I noticed Montana PBS has an interesting show on tonight. From the PBS Site:


Back From the Brink: Montana's Wildlife Legacy
Sunday, January 15, 6:00pm
Part 1 of two. The depletion of the state's wildlife during the 1800s and the beginning of Montana's conservation movement during the first half of the 20th century is detailed. Included: the establishment of game farms for planting birds.
Part 1 of 2

Well, if Montana had woofs you wouldn't have anything. Woofs eat everything, deer, elk, moose, bear, dogs, cats, coyotes, chillins, porcupines, trees, mountains, everything but skunks...

...Nebraska used to have woofs, just look @ it now...
...mowed flat, nothing left alive...

...except skunks...

Actually a wolf was just shot near Big Timber. So we have a few around this part of the country.

...one of those Puget Sound tourii kidnapped him & he was just trying to get back to Nebraska to see if there were any leftovers...

Serious tho, Paul. Young male? Looks like the packs are expanding or pushing out & there are going to be more conflicts in the near future...

Maybe you should station the Palmerizer on the Chinese Wall & save the good stuff...

I guess humans and wolves are cut from the same cloth. Always looking to expand into new areas...

One was shot just outside of Cody a few weeks ago, by Newton Lk.

I think the wolves may be spreading to the area just outside of the park in west Montana. Last year I heard wolves howling in the Beaver Creek area just past Hebgen Dam. There are tons of Mooses in the area and the wolves may be after them.

I say, until wolves carry guns and shot back, leave alone. They are providing a service. Coyotes are more likely to get your pooch or kitty.

Eugene, the one here in Cody was shot by a coyote hunter 3 mi. from town, behind the rifle range. He called the G&F as soon as he got to it. No one was expecting a wolf in that area, far removed from the established pack ranges. Ben will correct me if I'm wrong, I hope, but it seems the "official" population estimates are pretty conservative. You're right, mostly I carry a firearm cause I worry about the FatDog getting involved w/ coyotes. The woofs have just as much right to be out there as I do. But, with the apparent expansion of populations & ranges there is no way that confrontations are not going to happen & the woof is gonna come out on the short end. If we don't get a real management plan in place, the confrontation will be a lot worse than a wolf getting killed. It will screw up the works for decades, instead of management it will return to a polarizing issue that will wreck the groundwork that's been laid down...

The show's not on tomorrow night on either PBS station here in Denver...

I'd buy that.

However, due to the parvo outbreak in the park (and the subsequent decline in packs) I think we're seeing a correction in numbers in the most saturated areas. We'll go, from Doug Smith's estimates, down to about 8 packs within the park. Expansion in MT and WY will occur most definetely (Saw one outside of Casper last year, but don't tell anybody. ). Overall, the dispersers are from the fringe areas, mostly juvenilles that are finding new territory and mates. The State remains convinced they've taken the proper course of action, and until it's back in the State's hands, or the WWF board says to get back in the fray, I'm out of the wolf biz. And honestly, I'm kinda glad for it. There's not much common sense being lsitened to in WY when it comes to the wolf.

I've happened upon this thread while running various phrases through Google, and apologize for bumping it up after 2 years, but wanted to take just a moment to thank everyone for their interest in the documentary.

For people to take such interest in the "Montana's Wildlife Legacy" project is truly a rewarding & encouraging thing, as the conservation & maintenance of Montana's wildlife resources is something I would go so far as to call a personal passion, so I very sincerely appreciate all who take a moment to mention it or offer their thoughts.

The goal of the project continues to be educating people in and all around Montana on the importance of our wildlife resources, the dire consequences that once resulted from a time & place where exploitation & greed ran rampant, and the extraordinary & arduous efforts of ranchers, hunters, farmers, and government agencies to replenish Montana's wildlife to it's present flourishing state.

We began telling this story in "Back From the Brink," and have for years promised a book to complete the story in greater detail - October of 2008 finally saw our years of work off to the printers, and at long last, it's become published as "Decimation to Restoration" and made available by Borders, The Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, Amazon.com, and our own 'Montana's Wildlife Legacy' web site.

The MWL series may have yet more to come in the foreseeable future, but for now, we continue in pursuit of our goals, and very sincerely appreciate the support & feedback of the project's community. Thank you all!