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Sorry to hear of the detrimental effects the wolves have had, 9threexFifty7, but I wonder if there is still time to think like a mountain, as Aldo Leopold put it? Could the wolves possibly improve the health of the deer herd and reduce erosion, as he believed? Could the number of people killed when cars hit deer be reduced when wolves are around?

I understand your concern about domestic stock. Farmers over here hate foxes and wild dogs very much - but I remember matching wits with the red varmints that ate our lambs as the high point of life on our farm. As a native animal, even if reintroduced, the wolf probably has more to be said for it than the imported pests that bother us.

Maybe there is a middle way where more wolves could be hunted, making a pastime when deer season is closed. The limited and somewhat humdrum native game of Australia makes me think a formidable predator might even add to the richness of experience. Our people have to invent them, hence the 'puma' seen in many country districts.

Leopold reckoned that the real kick and benefit of hunting and camping was atavistic - reliving the world of our forebears. Savage beasts were part of life for yours - and way back, mine.

Happy Christmas
- Paul

PS: I like your bit of scripture - I subscribe to that 'forum', too.

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: Wolves take the 'prominent' animal if possible as it is alone. With caribou, it is normally the herd bull, the best breeder in the herd as he'll stand firm to allow the herd to escape. He is the prominent animal of that herd - each time the best of the herd is killed, the gene pool of that herd diminishes - not getting better. It is the best that always does the breeding - not the poorest. Packs in this area are now running upwards of 20 to 30 animals. Guess how many 200 pound deer it takes to feed 25, 150 pound wolves in 1 month. 25 wolves do not feed on one deer or one moose. They have to pull down enough animals so there is room for them to feed. So - it's cow moose with calves - both down. Lone bulls, down - caribou herd bulls - down. I don't see a good aspect to wolves and never have. In the 70's the wolves almost annilated the caribou in Spatzizi. They have not recovered to their previous numbers to the best of my knowledge.
; Herds are not better off with wolves - only the bunny huggers would have you believe that.

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Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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