Comments on: Survey shows support for Mexican gray wolf

By: meadow

meadow — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shooting wolves like coyotes is what brought them to the brink of extinction to begin with. Thank goodness coyotes are more resilient or ranchers would have exterminated them by now too. We have lost so much in the name of cattle.

By: sburlew

sburlew — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Conservationists are paying ranchers for wolf-caused livestock losses which are either verified as confirmed or probable by Wildlife Services depredation specialists.

Here are the stats for the first 10 years of the program:

Arizona 67 (cattle) 10 (sheep) 6 (other) $42,825
New Mexico 81 (cattle) 0 (sheep) 4 (other) $57,780

Two incidents in ten years have gone unpaid — one involved illegally present cows, and the second involved a rancher who was reportedly baiting the wolves to set-up their removal.

Yes, some depredations occur which aren’t verified, but conservationists have also provided over $100,000 in assistance to AZ and NM ranchers in the form of extra riders to help with monitoring (to prevent depredations and locate carcasses), fencing to create secure pastures and supplemental feed to keep livestock away from active dens.

Compare this approach to the solutions-oriented Catron County Chairman quoted in this story — âThereâs no difference between a wolf and a burglar trying to break into your house and hurt you. I wouldnât hesitate a second to shoot him. We shoot coyotes like crazy out here and thereâs plenty of them.â

With true leadership, instead of the cartoon-like theater coming out of Catron County, this issue and many more in rural New Mexico could have been solved a long time ago, in a way that benefits everyone.

Wolves belong in the wild. The public wants them, the landscape needs them, and it is the right thing to do.

Kudos to Richardson and the vast majority of New Mexicans for standing up for the right thing.

By: laredo806

laredo806 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Excellent coverage of a complex subject. This is my first visit to this site, and I’m impressed!

With regard to our Mexican gray wolves, it’s encouraging to see that New Mexicans generally can see through recent flurries of anti-wolf propaganda and continue to support the reintroduction of this beautiful and important animal…important in that the lobo helps keep our elk and deer fit, wary, and truly wild.

By: rayalvaro

rayalvaro — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thank goodness some common sense is entering this issue. Wolves aren’t like “burglars” they are a part of nature They are an important part of our — that’s OUR, not the ranchers — public lands’ open spaces and wild areas. They keep the system in balance. It is poor livestock management in a landscape that has been impoverished by a hundred years of cows and sheep that has created the problem, not the wolves. Agencies and government should help ranchers learn to live with wildlife and offer them incentives to do so.

Based on studies in Yellowstone, science is just now showing how beneficial wolves are to the functioning of ecosystems, from recharging aquifers to making elk herds healthier. Wouldn’t it be wise of us to consider this when talking about water and drought in the southwest?

By: sunsfan

sunsfan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Excellent story. I hope the Fish and Wildlife Service will take notice of how most people feel about wolves and start doing the right thing to protect them.