[QUOTE=sheepguide;2148102]Not blaming wolves for the big sheep, but for sure sheep in general!!!!! And at that wolves are being blamed for the decline in most of our biggame species in many areas!!
[B]And yep many see trappers as not pulling their weight on this front.
Sheep...maybe your reply should have said...And yep Sheep, myself, and I see trappers as not pulling ...
There is no doubt that wolves can kill a large amount of game if not well-managed. I do not have sheep in my area but have seen what damage they can do to a deer or moose population. That said, it looks like you're venting and pointing fingers at trappers for your own selfish reasons...getting more and bigger sheep on the mountain...while hoping trappers do part of the work for you. If you are so concerned about the wolf population, why not spend less time chasing cats and snowmobiling as you say you do in your area and set out baits or do some calling on your own...to help alleviate a situation you perceive as a problem. To generalize that trappers are not doing enough is putting the blame in the wrong place. I am a hunter and a trapper and I try to hunt and trap both my RFMA and private land as much as possible to reduce wolf and coyote numbers...not only for the fur harvest but also with the big game populations in mind. My harvest usually runs from 4 to 15 wolves a year. That said, wolves are a very smart animal that learn to avoid traps and snares quickly and short of poisoning them, you can't eliminate them. Also, the monetary return for the work involved in both trapping and skinning wolves is quite low compared to other species such as fisher and marten, thus, some trappers don't go after wolves very hard. In my area, you can hunt but not trap wolves as a resident hunter at certain times of the year...even on registered lines. Why not be part of the solution and go take some wolves out yourself? Spend less time starting all these posts venting at trappers and go out there and chase wolves...just saying.
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