Looks like we just might be getting a wolf season finally as the Gray Wolf is being removed from the endangered list.
Sources say that the thought of a season needs to be run by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources first, but I got a pretty good feeling about this. There has been a butt load of em spotted up here.
http://www.nbc26.com/news/local/17128746.html
Ok....ok...so I might be doing ONE more tan job...for myself of course. :eyebrow:
What's an out of state tag going to cost, I'm right across the lake.
Maybe you can do two more jobs :biggrin:
Man I would love to go on a wolf hunt, but I don't know if there will ever be a season in Michigan. One can only hope. I keep hearing of the damage they are doing and how many of them there are in the UP. Maybe one day.
Yeah as close as you are I cant see why this wouldn't be moving down to you also. Their coming down in from Canada obviously and we both border her.
hell yah, I'd be glad to have ya over for a couple outtings. :wink:
How about us have a coyote hunt at LBL and a wolf hunt in Wisconsin. :biggrin:
Sounds good to me. :eyebrow:
Semp
Quote from: Semp on April 15, 2008, 10:20:17 PM
How about us have a coyote hunt at LBL and a wolf hunt in Wisconsin. :biggrin:
Sounds good to me. :eyebrow:
Semp
That's what I'm talking about......... :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo:
Quote from: Semp on April 15, 2008, 10:20:17 PM
How about us have a coyote hunt at LBL and a wolf hunt in Wisconsin. :biggrin:
Sounds good to me. :eyebrow:
Semp
Count me in!
Pat
I better make some extra BarBQ then uh? :innocentwhistle:
Quote from: FinsnFur on April 16, 2008, 05:23:57 AM
I better make some extra BarBQ then uh? :innocentwhistle:
:sick2: :sick2: :sick2:
I am in if you promise NOT to make BBQ. :readthis:
Wolves are always on my endangered species list. I see one & he's endanger! :laf:
The UP in Mich has had trouble w/ to many wolves. Many have said they've ruined the hunting up there. :argh: Might be a good place to start cleaning house. :eyebrow:
The wolves have changed the hunting here in the UP of MI. for the worse. Deer numbers are down. Some areas that used to hold good numbers of deer now just have wolf tracks and no deer sign. Coyote and predator hunting has been going downhill too. Some areas that I've predator hunted for years have little, to no, coyote sign anymore. I don't even hear the coyotes howling at dusk/dawn like I used to. There is plenty of wolf sign in these areas now. MI VHNTR
Can't wait to smoke a wolf coming to the call. :yoyo:
Quote from: MI VHNTR on April 16, 2008, 08:54:33 PM
The wolves have changed the hunting here in the UP of MI. for the worse. Deer numbers are down. Some areas that used to hold good numbers of deer now just have wolf tracks and no deer sign. Coyote and predator hunting has been going downhill too. Some areas that I've predator hunted for years have little, to no, coyote sign anymore. I don't even hear the coyotes howling at dusk/dawn like I used to. There is plenty of wolf sign in these areas now. MI VHNTR
I use to bow hunt near Seney in the early 90's. That place was full of deer. It's hard to think that a deer hunting oasis like that would be hurting. :iroll: All I can say is that is truly a shame.
What's the penalty for "accidentally" shooting canis lupus instead of canis latrans?
QuoteWhat's the penalty for "accidentally" shooting canis lupus instead of canis latrans?
Depends on who you tell.
S S S
Al
Quote from: Bopeye on April 20, 2008, 02:59:29 AM
Quote from: MI VHNTR on April 16, 2008, 08:54:33 PM
The wolves have changed the hunting here in the UP of MI. for the worse. Deer numbers are down. Some areas that used to hold good numbers of deer now just have wolf tracks and no deer sign. Coyote and predator hunting has been going downhill too. Some areas that I've predator hunted for years have little, to no, coyote sign anymore. I don't even hear the coyotes howling at dusk/dawn like I used to. There is plenty of wolf sign in these areas now. MI VHNTR
I use to bow hunt near Seney in the early 90's. That place was full of deer. It's hard to think that a deer hunting oasis like that would be hurting. :iroll: All I can say is that is truly a shame.
What's the penalty for "accidentally" shooting canis lupus instead of canis latrans?
I don't know what the penalty is for accidentally shooting a wolf, now that they don't have Federal protection. The MI DNR really watched over the wolves since they dumped them here. Airplane tracking, collars, microchips, etc. were all used to care for their newly released canine pets. The whole UP has suffered from the wolves. I hunt in areas that have been known for high deer numbers in the past. Now, the deer are few and far between. Sad. Seney is about a couple of hours away from me by car, but I can't imagine it being any better over there. There's been livestock killings, hunting dog killings and pet killings all courtesy of the newest predator in town. There was always a wolf population here, so there was also no need to dump more of the wolves here and allow them to breed unchecked. It'lll be tough to change things in regards to the wolf numbers here. The only good thing is that the wolves have "migrated" into the lower peninsula of MI. Now they'll have to deal with them too.
