they have to be kept in check also or they will be living in town,where the next meal will be a dog or cat.

Why people think a wolf hunt will kill all wolves is beyond me.Just like people thought they could eradicate all coyotes.There are more coyotes now then 50 years ago.

So that means there will be wolves from now on in the world.To many places for them to hide in the wild,and to many wilderness areas and parks to protect them from humans.

A very small percentage of hunters go into wilderness areas to hunt because,you have to walk or hire a guide,same goes in the National forests.Gates are locked for walk in hunting only,that means no motorized vehicles,only foot or horse back.

How far would you walk behind a locked gate?

I myself maybe a 1/2 mile.The reason is when you harvest an animal,you will have to quarter it out,which means a couple trips minimum for an Elk.Some roads may go for 5 miles behind a locked gate before they dead end.

Would you walk 5 miles to bag a wolf,then pack it back out 5 miles.

The hide on a wolf will weigh up to 15 pounds.You say that isn't much weight to pack,but carry 15 pounds on your back for 5 miles and you will see what I am talking about.

This is one reason the wolf is here to stay(forever)and hunting them will only make them smarter,as it did with the Coyote..

Sept.17,2009

Now that the states of Idaho and Montana have opened wolf hunting,there will be a bunch of new lawsuits over the taking of the wolf off the endangered specie list.

Since the wolf hunt opened only one wolf has been harvested in Idaho and two in Montana.

The ranchers are thankful for the hunt as they are loosing quite a few cattle to the wolves.

It might be noted that all cattle killed my wolves are not compensated for by the government.

Only every third animal is paid for,so you can see why the cattlemen are happy with a seasonal hunt for the wolf.

I don't know if it would be wise to drink in an Arizona bar anymore.

How are we going to know if a person is packing and drinking?

I am not going to search them for sure.

Starting Wednesday, Arizona citizens with a concealed weapons license can bring guns into bars. It is no nod to the Grand Canyon State’s Wild West beginnings. It is part of a national trend.

Arizona will be the 41st. state to let bar patrons pack heat (only if they’re not drinking alcohol, however). Meanwhile, the list of places where gun owners can bring their weapons is growing, as the gun lobby increases pressure on statehouses and Congress to broaden Second Amendment rights

A hunting controversy;

What was the position you were in when you fired the shot?

Moving prematurely can throw off your line of sight and take into

question an accurate perception of the ground; it may also be a

safety concern if another hunter is nearby and preparing to take a shot.

Make a mental note of where the deer was standing when you

took the shot. Trees become remarkably similar after you have

stared expectantly at them for half an hour.

Let a minimum of 20 minutes pass before leaving your hunting

stand. This period is crucial to remain patient so that the wounded

animal can bed down and bleed to death.

Walk immediately to the area in the woods where the deer

was standing when you fired once the 20 minute period has

elapsed.

Look for tufts of hair and spots of blood where the deer was

standing. Don't expect a great deal of blood at first.

Follow the blood and hoof prints, keeping an eye for spotting

on the branches as high as chest level.

Approach the fallen animal carefully,Touch the eye with a stick or your rifle barrel and do it from the side of the animal, ensuring it has expired

before you begin handling it for proper field dressing,

completing your hunting trip successfully.

 Gotta be carefull out there in the woods!!

CODY, Wyoming - Wielding his chain saw as a weapon, a former U.S. Marine says he fought off a starving mountain lion that attacked him while he was camping with his wife and two toddlers in northwestern Wyoming.

A 32-year-old mechanic and ex-Marine, said he was alone cutting firewood about 100 feet from his campsite in the Shoshone National Forest when he saw the lion staring at him from some bushes.

He revved his 18-inch chain saw and tried to back away. But the 100-pound lion followed.

As the animal pounced, He raised his saw and met it head-on — a collision he said felt like a grown man running right into him.

"It batted me three or four times with its front paws and as quick as I hit it with that saw it just turned away," he said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

He later discovered he'd inflicted a gash on the lion's shoulder. He said he was surprised the damage wasn't worse.

"You would think if you hit an animal with a chain saw it would dig right in. I might as well have hit it with a hockey stick," he said.

