10/29/2018 0 Comments Coyotes, Wolves, and Bears, Oh My!Hey folks, This is Daniel ’22 and Hannah ’22 from the Wolves of Montana trip! Today we jumped right in to our discussion of wolves with three different community partners. At 9:30, we left our friendly hostel and drove to meet with Julie Cunningham and Abby Nelson from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the organization in charge of managing wildlife in Montana. Julie taught us about the North American model of wildlife conservation, which is built on the idea that wildlife is a public resource and held in the public trust, wildlife is killed for reason, management is based on science, and hunting will be done with democratic principles. This model has evolved from the days when wildlife was killed with no thought of the ecological effects this killing had. It was not until Theodore Roosevelt and the first major environmental movement that people realized that unregulated hunting would be unsustainable, and so they began to advocate conservation of these resources. Abby had a lot to say about the specifics of wolf management in Montana. As the wolves were reintroduced under the Endangered Species Act, they were initially managed by the US Fish and Wildlife service, and no hunting was allowed. However, when it was confirmed that wolf populations were well above the initial goals of the program, they were delisted and hunting seasons were opened. Her research involved studying the population through techniques including helicopter tracking and radio collaring to create a model to adequately assess the populations. Currently, about 250 wolves are hunted legally a year in Montana in a population of ~700. We learned that central to the management of all wildlife is the idea that wildlife is managed to the social, not ecological, carrying capacity. In the case of wolves, having this hunting season has created fewer conflicts with humans, while keeping populations at sustainable levels. From there, we hurried to the American Prairie Reserve office. They are a private non-profit organization devoted to creating a large (3 million acre) wildlife reserve in central Montana. They hope to restore the native processes of the prairie by reintroducing a bison herd that has the ability to roam freely and be key engineers of the ecosystem, allowing a large diversity of species to thrive. We met with a post-doctoral researcher, Hila Shamoon, who researches mammals in these ecosystems to figure out how to model this ecosystem to restore it. After leaving the Prairie Reserve, we enjoyed some delicious sandwiches and wraps in the cold of a Bozeman Park. We enjoyed a stunning view of the snow-covered Bridger Mountains before leaving to our final meeting with Rob Arnaud of the Montana Hunting Company. Rob emphasized the role that hunters have had in promoting conservation in the United States. He noted that since humans always have a role in ecosystems, they should manage them for stability of wildlife populations. He believes that wolves have a right to be in the area, but they also must be considered as equals to other animals and should be able to be managed and hunted like any other species. Hunting is a key tool to be able to achieve this goal. We then drove down the beautiful Paradise Valley to our VRBO in Gardiner, MT. As we entered the driveway, we were surprised to see a pair of elk munching on some leaves directly in front the house. Although they gave us some funny looks, they continued to do their thing while we unpacked and explored our home for the next few days. Kelly and Emma cooked us some yummy Ramen, and we enjoyed a nice meal together, talking about everything from glaciers to burial philosophy to tectonic plates. Anyways, we’re signing off until tomorrow, but this was a wonderful way to begin to learn about this complex issue! Best, The Wolfpack
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