The Animal Kingdom

This article appeared in The Idaho Statesman March 3. 

ALLIANCE GAVE FLAWED ANALYSIS OF SCRIPTURE
by Rabbi Dan Fink  (rabbi for the Ahavath Beth Israel congregation)
 
   What does the Bible say about how to manage our state’s wolf population?  A recent Statesman article presented the perspective of the Idaho Values Alliance.  The group’s position is based on several verses from the book of Leviticus, in which God proclaims:  “If you follow my decrees, I will remove savage beasts from the land.  But if you do not listen to me, I will send wild animals against you.”  According to the IVA, this passage provides a scriptural mandate to hunt and destroy wolf packs.
   There are, however, several flaws in their interpretation.[…] Read on…

Here we have the slides from an IDFG  powerpoint presentation given by Steve Nadeau - IDFG’s large carnivore manager.  The presentation lays out data regarding wolf numbers, distribution throughout the state, and some basic tidbits which may help to better understand how Idaho intends to manage wolves. The presentation illustrates the intention to split up the state into management ’Zones’ based on biological and ’sociological’ concerns and marks the advent of “No Tolerance” zones. 

(more…)

This article is in the Jackson Hole News and Guide today. Although it isn’t firmly established, changes in cougar territory in the area near the Teton Wilderness may be due to pressure from wolves.

Jim and Holly Akenson have already found this to be the case in central Idaho (in Big Creek, deep in the Frank Church Wilderness). They found that wolves occupied the best habitat and cougars moved to the more rocky country. Read “Winter Predation and Interactions of Wolves and Cougars in the Central Idaho Wilderness” One caveat, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, was compounding the difficulty cougar were having by encouraging a very high human “harvest” of cougar.

Anti-wolf folks don’t take into account the competition between carnivores and assume that all more wolves means is more elk or deer killed as prey in almost direct proportion. This is just plain wrong, especially when other predators are present.

Here is the story on the Boise hearing from the Idaho Statesman. Hearing on delisting plan draws wolf friends, foes: Activists fear money, will to protect predators are lacking, but state vows to manage responsibly. By Rocky Barker - Idaho Statesman. There are other versions of the story appearing on-line.

Tonight will be the Oregon hearing (in Pendleton). The delisting plan being proposed cuts out the likely wolf dispersion zone in Oregon. It’s almost like the USFWS was making a moat of non-protection around Idaho and Wyoming. However, the states does have its “Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan,”

On Jan. 17, I posted my story on the death of Idaho wolf B7M.

Today Rocky Barker at the Idaho Statesman wrote a long feature article tying this very long-lived wolf (the oldest yet?) into the Idaho wolf recovery story. It is an amazing story! The long life of one wolf embodies the story of wolf recovery in Idaho. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.