Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials have ordered the killing of the members of the Old Profanity Territory (OPT) family.
Why? To protect cows grazing on public lands.
Last September, WDFW killed two members of the OPT family in an attempt to stop livestock attacks. When the depredations continued, officials attempted to kill the remaining two wolves but were unsuccessful. Director Kelly Susewind then paused action seeking to lethally remove the two remaining wolves from the OPT pack.
Beyond being cruel and in violation of the desires of a majority of Americans, these kill orders are not working.
“WDFW has been killing wolves to deter conflict since 2012 when the agency wiped out the entire Wedge Pack, yet depredations on livestock continue,” said Maggie Howell, executive director of the Wolf Conservation Center. “Peer-reviewed research demonstrates that killing predators is not only an ineffective solution to deter depredation on cows, but it can even result in increased attacks.”
WDFW knows that peer-reviewed research demonstrates that killing predators is not only an ineffective solution to deter depredation on cows, but it can even result in increased attacks on livestock by survivors.
Killing state-endangered wolves on to benefit the profit margins of a private business is wrong on every level.
Please contact WDFW Director Kelly Susewind before it’s too late and respectfully ask him to call off the kill order.
CALL 360-902-2200
E-mail director@dfw.wa.gov
URGENT! Please read and make just one phone call! This could be the fourth time that Washington State politicians kill wolves because of the same rancher, Len McIrvin, who is a known wolf hater and saboteur. McIrvin’s private, non-native cows do not belong on public lands, land that is clearly vital native wolf habitat. PLEASE MAKE ONE PHONE CALL TO: Washington State Governor Jay inslee NOW, tomorrow may be too late. Urge Gov. Inslee to rescind the kill order on these native wolves. Inslee is running for President. Tell him your interest in his candidacy will sky rocket if he rescinds the kill order! Call Gov. Inslee at 360-902-4111, and leave an urgent comment on his comment line. If enough good people call, we have a chance to stop the killing.
Exposing the Big Game 
I’d say WDFW’s method to ‘change wolf behavior’ isn’t working very well. This has been going on since 2012 with the same rancher.
In NM, a rancher who killed a Mexican wolf has had his grazing permit revoked, and has to have his cattle off the public lands by August. He has been the recipient of over $400,000 in government subsidies during his ranching time as well. It’s too bad this guy on the Colville National Forest can’t have his revoked for refusing to cooperate.
Click to access letter%20to%20Forest%20Service%20to%20cancel%20grazing%20permit%20of%20wolf-killer%206%202018.pdf
Like OR, Governor Inslee opposes the national delisting, in opposition to his own state agency.
I feel bad for the cattle in all of these cases, I really do – but you will never convince my that this rancher in WA did not deliberately turn out his herd on a known wolf den site, never.
Instead of penalizing him, the University professor was vilified.
True. it’s not the cows idea to live in the National Forest.
Reblogged this on Armory of the Revolution.
Living here in NM, I am a long-time anti-grazing activist against Public Lands Grazing–anywhere, period. Public Lands ranching is ubiquitous in The West, since the late 1600’s, when these criminals just “took what they wanted, where & when they wanted.”–and it has been going on ever since.
Most regulations or laws to protect wildlife on public lands (or anywhere else), have been written to put the burden of proof on wolves, coyotes and other wild animals, to protect the “scared cow of grazing.” Cattle will roam anywhere, and can roam anywhere; most of us have heard the stories of cattle attacking hikers, damaging fences to get to watering holes, etc. One woman hiking on Open Space outside Boulder, CO., was severely injured from an attack by a cow–they are very big animals. She even tried to sue, but nothing happened, because western law Protects the Sanctity of the Cattle Industry. Many cattle just die out on the range–they wander where they want, but will often seek wet areas to trample on to get to water.
This rancher in WA is doing what he is allowed to do. The wolves, coyotes, prairie dogs, wolverines, foxes, bears, etc. have no rights.
I have often preached this, but nothing seems to change: If “wildlife groups” spent as much time Against Public Lands Ranching as they do on compromise with ranchers, the wild lands and wildlife might not be in such dire trouble. But, most of this falls on deaf ears, and it has become worse, now due to climatic changes.
It’s the same story everywhere across the West.
I just called Gov. Inslee and left a good message: Cows do not belong on these lands. Wolves do. I also stated that I will be following this, as I have been following his efforts to run for President.
It’s a contradiction for him…