If you accidentally shot one here the DNR labeled it as a coyote. :rolleye: I am not kidding. It was literally a joke.
And actually they didnt have much of a choice because they swore up and down there were no wolves here, none, notta, zilch. Despite numerous sightings.
Now all of a sudden there's a season in the works. (http://www.championtannery.com/smilies/hammerhead.gif)
Quote from: MI VHNTR on April 20, 2008, 07:31:22 PM
The only good thing is that the wolves have "migrated" into the lower peninsula of MI.
What's so good about that? You don't like hunting deer in MI? :confused:
Quote from: FinsnFur on April 20, 2008, 09:29:05 PM
If you accidentally shot one here the DNR labeled it as a coyote. :rolleye: I am not kidding. It was literally a joke.
And actually they didnt have much of a choice because they swore up and down there were no wolves here, none, notta, zilch. Despite numerous sightings.
Now all of a sudden there's a season in the works. (http://www.championtannery.com/smilies/hammerhead.gif)
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: I LOVE IT!
"Ah, geeze Offsir Cooter dat's got to be a kyoat. We ain't got no wolfes here in da state!" :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:
Wolves - the feral cats of the wilderness!
Quote from: vvarmitr on April 24, 2008, 09:01:46 AM
Quote from: MI VHNTR on April 20, 2008, 07:31:22 PM
The only good thing is that the wolves have "migrated" into the lower peninsula of MI.
What's so good about that? You don't like hunting deer in MI? :confused:
I like deer hunting here in the UP of MI. The reason for wanting them in the LP is that the buffoons in Lansing and the LP put the wolves here in the UP of MI and let them run free. The LP didn't have to put up with their furry new friends when they dumped the wolves on us. An occasional visit here for a "true wilderness experience" allowed them to see and hear the wolves, go home and not have to deal with these predators. Now that the wolves have somehow managed to cross the Straits of Mackinac, the idiots that wanted the wolves can reap the full benefit of their decision. Just wait until the wolves start eliminating their pets, livestock and the deer herd in the LP. Then their attitude towards the wolves will change.
I'm from lower MI! I don't think my attitude needs to change but I'm probably in the minority.
I have heard alot of bad reports about wolves in the UP.
I would like to see a season for them.
Quote from: cb223 on April 24, 2008, 10:09:16 PM
I'm from lower MI! I don't think my attitude needs to change but I'm probably in the minority.
I have heard alot of bad reports about wolves in the UP.
I would like to see a season for them.
cb223, the attitude that needs to be changed is the attitude of the looney tunes that put the wolves here. That is to whom I was referring. I would think that most, if not all, hunters would not want the wolves cleaning out the game herds. I can only imagine what will happen when the elk herd in the LP starts taking a hit from the wolves. Maybe that will wake the "wildlife specialists" up.
Sounds a lot like the DNR here in WV when the big cyote explosion happened in the late 80's early 90's. They told us then there were none to speak of in this state and now they say they were always here.
I witnessed them hauling a bunch of them around in a truck and they pulled me over and told me to quit following them, when I caught back up to them.........empty truck. :confused:
They blammed an insurance co. for the release and said they fined them :roflmao:
Now if you buy an online license they ask you to donate to the hunters feeding the hungry and the WVDNR coyote program! :confused:
Quote from: alscalls on April 25, 2008, 09:26:25 PM
I witnessed them hauling a bunch of them around in a truck and they pulled me over and told me to quit following them, when I caught back up to them.........empty truck. :confused:
Why am I not shocked?
How many packs are in the UP now?
How many wolves per pack?
What do you think they take as far as game per year? How many deer or elk or whatever?
Are the packs growing larger or are they breaking up into new packs?
Are new packs, if there are new ones, reducing the teritory of the old packs or are they migrating so that the actual number of packs is remaining constant in an area?
Al
According to the MI DNR, there are "about 500 adult wolves in the UP of MI in 2006." These wolves "could eat between 15,000 and 25,000 deer annually." Further, "Wolves and deer evolved together, and deer possess physical and behavioral adaptations for avoiding wolf predation." Maybe these adaptations would explain "only" 15K to 25K deer are being killed every year by wolves. The words "about" and "could" are the only hard data that the MI DNR releases to the public. The MI DNR leaves a lot of latitude as far as the wolf population numbers and the deer kill numbers, so it's pretty hard for the average person to get the truth. Supposedly, the wolves have now "migrated" across the 5 miles of water known as the Straits of Mackinac into the LP of MI. The coyote hunting laws have been revamped in order to protect the wolves there now too. It appears that the wolves have now expanded their range into new areas.
