Wolves introduced in IL


Bowtech_archer07

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Guest realtrhunter

I love this rumor mill stuff. It has also been said that ILDNR reitroduced Mtn Lions in SIL several years ago. For all the time I spend in the woods down here I have seen no sign at all. NO scenting scratches, no droppings, no tracks no sightings. I have seen them in South Eastern MO though. If there are wolves in IL it will help alot with the over populatin of deer and it will also help our forest ecosystem by cutting the numbers down and letting some of the oaks and hickories have a better chance. Just as the reintroduction has led to the revitilization of aspen in Yellow Stone, by reintroducing the fear factor back into elk and kepping them out of the thick young trees. I would personally like to see alot of animals reintroduced back into their native regions but I know that its not going to happen due to conflicts with the general public and agricultural production. Until there is an actual sighting by someone that truely knows the difference between a wolf and large cyotte, Huskie, or large domesticated dog I will be scepticle.

You also have to relize that animals were made to roam to expand genitic variability and will move out of areas that populations are to high or they are run out by stronger individuals or their habitat is over taken by development. There was a bear found in a farmers field in Western Illinois a year or two ago that was in a den that it had dug to hibernate in. Anything is possible with animals we take for granted that we think we can contral all aspects of things that are wild.

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I know a conservation officer here in IL and he said they have been introduced. I know they are coming in from other states as well.

That is kind of surprising given the experience most have with wildlife officials is to deny deny deny.

Would be kind of curious to as to whether or not there is any information available on a release program.

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I hunt in the Western U.P. and the wolves are terrible. I dont think we will ever be able to get doe permits for our area again. The numbers are way down and the people that own businesses are losing money because people dont travel there like they use to. You can keep those wolves!!!! As far as sightings go, Ive been hunting up there for 18 years and 4 years ago was the first time I seen one and they were introduced to our area long before I first hunted the area. Every year we see less and less deer. I hope they open a wolf season because I will be in line to hunt them things for sure.

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Until there is an actual sighting by someone that truely knows the difference between a wolf and large cyotte, Huskie, or large domesticated dog I will be scepticle.

There has been at least 1 sighting of a family group on a farm about 30 miles west of my hometown. I know the man very well, have worked with him for five years and he knows the difference between a wolf and a coyote.

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I looked on the IDNR website for any info about wolves being introduced to Illinois' backyard and so far, nothing is being reported on their site. That's not to say they haven't but I'd think there'd be more in the news about it. Look at the hoopla made when a Cougar was killed a few years back when it was hit by a train around Quincy. Oddly enough, a 357 lb. Russian Boar was killed by a bowhunter in the same area a few years earlier than the Cougar was killed. I've seen what I thought was a big black cat at my aunt's house when I was a kid but it could have been my imagination. Like they say, truth is stranger than fiction but I'd hold off on separating the two.

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Hasn't wolf reintroduction always been handled by the federal government? I don't think I've ever heard of a state government getting involved, other than those that want to de-list the wolves so that the population can be controlled through hunting. In fact, since wolves are on the ESL for the lower 48, it would probably be illegal for a state agency to do anything with them without close federal supervision.

I suspect that if there ARE wolves in your state, they got there by means of their own four feet. Not by being released by your state's wildlife officers.

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WOLFS are very shy animals if you ever see one you are very lucky, i have hunted canada and was told by the locals that trap there they never saw one in 35 years of trapping , the old saying smarter then a fox was changed to( smarter then a wolf)... something wrong with key board or me... also they will kill and eat anything they think is weaker then they are

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I dont know why you think wolves are shy, I think they are just the opposite. A full grown wolf is not afraid of much. We talked to some guys that were working on a bridge near our hunting area and they said just about every day a wolf would lay in the middle of the road about 150 yards away while they worked. They said he didnt seem worried about anything including them.

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I love this rumor mill stuff. It has also been said that ILDNR reitroduced Mtn Lions in SIL several years ago. For all the time I spend in the woods down here I have seen no sign at all. NO scenting scratches, no droppings, no tracks no sightings. I have seen them in South Eastern MO though. If there are wolves in IL it will help alot with the over populatin of deer and it will also help our forest ecosystem by cutting the numbers down and letting some of the oaks and hickories have a better chance. Just as the reintroduction has led to the revitilization of aspen in Yellow Stone, by reintroducing the fear factor back into elk and kepping them out of the thick young trees. I would personally like to see alot of animals reintroduced back into their native regions but I know that its not going to happen due to conflicts with the general public and agricultural production. Until there is an actual sighting by someone that truely knows the difference between a wolf and large cyotte, Huskie, or large domesticated dog I will be scepticle.

You also have to relize that animals were made to roam to expand genitic variability and will move out of areas that populations are to high or they are run out by stronger individuals or their habitat is over taken by development. There was a bear found in a farmers field in Western Illinois a year or two ago that was in a den that it had dug to hibernate in. Anything is possible with animals we take for granted that we think we can contral all aspects of things that are wild.

Define help :eek:

Curious to see how you feel about wolves when they are in your hunting area. I don't know 1 hunter in Wisconsin who lives with wolves in his area that is in favor of wolves helping to control deer populations....do you?

SSS ;)

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I'm not arguing for or against your point. I just haven't heard about it other than from your post. If they have introduced them then I think it's a mistake because we don't have the right habitat anymore for their needs. We have farmland and not many wooded areas with the right resources to accomodate a re-establishment of multiple packs of wolves. It's just not like it was when they roamed our land over a century ago.

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I would be shocked if Wolves were introduced in Illinois. Way too many people and not near that type of habitat for them....Did I say way too many people. i find that as believeable as the introduction of Grizzly bears into Saskatchewan to control the Black Bears. Some people will say and or believe anything.

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I did a lot of research on wolves i have a wolf dog that is mostly shepard he is fantastic . also most wolf dogs do not make good watch dogs, i say again wolves are very shy animals, my guy is fantastic with my grand kids ages 6,10 and 16 and also with the other kids in the block, as far as stocking wolves to control deer i do not agree with that, like i said (SMART AS A WOLF)...

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