Originally posted by Art Eatman:
buck460, I wouldn't call it hypocrisy. The dog and I are not in competition over a cat, but the wolf and I are in competition over a nice buck. Or a coyote and I over quail.
You are correct Art, in content of that text, that is not an example of hypocrisy, but of Human greed and selfishness. If the wolf doesn't kill the buck or the 'yote don't get the quail, they could starve to death. You on the other hand won't starve or even go hungry that night. You are hunting them only for the sport, but are still jealous of them when they have to kill to survive. Funny, folks shoot the wolves so they don't kill the big buck they want, but then need to shoot does and fawns with crop damage permits because they are becoming pests. Sorry, but in my opinion, that is hypocrisy.
Originally posted by DannyB1954: Dogs are wolves that have been bread into different physical characteristics.
People who want to save wild dangerous animals never have to deal with them. Their thinking is as long as I am safe and secure, screw the people who do not live in my neighborhood.
Apparently you don't know where I live. One of the largest packs of wolves in the state resides on 60,000 acres of federal land that can be seen from my backyard. The DNR killed a pack of nine nuisance wolves two years ago not more than a 10 minute drive from my house. Last Saturday my youngest son and I went grouse hunting and came across several sets of fresh wolf tracks in areas where deer are starting to yard for the winter. Deer yard in the same areas that grouse tend to like this time of year. So your general statement there is wrong, not only about those that want to protect wolves, but also in the ridiculous statement they are dangerous. Those dogs you speak of are not that far from their original wolf bloodlines and kill more humans and domestic animals every year than wolves. There is no evidence anywhere that anytime in the history of the world that wolves have completely eliminated a species of animals to the point of extinction. Actually, there is little or no evidence that any predator, since the time of the dinosaur, has made a prey animal extinct other than man. Tell me, of these, what dangerous animals are being protected?
Originally posted by Lucas McCain:
Buck 460, do you believe that the wolf we are introducing today in areas are the same genetics and DNA of old? You seem to be very educated on the traits and habits of wolves. I am interested in your thoughts on the hybridization of the grey wolf, so would you please comment on that subject.
I'm sure there has been a cross breeding of wolves as they they travel naturally to restock themselves and also when reintroduced. This hybridization like any hybrid can result in a bigger/stronger or a smaller/weaker cross. Unlike many hybrids, they still can breed. Mother nature over thousands of years of evolution generally produced strains of animals that were appropriate for the game in the area as well as the climate and habitat. Extermination did away with many of these strains and sub-species. Introducing animals into areas where the original strains were eradicated has led to folk's concern that the new introduced strain is more aggressive than the original. Could very well be in some cases. Again, man tryin' to intervene and correct one screw-up often produces another. Most times tho, the packs initial population explodes not because of their aggression or superiority, but because game is plentiful. This means game is plentiful for wolf populations to increase, not necessarily plentiful enough for every hunter that goes into the woods to bag a big buck. Around here the biggest problem with hybrids is not from the wolves themselves but from humans breeding wolf-cross hybrids. These animals have the size and the killing capabilities of wild wolves, with the lack of fear of humans of their domesticated parent. People breed them because pups can sell for thousands of dollars. Pups that don't get sold, often times are released when they get large and hard to control and the food bill gets high. Folks that buy pups many times release these animal for the same reasons. Wolf cross animals released to the wild, go directly to human habitation looking for food. These are the animals around here most likely to prey on domestic animals and don't run when approached. Folks automatically assume they are true wolves. The only way, even for an expert to tell the difference between these wolf cross animals and true wolves is thru DNA testing.