The things that you and your fellow sportsmen need to determine are
Estimated deer population in the UP
Deer kill from all hunting, gun, ML and archer combinded
Estimated winter kill (usually estimated at the gun kill in nothern states - at least that is how they determine it here in NH)
Other kill by auto accidents and the like
Then factor in the kill from the wolves. Use the low number as a start.
A healthy deer population should be able to sustain an OVER ALL kill of somewhere between 20 and 30% on the high side. Of course it is dependant on your buck to doe ratio to a great extent, but that is a generally acepted figure.
If the total is greater than 20% or somewhere over 70,000 then you need to take those numbers to people who will listen.
You cannot grow the deer herd if the over all kill exceeds 30% and at that rate it is even hard to sustain it.
Once you can show that, then you need to factor in the economic impact of a decreasing deer herd to the resdidnets and business of the UP. It is the only way you will get peple to listen. If you go out and say the wolves are killing all the deer, everyone thinks you are just - well - crying wolf.
But if the numbers do not support the decline in the deer herd, then you have another problem. Usually the DNR skewing the numbers to suit thier own needs.
I used to be very involved in our deer management program in NH until it became evident that the Fish and Game was flat out lying and had absolutely no intention of ever doing anything about our deer herd. To give you an example, your wolves kill more deer a year than we kill hunting on the low 15,000 end and twice as many and more on the high 25,000 end. I lived and hunted here in NH when we had an annual deer harvest of less than 4000 deer so I have seen woods that were devoid of deer and feel your pain.
But the point I am making is that if you do not have numbers - and it helps to have numbers published by your DNR a great deal - to support what you claim is happening because of the wolves, no one is going to listen to you who is in a postion to make a change. Oh, other sportsmen will chime in, but you need legislators and media people on your side if you want to get things changed.
It's a frustration and uphill battel, and you may not even have a chance of winning, but it is the best way to go about it if you have the time and stomach for it.
I can tell you that I fought the battel for 12 years or more here in NH. In 1994 our deer herd was at 75000 and a plan was implemented to increase the herd to 105,000. 8 years after the plan started, the herd was somewhere around 70,000 and still shrinking. They rewrote the plan in 2004 and said they again wanted to grow our deer herd from 70,000 to around 100,000 but the Fish and Game left themselves an out when they published the plan and stated that if they failed to meet those numbers, they could not be held accountable because the had no control over severe winter kill and other factors.
The northern most wild life management unit in NH is almost devoid of deer now. It is because of over hunting for one, but many of us suspect it is because of the wolves that they say we do not have in NH. I doubt they will migrate south below what we call the Notches which are about the top third of the state because of the human population, but it is having a huge impact on business in the northern part of the state.
I honestly don't know what the answer is for the wolf problem. On the one hand, it is exciting to hear them at night and to see them from time to time. A majestic animal in some respects, but if they are not managed, I agree it will be a blow to other hunting.
Hope you get it sorted out some day.
Al
Al, I can see exactly where you are coming from in regard to the wolves. It's apparent that you've thought things through and tried to collect data, etc. for your state. I applaud you for your hard work. The MI DNR has numbers such as those that I've posted, and those that you've suggested, in the state's license book. The biggest problem is the fact that the MI DNR has complete control over the numbers that are posted and they don't seem to want any input as to how to manage the state's game populations. They released additional wolves here after denying that they would do it. This was done after telling a meeting of MI DNR officials and sportsmen that no more wolves would be put into the UP of MI. I saw/heard them say this. They estimate the wolf population at around 500 adult animals. The general consensus of opinion is that the number of wolves is drastically underestimated. Little to nothing can be done, because they control the numbers. On one hand they say that the whitetail population needs to be controlled to protect habitat, etc. On the other hand, they've released a major predator and done very little to regulate its numbers or control its expansion.
I've got no problems with the wolves, as long as they are regulated like any other predator. They've always existed here for years in relatively small numbers. The biggest problem that most people here have with them was the reintroduction of too many wolves. These new wolves were allowed to breed and expand with little, to no, human intervention. I really think that this is the problem that most people are upset about. Livestock and hunting dogs have been killed by wolves and little is done to aleviate the situation. Some areas are devoid of deer/game due to the wolves. Perhaps a little common sense would be in order. Hopefully, now that the wolves are delisted, a sound management plan for the wolves will be put into place.
Hi fellas
Lookie what some guy did close to my home town.
Gray wolf shot in SW Wisconsin
May 3, 2008 - A turkey hunter shot a gray wolf in the Mt. Sterling/Seneca, WI area, thinking it was a coyote. After he shot the animal he noticed it had a radio collar and called the DNR. It is unusual for a wolf to be as far south as Crawford County.
http://www.mwnews.net/
:highclap: Yeah, Turkey Hunter :highclap:
I guess turkey hunters are good for something after all. :innocentwhistle:
:laf: :laf: :laf:
Looks like this could be an interesting year, I hope to get a bobcat tag this year too. :highclap: :highclap:
Mike