The wounded animal retreated, leaving him with a only small puncture wound on his forearm.

Due too the voting in of a new president,the many GUN DEALERS in America are afraid that the Obama Administration is going to attempt to outlaw weapons of all Calibers and Actions in the United States.

And also stop the manufacture of ammunitions.

If you are wanting to purchase a rifle or pistol for hunting or self defense,now is probably your best chance.

Some states won't approve a gun application to many because if you have a felony or anything to do with spousal or child abuse on your record,you will be disqualified from owning a gun in that state.

Also I might add that ammunition is becoming more scarce as gun owners are buying it up at a rapid pace.

It might be logical to start loading your own ammo.

During these hard times it is hard to join a Gun Club,but if you can afford it I would think about joining one.It takes a lot of monies too fight Anti Gun people in the courts.

If this anti gun law becomes effective,there will be a lot of people in the U.S. who rely on Big Game meat for subsistance to go on welfare.

You might think this is Bull but take a look at the people of Alaska,Montana,Idaho,Wyoming,North and South Dakota's wages,Then check how many big game permits are sold each year and you will discover I am right..

I don't know if this is a good idea,in carrying weapons to a rally with the President there.I believe in the right to bear arms,but I would be afraid of some protester getting hold of an unprotected weapon and using it on the President.

  About a dozen people carrying guns, including one with a military-style rifle, milled among protesters outside the convention center where President Barack Obama was giving a speech Monday — the latest incident in which protesters have openly displayed firearms near the president.

Gun-rights advocates say they're exercising their constitutional right to bear arms and protest, while those who argue for more gun control say it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Phoenix police said the gun-toters at Monday's event, including the man carrying an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle slung over his shoulder, didn't need permits. No crimes were committed, and no one was arrested.And hopefully this rifle was unloaded.

Key items needed to butcher an animal or bird;

Knives;

Do not buy cheap knives,you want to have good tempered blades to  hold an edge with comfortable non slip handles.Most kits hold shears,boning,paring,fillet and carving knives.Cost $100

Meat Grinder;

There is alot of burger meat on a big game animal.

You should buy a big enough grinder to mince two pounds of meat per minute.and it should have three metal grinding plates to grind,coarse or fine ground meat.

Eliminate freezer burn by investing in a vacuum sealer.

The food saver game saver kit allows you to economically seal any size cut of meat and maximize storage space in your freezer.

The most important rules of butchering is getting rid of fat and sinew and those streaks of thin silver looking skin.Trim everything until you have red cuts of pure meat.

What a prize

Perhaps the largest elk produced in the wild — a Utah bull taken in 2008 by a hunter on public land — has been confirmed as a world record.

The official declaration was made this month by the Boone and Crockett Club, the 120-year-old organization widely recognized as keeper of records of native North American big game.

A special judges panel determined a final score of 4785/8 B&C non-typical points, 93-plus inches above the B&C minimum score of 385 for non-typical American elk, and more than 13 inches larger than the previous world record. It is the only elk on record with a gross score approaching the 500-inch mark, at 4993/8. Official data dates back to 1830.

The massive bull has nine points on the left antler and 14 on the right. The larger antler has a base circumference of more than 9 inches.

The B&C scoring system, long used to measure the success of wildlife conservation and management programs across North America, rewards antler size and symmetry, but also recognizes nature's imperfections with non-typical categories for most antlered game.

The bull's final score of 4785/8 inches includes an amazing 140 inches of abnormal points.

“Along with measurements that honor the quality of the animal, Boone and Crockett Club records also honor fair-chase hunting,” said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the club's Records of North American Big Game committee.

“Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, we were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest.”

The hunter, hunted the Monroe Mountain District in south central Utah.

Hunting with a self-designed rifle,He killed the bull on Sept. 30. He hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, dubbed “spider bull” for its unique antler configuration.

The previous world record for non-typical American elk was 4652/8 B&C points. That bull was found dead, frozen in Upper Arrow Lake, British Columbia, in 1994.

For hunter-taken non-typical American elk, the previous top bull scored 4506/8 points, taken in 1998 in Apache County, Ariz.,

The B&C Club also keeps records for Roosevelt's and Tule elk.