Wolves Missing In Gila Forest
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/263631nm11-21-07.htm
Wolves Missing In Gila Forest
By Rene Romo
Copyright © 2007 Albuquerque Journal; Journal Southern Bureau
LAS CRUCES— The suspicious disappearance of the three-member Durango wolf pack is the latest blow to the endangered Mexican gray wolf recovery program in southwestern New Mexico.
The pack, including two adults outfitted with radio collars that continue to transmit even if the wolf is dead, hasn’t been detected since early this month.
"We couldn’t find them," said Elizabeth Slown, spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Now their fate is considered unknown. … It’s perplexing. You could see one collar malfunctioning, but this would have to be two collars malfunctioning."
Advocates of the program say it is suspicious for several wolves to suddenly go undetected after weeks of searches.
The Catron County commission on Nov. 7 warned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that it planned to trap the Durango pack’s alpha male, known as AM973, which the county considered a "dangerous wolf" because it had repeatedly gone near a home on the Adobe Ranch in northern Catron County.
"I would say it (the pack’s disappearance) is both worrisome and unusual," said Dave Parsons, a conservation biologist with the Albuquerque-based Rewilding Institute and the former Fish and Wildlife Service coordinator for the program.
Laura Schneberger, president of the Gila Livestock Growers Association, agreed the disappearance is suspicious but added, "None of us had anything to do with it."
The association has been critical of the wolf reintroduction because of repeated livestock kills and concerns about human safety.
"Of course it’s suspicious," Schneberger said. "That’s what happens when you have a bunch of wolves running around people’s houses and camps. They are going to get killed, because people can’t put up with them. … Is anyone surprised that the Durango pack has gone missing after they were allowed to become so habituated?"
The pack, including an adult male and female and an uncollared pup, was last seen Nov. 1 near the ranch house in the northeast section of the Gila National Forest.
The recovery program has tried to track the wolves in aerial and ground searches.
There were 59 wolves at the beginning of the year in the recovery area, which includes national forests in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico.
Since the endangered wolves were reintroduced to the recovery area in 1998, 26 have died from poaching, Slown said.
Slown said it is possible to disable a collar, but, she added: "A person could do that; a bear couldn’t."
The killing of an endangered species is a federal offense.
While a solitary wolf is more likely to roam long distances, packs tend to remain in established territories, Parsons said, and the Durango pack was known to hang around one ranch. "It would be unusual for them to just go completely out of radar range," Parsons said.
The Durango pack’s alpha female was ordered killed in July for repeated livestock depredations, weeks after she birthed a litter of four pups. Slown said it appeared only one of those pups survived to November.
Parsons said the loss of the Durango pack’s alpha male is "a fairly serious blow" because it possessed the genetic make-up of three remaining Mexican wolf lineages and because, with a new mate, it was set to reproduce again next spring.
"From a cumulative perspective, that’s a lot of growth potential down the drain," Parsons said.
November 21st, 2007 at 11:59 am
I like my quotes, out of context as usual but what the heck. Sorry if I sounds like I didn’t care what happened to the poor wolves. But wow come to think of it, I don’t care. I am relieved!!! I am GLAD they are not allowed to threaten Micah and mess up her freedom to roam around her own yard any longer, I mean 7 months was a long time to let this go on and on and on. How long were FWS willing to let that behavior go on? Obviously indefinently. From the sound of it Dave Parsons is probably glad that our kids are available as potential alternative prey for these things. He doesn’t appear to be at all concerned that the ever important male wolf made a habit out of habituating other wild wolves and risking their success in the actual wild by bringing them to homes and camps and accosting people.
But this is what we have come to, the FWS doesn’t care that the wolves are threatening people and people will tolerate it if they abosultely have to, just like everyone around here has bee doing, but they seemed to forget that there were probably 50-100 deer hunters around when the wolves went missing who didn’t feel it is necessary to put up with that behavior.
Our major concern at the time the wolves went awol was that they had just killed a grown cow. The last signal I am aware of from them was on the 4th, they killed the cow (confirmed by the way) between the 4th and 5th right next to the main road and several deer camps and the plane didn’t pick up their signal on the 6th. Gee wonder what happened to them?
Even I thought it was a collar malfunction but after a week with them not showing up at the Garcia Camp to harrass and threaten the family there, we knew they must be gone. So all I can say is Great problem solved. The only con to this is my neighbors are as usual the focus of unwarranted and unfair suspicion and regardless of how patiently they have handled this situation for the past several years.
November 21st, 2007 at 2:57 pm
The USFWS and their puppet masters, the Dehumanization Institute, are fully aware of the behavior the Durango pack during the last 7 months. They approved of, encouraged, and were very happy that those wolves were on a private ranch harassing the residents and killing their livestock.
Parsons et al. make no bones about the fact that their mission is to drive humanity of the land. Look at the name of their outfit. They hate people, and are actively bringing as much harm to the residents as they possibly can, whether it be by vicious predators, vicious lawsuits, vicious accusations, or their vicious hate-based media campaign.
The most dangerous predators in NM are the human perpetrators of all that hatred and endless attacks on the residents, the various enviro-hate groups and their lackeys in the Federal government.
November 21st, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Wolfie burgers with cheese anyone, I also have some really spicy wolfie burger and black bean chili, with some diced Jalepeno’s, onions, with cheese. Garlic bread for dipping. I will supply a herb package for your cleanse later to rid yourself of those unwanted pests which come from eating wolfie. good day.
