Wolves a problem for pets? (camping, live, yard)

[Rickers]

[quote=Reziac;9226766]

Originally Posted by netwit

Turns out the "red wolf" doesn't exist as a species. It's actually a wolf/coyote hybrid that occurs where their ranges overlap. If it were a dog, we'd call it a designer mutt.

That's B.S. There are many areas in Montana where wolf and coyote ranges overlap and no "red wolfs" are being produced. The scientists are listing the red wolf as either a subspecies of the grey wolf or a separate species depending on the scientists or the conference where the theories are hashed out and accepted. They still can't agree. Try telling folks in Texas that their Red Wolf is a mutt or a cross between a grey wolf and a coyote and you'll get run straight out of Texas and back to where-ever with your tail between your legs !

[Lagarto]

Red wolves are a separate species of wolf that is from the South. Their scientific name is Canis rufus and the gray (or timber) wolf is Canis lupus. Coyotes do hybridize with red wolves but not grays. Grays kill coyotes. Also, where are some of you living? Unless you are living out of town a ways you are not at this high risk of pets being killed by any predator. They are not waiting around every corner and they don't have a taste just for dog meat. Let's not exaggerate so much.

[Bullmoose]

So woofs aren't a big problem there

[Mt-7]

There is a Woof Woof Woof who posts but I find is pretty gentle
BM the threes are shoot shovel and shut up
That applies IMO to those making their livelihood.

[Jbechtel]

I thought in Little Red Riding Hood the wolf talks to the little girl but doesn't go after her dog.

[Reziac]

Originally Posted by Lagarto

Red wolves are a separate species of wolf that is from the South. Their scientific name is Canis rufus and the gray (or timber) wolf is Canis lupus. Coyotes do hybridize with red wolves but not grays. Grays kill coyotes. Also, where are some of you living? Unless you are living out of town a ways you are not at this high risk of pets being killed by any predator. They are not waiting around every corner and they don't have a taste just for dog meat. Let's not exaggerate so much.

Sorry, but according to more recent info and DNA studies, you're wrong. The so-called red wolf is indeed a wolf-coyote hybrid, and only became "rare" and then "endangered" when wolf range became more restricted so there was less interbreeding going on (d'oh!). Whether it occurs in a given area probably depends on how much competition there is between wolves and coyotes -- much as in some areas coyotes kill dogs, and in others (in my observation, where life is easier and food is more plentiful), coyotes readily breed with domestic dogs and sometimes even run in the same pack with them. Coyotes in Los Angeles will climb over fences to try to get at and breed domestic dogs that are in heat (one of my clients had that happen, right in Beverly Hills!)

Turns out about 28% of coyotes tested have domestic dog DNA too, but the introduction into the broad gene pool didn't happen recently -- rather, from about 2000 years ago, before coyotes spread out of the American southwest. I'd long contended that some coyotes had "Indian dog" in them... seems I was right.

[Rickers]

[quote=Reziac;9287549 seems I was right.[/QUOTE]


Aren't you always right ?

[jayhawkfan96]

For all you people complaining about the "environmentalists getting their way," why don't you ask the shop owner who has had a deer or elk jump through their window. Or the homeowner. Or the families who have lost a loved one in a car accident because the elk and deer populations are out of control. Ranchers are even losing grazing land for their livestock. Reintroducing the wolves has been very successful in controlling those populations. Yes, they occasionally take livestock and pets. But coyotes do that far more. And wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare.

What I don't get is how anyone in Montana would complain about the environmental lobby. If not for them, the mining industry would have left the state with virtually no drinkable water by this point. Not every environmentalist is the raving lunatic who tries to set fire to buildings and threaten the lives of those they see as enemies of the environment. Anymore than not all Christians are the bible-thumping "you're all going to hell" people the media likes to make us out to be.

[Broz]

ha ha ,,,, In reguards to the OP, you bet they will eat your pet. Both Coyotes or Wolves. In my opinion the big difference is the wolves are more likely to kill for entertainment and often leave the kill behind with little or none of it eaten. I believe the statistics are something like each wolf will kill 16 elk for food and another 16 for sport anually. " SSS " The Coyotes tend to kill only if they are hungry or two feed young. This is the opinions I have from personal experiences. I use to keep pretty close company with yotes, even invited a dozen or so to dinner in the front yard.

[mtboy]

Never thought the deer and elk populations were out of control before the wolf was here. Never saw any of our grazing land hurt because of those populations, never heard of anyone complaining about their land hurt because of the deer and elk populations.

Deer and elk can legally be shot and even run out of properties if you like . Wolves on the other hand have been known to harrass cattle, horses, and other animals. Even that wolf by Old Faithful (I believe) had to be put down because he was harrassing the park visitors.

[u]The whole problem is that wolves were originally introduced into the park. That is where I believe they should stay. Once outside the park they should be treated as any other animal, license and tags. That is all I complain about....the whole agenda about wolf reintroduction beyond the parks limits is a NO as far as I am concerend.

Currently, you can only shoot a wolf if you see it in the act of killing an animal/livestock, but by that time it is already too late. Why can't ranchers protect their investment and property prior to the act of a wolf killing livestock?

On the other note... the enviromental lobby has also hurt us in the same respect. As it is very difficult to get any industry at all started in this state. I agree it is a good checks and balances system, but when you begin to start to hurt the economy because of it that is where it needs to stop.

For instance the Highwood generation plant, ask how many people are being hurt because of this? How many families in various counties have seen their electric bills sky rocket?

This is the same as the wolves, ranchers all around the park have seen dollars lost because of this.

Same as the bison, how many ranchers have seen BVD because the enviro's don't want the bison hazed back into the park. Again huge dollars lost because of this

To what point is enough enough. That's all

Anyway now I am off subject.