Wolves moving West

[catclaw]

A recent event hammered something home to me. I have mistakenly thought that wolves were pretty much limited to unit 27 and 1 with maybe an occasional trespasser on 25 and 26. Wow was I wrong!

 

Three buddies of mine were hunting elk in 3C near Forest Lakes when they watched four grey wolves attack and kill a mule deer buck opening morning of the late elk hunt. The wolves toyed with the deer, killed it and ate the entrails and the rear end. They then left on their own. My buddies went down and looked at the deer and took the photograph posted below.

 

They said that it sounded like someone had their E-caller turned on super loud with a deer distress sound! Wolves have ruined the elk herd in Yellowstone and now are well on their way to ruining the herd in Idaho. I hope they don't do the same thing here. Maybe a little S-S-S is in order!

 

Be careful out there!

 

 

 

[oz31p]

I had a wolf hippie tell me a month ago that there was only 47 left in the state. I argued with him a bit but I think he was to stoned to understand what I was saying. I've seen two in 27 on last years turkey hunt. Close enought to sancarlos to asume they have infested the res as well.

[MangeyJoe]

I've heard that Arizona had no more mexican grey worves, this is all news to me. I would get all the joy in the world just capturing one on trail camera. Wolves are rare, never mind in Arizona.

[russd]

why in the world did they bring them back again?

[yumabowhunter]

Ive saw 2 of them on the San Carlos during a spring turkey hunt. It would sure be a shame is one them wound up on the wrong end of a bullet....crying shame.

[oz31p]

Yep next time I'm in the area ill bring tissues

[200"mulie]

doesn't surprise me wolves will travel where prey will travel. They are very smart predators and i wish i can see one!!

[draggingnuts]

We had one come into a corral and attack one of our horses. They need to get ride of all the wolfs!!!!!

[billrquimby]

I've heard that Arizona had no more mexican grey worves, this is all news to me. I would get all the joy in the world just capturing one on trail camera. Wolves are rare, never mind in Arizona.

 

You got to be kidding! Wolves rare? In Alaska and Canada, as well as all across Europe and Asia at approximately that same latitude, wolves are as common as coyotes in Arizona. Just tell a hunter or a rancher in eastern Idaho, western Wyoming or Minnesota that wolves are rare if you want to start a heated debate.

 

It's hard to believe that any Arizona hunter hasn't heard about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's expensive and ongoing program to reintroduce grey wolves to Arizona and New Mexico.

 

I have seen wolves on three occasions during the past four or five years on my weekly summer elk-viewing excursions from our cabin in Greer, and I also have seen wolves twice between Hawley Lake junction and McNary when driving to Show Low.

 

My wife and I also watched from our cabin's windows this summer as two wolves tried to catch an elk calf in our driveway. They may have made a kill later on the hill between us and Northwoods, but we'll never know for sure because the 34 elk in that herd ran off with the wolves behind them.

 

As do others, I am convinced there could be more wolves running around east-central Arizona than the biologists know.

 

Just wait until they move back into southern Arizona's Coues deer country. This was their historic range, one of the last areas in the state to lose its wolves, and our little whitetails were their primary prey.

 

Bill Quimby

[dusty]

Local governments, sportsmen, [livestock operators]?, and environmentalists have all reiterated support for Mexican gray wolf conservation in Arizona, as does the Commission.

Arizona’s Game and Fish Commission supports Congressional efforts to delist gray wolves‏.

Got this today,AZG@F email.

[jwdodge01]

i have guided in idaho for the past few years and seen how much wolves can affect an elk heard. The first year i guided we had elk and moose all over and we did pretty good but since then you can hardly find sign let alone an elk or a moose because the wolves entered our area. the outfitter i was working for was forced to sell out because of the wolves affect on the heard in the area! I saw a pack of six in 27 take down a bull elk then just leave him. We don't need the wolves!

 

I also heard that they cost something like 500,000 per wolf to re introduced

[Sam]

Wolves will breed like mad and are very invasive. Look what happened to the deer herd in 27.

I agree with Bill - once they re-establish themselves in southern AZ our Coues population will be destroyed.

They are eating machines and do not kill only when hungry. I bet the wolf pack that killed the doe in the above picture did not come back to feed on her again.

 

My brother-in-law heard wolves howling in 4B the day before his late cow hunt started. They are moving West.

 

Where is my shovel?

[lefty]

i saw one in unit 32 about ten years ago

[hawkeye]

I hate to say it, but all of you who think the AZGFD have your best interests in mind better take a hard look. Who the heck do you think is in the forefront of this mess. Tons of your money you spend on hunting and fishing is being spent on ruining your hunting and fishing.

[kcw]

I went hunting in Montana this year and saw wolves on two different days. One bunch were all black and not really to afraid of being seen. The locals are up in arms they say the deer herd is down by 60% and I beleive it. They are all for the three SSS (shoot, shovel and shut up.) I hope our state is smart enough to nip this problem in the bud. Ofcourse the way they are managing the elk population we might be in trouble.