Comments about ‘Use wolves to cull game herds, experts say’

What "ballooning population"? I have hunted for years and I have seen a steady decline in the Elk and Deer availability in the mountains. I have seen an over abundance of these animals in state and federal parks and on private property where hunting is either select or completely banned. My solution: let people hunt!

A few things. One, the article never mentioned a ballooning population in Utah. Two, people can hunt. Nobody is stopping them. Interesting in hunting is nationally declining. Third, wolves have a greater effect than just the number of animals they kill. Having predators around changes the behavior of the herbivorous elk; they spend more time hiding and evading and less overall time eating. This has a beneficial effect on sapling trees like aspen and cottonwood. These "indirect effects" of predators are crucial reason why wolves (and other critters like pumas) play a role that hunters alone cannot. I think this wolf idea is pretty interesting.

they should be transplanted to central park NY

First the enviros tell us that snowmobiles have scared all the wildlife out of the park. now the officials say there are to many animals. Someone is not being truthfull.

They need to be Control in a Enviro protected way.
Monitor them Sent back in the wilds into FOREST

Or you could let hunters in to thin out the herds and have the meat donated to food shelters.

Kurt C. you are grasping at straws. Bogus on you.

What straws are you talking about? Pretty solid science. I say bogus on you.

Why dont they capture and transplant a bunch of the deer and elk to places that are running low? Here in Utah there are a lot of hunting units that have went from 9 day hunts, to 5, and now 3.

wolves will slaughter all the deer with if were lucky and wolves will move here and everyone will get attacked and they will overwhelm everybody and everything if were lucky and we will pass away

By selling permits to allow people to hunt in these currently restricted areas we not only control the overpopulation of elk, but create revenew as well.

i think this is the worst idea ever i have cows close to that area and if i have to loose my hard earned money due to some tree huggers i will have to see the state about it. call me old fashion but every thing was just fine before we came here and we should leave them be. and your machines may help somewhat but they are machines they will break they will get loose and my cows will die and the state isnt goona do anything about it

You enviro's are way over the edge. You have no common sense. Over a year ago a reputable news article reported the yellow stone Elk herd had lost over one half of it's population because of the Wolves. Wolves are good for only one thing, Killing. It makes a lot more sense to let people harvest elk and deer if they over-populate and provide food for people, not Wolves!! What would you rather have running around in your forests, Deer and Elk or Wolves? Not wolves please.

ever read the stats on the number of deer in southeastern Ohio where they have no natural predators? 250,000 in southeastern Ohio alone - not the whole state of Ohio, just that little corner. They roam the cemeteries, they eat trees and shrubbery in lawns in town, they cause numerous accidents. It's gone so far that towns like Marietta are allowing bow hunters to shoot in certain areas in town! Let the wolves be where they used to be so that we don't end up with an unbalance like Ohio has.

So, are you saying you'd rather have the wolves roaming our rural countryside than the deer?
I'll take the deer any day.
Also, the overpopulation being discussed here is in National Parks and monuments where hunting is not allowed. By opening these areas to hunting the deer and elk numbers could be controled while making money on permit sales.

If indeed there is overpopulation of deer and elk they can easily be controlled by hunting. In a time like this with many millions out of work and many hungry they could be used for food. Wolves are not humane killers. They literally rip an animal apart while the animal is still alive. The philosophy of the extemists is to feed the wolves and starve the humans. The urban enviros watch too many movies where bears and wolves talk and are cuddly loving friends that protect little children.

Nope, you use whacky science and definitely your bogus.

Just expand hunting opportunities and let the Parks make more revenue.

Deer and elk have become lazy because of the lack of predators. Hunters need more of a challenge anyways.

Allowing wolves to propigate w/o control and allowing them to decimate the elk herds is just another in the long line of those wanting to prevent hunting. As soon as the elk herds are thinned to a point of endangerment these erstwhile wilderness advocates will ask that elk, deer and the unique species of yellowstone antelope will be put on the endangered species list and that is the death knell of hunting. Nevermind controlling a preditor/pest.

Numerous studies indicate wolves are not predisposed to killing livestock. Typically, only unhealthy wolves turn to killing sheep and cattle. The additional funding needed for improved veterinary health care for wolf packs is very small in comparison to the amounts lost by ranchers each year to unhealthy wolves preying on livestock.

this is an interesting debate. I gotta state that my desire (and right) to see our public lands in a natural state (including wolves a the prey) is every bit as valid as those of a hunter or rancher. The demands on public lands are changing.