Contributors to this thread:
The public hearing for Senate Bill 602 (last week's AB 712 wolf bill) will be held tomorrow, January 16, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in room 411 South of the state Capitol building in downtown Madison. If you have strong feelings about this bill, I urge you to consider coming to this hearing and voicing your opinion.
I believe that most of us on this forum come very close to sharing a common opinion and we regularly voice that opinion amongst ourselves. However, for the most part, this means we are preaching to the choir and our comments yield little positive effect beyond crying on each other's shoulders. Tomorrow you have a chance to speak to an audience that can make a difference. This is your opportunity to share your opinion with the people that have the power to effect change. Please consider attending this hearing, registering to speak, and then voicing your opinion.
The democratic process does not guarantee that you will get your way and your desires will be voted into law, it does guarantee the opportunity to be heard and to affect the process. This is your opportunity, why not take advantage of it?
From what I read in the paper I was surprised that the WI Wildlife Federation and the WI Bowhunters Association have reservationsabout this bill. Seems they are taking the same position as the radical anti's on this.
Hmmmm. I will be following this. ^^^^^
HuntnFish- can you share a link to your reference?
For the WWF it would not surprise me, they have gone way to the political side for me, even if they know if something is good, they will fight it, because there side, did not introduce it
The Wisconsin Bowhunters Association did not register and testify against this bill. This idea is completely false. It did not happen.
Begs the question then, will they stand up and testify for the bill, or sit on the fence just like the baiting bill?
Tweed it was from a Paul Smith article that was sent to me last week. Mr Smith was objecting to the bill.
Thanks HuntnFish.
I believe I found the article (linked).
It states "And the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, both of which have supported aggressive management of wolves through hunting and trapping, expressed more concern than support for the bill."
but failed to go on to quote how the WBH supports like he did in other groups in the article. I don't know if Paul Smith did this purposely or in error....either way it might be best for the WBH to post a stance and ask for the paper to publish a correction.
Paul Smith lives in la la land,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, the journal has not had a good writer, since McQuarrie and Jay Reed,,,,,, I did not agree a lot with Reed at times, but I loved it, how he kept smoking, and describing its pleasures after his onion stuffed duck,,,, the guy would stick it in the face, to those PC types,,,,,,
I have edited my previous remarks, based on the quote Tweed provided from the article. That said I wonder what the "official position" of the WWF and the WBH is on the issue, are they for or against? Seems pretty cut and dried, but than again some like to play both sides.
Here is the video of the hearings from last week.
There is a down side to this process. If it doesn't work and the Feds don't remove wolves from the endangered species list immediately and we stop doing wolf counts it's almost a guarantee that it will take years to get a hunting season in place if they ever are delisted.
It will take years for a hunting season,,,,, Why? the state knows what is going on, I mean how hard is it, to put out some tag applications etc,,,,, they have studied this to death,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
My opinion the state should carry only about 100 wolves anyway, so no need for more wolf counts, just get at it
Trouble with our capital being in Madison is that there are too darn many tree huggers there and consequently probably have more people showing up to voice opinions at hearings for bills like this. I think the capital should be moved up north like the DNR did with the forestry headquarters.
Trouble is these are always held when the people affected the most have jobs and working. Being Madison is a college town it’s easy to dig up a liberal crowd for these kind of things. Point would be no different.
I say make UW Steven Point the State University and make Madison a regional one.
There is a down side to this process. If it doesn't work and the Feds don't remove wolves from the endangered species list immediately and we stop doing wolf counts it's almost a guarantee that it will take years to get a hunting season in place if they ever are delisted.
Skoot- That's the argument of the anti's. Do you know why we do not have a wolf hunt now? Its because the anti fought the years and years of peer reviewed research of the states. They said our count was incorrect because it listed all of the wolves as one species. The anti's said because some wolves have different colors, and some may have migrated from Canada, the UP, MN and Western states that there is no way the research was accurate. The season just might wipeout some unknown sub- species. Don't fall for the same BS the anti's use. The antis want to stop these bills because it puts pressure on the feds to act. The states recently retired top wolf expert is now the poster boy for the anti's, using his decades of tax payer funded research to undermine the wolf season.
What am I missing here? Wolf hunting is not allowed in this state due to the federal government, not our DNR. Other than trying to make a statement that will fall on deaf ears, what does this accomplish? My guess is that those who practice SSS are already doing so and this will not change anything with them.
The potential downside is that there may never be another season on them as Skook says, the major upside is that the population WILL get down to where it should be and WILL stay there. People will not go out and actively chase them from all corners of the State, they will just take care of the problems in their specific areas(which they should have every right to protect their investments) and keep the problem away. There will still be areas of the State that will maintain a healthy population, the original goal for WI was 80. I could see 80-100 living in WI and not causing very much of a problem with cattle, pets, deer or people.
I guess that if you want a hide for the wall, book a hunt out west or Canada. There is only an upside to this bill.
The other benefit is the cost savings of not having to collar, monitor and care for the flea carriers.
I heard, from someone in the know, that the population will be well over 2,000 with pups this spring. It is getting tougher for those in the DNR to please the anti's, with keeping the numbers low. If you think there is a chance of them getting removed from the ESL, think again, the wolves will have to inhabit ALL of their "historic range" before they will get delisted......that area goes all the way into Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio. I don't see them establishing themselves in SE WI, let alone in NE Illinois or NW Indiana, let alone the Ag areas of both States. The habitat is not there in the historic range to support wolves, so they will, more than likely, NEVER be removed from the ESL here.
That is why we need to have the State bill pass.
This is a very big roll of the dice. The Feds need to delist and change ESA so we can manage our over-populated wolf problem. It was mentioned that if this passes and becomes law, it can't be challenged. Are we sure about that?? I'm also thinking about how this bill looks to the non-hunting pro-hunting public. I could care less about what the antis think because they are delusional and there is not positive outcome for us that they would ever support. The Baldwin/Johnson, etal Fed sponsored bill should have been passes long ago to end this whole mess. I guess going from Health Care to Tax Reform and now DACA has left them with no time for the wolf issue! HA!
Jeff- Your post reminds me of the old saying that Madison is 6 square miles surrounded by reality. I will feel the need to modify the old saying to "mostly surrounded by reality."
To those that say plenty are already practicing SSS. If so, why is population exploding. How is a free-for-all approach going to make much of a difference in bringing the population down to 300ish when many say there is all ready an open season on them?
Shooting wolves....smoking weed....States are always thumbing their noses at the Feds.
It’s a tough world out Here
It’s a tough world out Here
At this point in time there is no verdict. The Assembly Bill 712 hearing and the Senate Bill 602 hearing have both now been held and public comments have been accepted. The bill may die in committee or it may proceed to a vote. The timeline for this is indeterminate and your best bet for getting an answer about either is to call your area representative. At this point in time it is a wait and see situation. No one knows which way this will go.
I do not believe for a second, that many guys are shooting wolves,,,, lots of bravado talk but most average sportsmen, that get a few days off, first of all, never will see a wolf, and second, are law abiding, and right or wrong, they will obey Federal law,,,,,,
if everyone was shooting, there would be a lot less,,,, of course this happens but not to the degree, that some boast,,,,,
Two ways to really handle wolves, and this state has proved it, run them with dogs, and or trap,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
carry on
State sanctioned poaching is a legal quagmire.
I haven't heard, what is the WBH stance on this bill?
