Referring to wolves as “a sacred resource,” a Native American lobbying group last Wednesday delivered a petition to Game and Fish at a public informational session in Laramie.
The Protect the Wolves Pack is asking the department and the Game and Fish Commission to draw a 31-mile no-hunting buffer zone around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks when it arranges for hunting seasons this fall.
Speaking for the group, Roger Dobson said killing wolves is an affront to Native-American religion.
“We don’t disrespect the white maan’s Bible,” Dobson said. “They should not disrespect our wildlife. It’s got to stop.”
Management of gray wolves in Wyoming was returned to the state when a federal appeals court March 3 upheld Wyoming’s methodology for governing the species.
Now Game and Fish is in the midst of planning a resumption of wolf hunting, with a proposed season of Oct. 15 to Dec. 31.
A similar meeting was held in Cody the day before the Laramie gathering. There were no complaints about the resumption of wolf hunting with the exception of property owners unhappy that kill quotas were not higher to better protect their livestock from attacks.
Wolves in Yellowstone and Teton and on the Wind River Reservation are exempt from state authority. But the wolf advocacy group is concerned wolves wandering beyond the Parks’ boundaries will be targeted.
It also alleges some hunters lure wolves outside off-limits Yellowstone and Teton into hunt areas by using predator calls.
“Oh, it’s very illegal,” Dobson said. “It’s not even a fair contest. They should be (arrested).”
Last fall at a Yellowstone grizzly bear meeting in Cody, Yellowstone Park Superintendent Dan Wenk expressed worry that if the state implement hunts as part of its management operations Park bears crossing the line could be killed.
This appears to be a similar situation, but Park officials say have no position with regard to wolf hunting at this time.
The Protect the Wolves Pack petition was submitted May 23 at one of the department’s nine informational sessions scheduled in advance of the Game and Fish Commission meeting July 18-20. It asks for a ban on night-time hunting and a ban on predator calls as well as a no-hunting ban in the buffer zone.
“We’re coming hard,” Dobson said of the group on this issue.
Dobson said his group’s viewpoint is the same for the Yellowstone grizzly, which appears poised to be delisted from the Endangered Species Act and its management returned to the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
“It’s protection of resources that wander outside the Park,” Dobson said.
Those resources, wolves and bears, are precious to Native Americans and sacred in the tribes’ religious observances, he said.
Dobson said he believes the U.S. Department of Justice will back the Protect the Wolves’ position on the basis of religious arguments
He said his group will be present at the commission meeting in July to make its points, and Dobson said he is convinced the commission will support the request for a buffer.
“Realistically, I don’t see how they can avoid it,” Dobson said.
Source: Petition asking for YNP wolf hunting buffer | Local News | codyenterprise.com
Comments
It was difficult to go to “management” meetings where speakers and groups promoting killing for pleasure or “just in case” one or some wolves might do any harm, are completely unable to recognize that life exists outside their own preferred ideas.
Turns out that most people don’t change what they believe, because it’s connected to everything else they believe.
The young and those who always seek, change with familiarity.
There used to be some humans visiting schools in Canada and parts of the USA with captive-born wolves, which they called “Ambassador” wolves, but because the wolves caused many to want to “own” one, this mostly stopped years ago. I used to have to speak out when people expressed this desire after meeting a Wolf I knew, and the only thing that this accomplished was to make them unsure about their desire to lock, chain, possess, “own”.
Mostly, humans don’t pick up on the wolf and bear who changes course on hearing or smelling them.
Seeing this happen is a little hard on the heart, and in a few cases, making noises to cause it to happen, just to save the individual from possible death by bullets from fear-ridden humans, created a sadness inside.
Only when we can watch in order to learn, does it seem our actions are completely right.
Mother bears have called – both to the accidental intruder and to the young, in my experience, to teach the safety of space between us .
Wolves have to know, more as do some of our kind, and often watch from partial cover. But that cover’s not enough with bullets reaching where they should not.
I used to leave marks to let isa and itsappa know where it was more dangerous to go. Unless horses are used, the fearful life-takers don’t go very far from trailheads- usually a mile in rugged country, and often a lot less, where they set up in blinds.
But they do scout with modern optics outside of legal seasons, and even though over years some four-leggeds become aware that certain seasons are deadly, bullets strike with no warning.
So, mark with warnings, as the wolf teaches.
Here is the association of tribes trying to protect the Griz. Guardians of Our Ancestors’ Legacy= GOAL, Hey Bear.
http://www.goaltribal.org/
Most humans use facebook for connecting to others. Knowing that facebook has groups and keeps information for uses to which I cannot agree, I know nothing about who or what is on there. But others may want to.
I just went looking here on the internet for other organized Indigenous Wolf protection groups, and haven’t found any. But ProtecttheWolves is starting to get more press coverage.
Many people and groups get together at Speak For Wolves July 27th to 29th at Union Pacific Dining Lodge in West Yellowstone, Montana. http://www.speakforwolves.org/program/
There are a lot of tables by wolf and other wildlife support groups.
Thank You!
Science has proved wolves are essential to the Ecosystem. Please put in the buffer zone!
Science has proved wolves are essential to the Ecosystem. Please put in the buffer zone and stop the killing of these wolves.
and their families are a vital,essential and important part of the natural balance of the ecosystem. It is imperative that they be allowed to live and thrive in peace without any human intervention whatsoever…they just want to be left alone,Please grant them their wish.
Wolves are essential predators that ensure healthy eco-systems. With only a few changes in behavior, one can coexist with all our essential predators – even ranchers! We can not erase them and create barren landscapes because a handful of self-centered people, who refuse to take responsibility – or are just greedy – demand it!
Protect all wildlife!
It is necessary to create no hunting and trapping buffer zone around Yellowstone in order to protect park animals from being needlessly slaughterered when then leave park boundaries. DO IT!
Wolves Bears, grizzlies are all Sacred as they have purpose in thus natural chain of life and all serve a vtal role in maintaining the cycle and circle of life to which we owe so much. We need them! They are essential.
The Yellowstone wolves are worth more money aliveI than they are dead. Thousands, if not millions of visitors come to Yellowstone to see these famous wolves, pouring money in to the surrounding areas and its economy. By establishing a buffer zone, we are further protecting these wolves and making them more visibly accessible. My son and I have been traveling to Yellowstone the past 5 years to watch the wolves, and I want to have them protected for generations to come.
Thank you for spreading the word Please consider Joining Protect The Wolves with just $1.00 per month to help get our research into the Courts. Our Research is different from all other Large Ngos. They hope that the Public would also like to begin changing the Status Quo and get a different path and Research into the Courts. https://continuetogive.com/protectthewolves