Tag: Wildlife Management

Unlike all the other trapped animals, Montana regulations require trapped wolves to be immediately killed only by gunshot. *

Trappers care the most about preserving the pelts. They frequently refer to how beautiful these indiscriminate, unfortunate, suffering, trapped wolves are.

Notice the consistency in the lack of blood from the required gunshot in many photos.

*A trapper must immediately dispatch any uncollared wolf captured that may be legally possessed unless the trapper is otherwise authorized not to do so by FWP prior to wolf trapping efforts. A trapper with an unfilled bag limit may release an uninjured collared wolf. If a wolf trapper incidentally catches a wolf beyond the legal limit and the wolf is uninjured, the trapper must contact FWP within 24 hours to potentially have the wolf fitted with a radio collar and released.

ALL incidentally captured wolves that are injured must be dispatched by the trapper immediately.

The Wolf Harvest Reports can be viewed on the following page.

Wildlife Services is still killing plenty of animals in Montana.

“Steuber said coyotes cause the most livestock damage of any predator, by far. His agency claims that in 2015, coyotes killed almost 1,500 lambs, 212 calves and 240 chickens in Montana. So in 2015, Wildlife Services employees killed 6,600 coyotes, shooting about half of those using helicopters. They also shot black bears and mountain lions believed to have been involved in livestock damage.”

Over 52,000 coyotes were voluntarily reported killed by individuals in Montana by shooting and trapping in the last 3 recorded years.

“Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks pays Wildlife Services $110,000 a year to deal with problem wolves. In 2015, WS killed 31 wolves, but that was fewer than in previous years, Steuber said.”

A minimum of another 210 wolves were shot or trapped by laymen during the 2015/2016 season.

“The number of sheep in Montana has dropped by half since 1997.”

For 2016, Montana is home to 2,550,000 cattle.

At the end of 2015, Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported that 44 cattle had been killed by wolves in Montana,

While losses to predators were almost 1/3 of what they were in 2009 , i.e. 133 in 2015 vs 370 in 2009, the Montana Livestock Loss Board paid out the highest reimbursements amounting to $146,745 in 2015 to compensate for their increased value.

http://bit.ly/2d4XS7B

Wildlife research for a quick “humane” death from snares finds just the opposite occurs!

A retired predator-control expert says animals in snares take hours or even days to die.

“There is just a multitude of things that interfere with getting the perfect catch.”

Snares are perfectly legal in Montana and their price of $2 leads to their widespread popularity. We also have no required trap check time interval. How long it takes the animal to strangle to death or by chance escape with the cable cut into them is unknown.

Lastly, if a qualifer to support trapping was a quick death, is that what you would want for your dog, an eagle, an elk, a lynx, a mountain lion, or any of the indiscriminate victims of trapping? A quick death and no chance of surviving?

Wolf culls ensnared in ethical debate
MARK HUME
The Globe and Mail Last updated: Friday, Mar. 11, 2016

In Montana, however, the 150 feet setback for wolf traps applies to open roads AND hiking trails on federal and state public lands.

Other traps and snares set require only a 50′ setback along open roads and hiking trails designated by administrative signs or numbers. Required setbacks are 300′ and lethal traps and snares require 1000′ setback from marked or designated trailheads accessible by highway vehicle.

For those considered “High Recreational” use trails some in district 1 but most in district 3, a 500′ setback is required for all ground set traps.

Rich Landers: Pet dogs caught up in Idaho’s wolf-control effort

As she cross-country skied along Lightning Creek Road north of Clark Fork, Idaho, local resident Mary Franzel saw a leg-hold trap snap shut on the paw of her pet dog, Morgan. The dog calmed quickly and Franzel released the trap anchored at the edge of the road after taking this photo. (Courtesy photo)