November 24th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
“Of course it’s suspicious,” said Laura Schneberger, president of the Gila Livestock Growers Association. But, she said, “None of us had anything to do with it.”
This paraphrased quote is the new staple of the Associated press version of this article although it certianly isn’t context in which it was said.
Do you think you think maybe these reporters could use a little more context to our quotes next time, that is, if there is a next time.
This gives the impression that I am on the defensive here and maybe we did have something to do with it after all. This is why nobody out here wants to talk to the press.
None, let me repeat it, no ranchers have ever, ever, ever been accused of killing any of these wolves even though many have been harrassed. But then civil rights attorneys are few and far between in this country so that is to be expected.
The Abq Journal sure was careful to give Dave Parsons the author of this disastrous program a full credibility work up when all of this is his responsibility for his fraudulent implementation of this program the EIS and final rule.
Nobody ever asks Dave about his absolute lies written into the EIS that we are now dealing the reality of.
Go read it sometime and see what he wrote that we have to live under even though there is no basis in fact or in science.
Rene, what the heck have you got against these people out here is it something specific, or is it just the usual rancher hatred that is so popular in today’s culture man you are good, one quote for the AP and a little tiny bit more substance for the Journal.
November 24th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Well hey, with the passing of H.R. 1955, conveniently during those raging fires over by San Diego, The house of Reps passed the ” Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007.” Now the FWS can pick us up and use torture to make us tell where the wolves are. ” We Know you guys did it.” Its a MAD MAD MAD MAD World. We are losing our Republic, for good, and we are fighting over a stupid dog. 500 deer hunters, hmmm……not to hard to figure what went on is it, wonder what State the collars are in now.
November 24th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
It is shocking that while these wolves have harassed a family with a child for 2 years now they are concerned because the wolves are missing. Where was the concern when the wolves were doing the wrong thing and training their pups to do bad stuff?
Where was the concern for the humans?
What is more important human rights or the rights of these wolves? I say this family’s human rights were violated.
I think if these people think it is not bad to have wolves in your yard they should be willing to have wolves in their yard.
November 25th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I have attended wolf meetings and actually sat next to a wolf spotter who twice stated that all humans should be destroyed so that the wolf could live. I looked at her and asked, “Shall we start at your house?” It went over her head. The second time she made that statement, I repeated my question. She still didn’t get it.
Those who don’t live with this problem have all the answers, and mostly it is that we should die and the wolf live. What about all the other wildlife? What if we all went to the cities and demanded that all the humans be destroyed or removed so that all the polution will dissolve and never return? After all, we all want to live in a clean and pollution free world.
How come nobody sees this double standard?
November 25th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Because they are insane indoctrinated mindbots, I for the life of me can find no difference between these people and Lenin, Trotsky, Hitler, And Hitlers Brown shirts, while they did the same thing in Germany, people could not reach them intellectually either. Like I said before, I have got some of these people to change sides over to our side, with truth and respect and facts, others will never never stop, they will see us dead first. Thus the lady at the meeting not responding to your comment of ” Shall we start at your house first” Because she knows she has already started at your house Carrie, and mine, and whomever stands in their way.
I attempted to blog at the Robert Maughn web site today, I was very nice, truthful, and presented facts and common sense, Robert deleted my lengthy reply, He is only enterested in his deception. Just look at the photo over there of Robert sitting his horse, He is a green horn, and you can see it in the still frame, Martingale, holding the reins up to high and spread out like a greener. No britchin, no shoulder harness, new saddle. The guy is a deception. I dont think these people have clue what they really want. Im sure Robert knows me, Ive debated Marvel and crushed him, Ive debated most of the advocates in this area and I bring so much factual evidence to the table they get up and leave, and all I did was smile.
Only those who have integrity and morals will come to the side of truth, the rest have nothing in them….no soul, no honor, no conscience. You guys just wait and see, when a child dies, they will say it was the childs fault, or the parents fault for neglect……you watch.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Your respondents thus far sound ignorant regarding the reality of wolf attacks on humans, and extremely unsympathetic to the wolf reintroduction program. Is it possible to educate this type of person or should we simply recognize they are unreasonable? These wolf killers are costing tax payers a lot of money. There must be safer, more remote places to release wolves into the wild. And I must agree that since the Durango pack was spotted several times near a ranch in hostile territory to the wolves, they needed to be trapped and relocated promptly. The Fish and Wildlife Dept. should be relieved of its responsibilities in regard to the wolf reintroduction program in NM, since they are a large part of the problem. As I recall it was this organization that killed the female wolf, a nursing mother, and then turned their gun on a state female worker who came in person to deliver the Governor’s order to not kill the wolf. She couldn’t prove that they threatened her, but whatever happened she fled the state immediately. I’d like to also see an end to cattle grazing in national forests. Public lands should be managed for the public at large and not contribute to anyone’s private profit.
December 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I don’t think these people are ignorant about wolf attacks on humans Julia there are a dozen scientific reports on the subject here on the website that indicate they are better read than most on the subject.
They do have to live with these wolves unlike you are anyone else who are so sympathetic to them. Being up close and personal makes a person have to face reality and it is certainly better to be safe than sorry.
I agree someone should have done something to deal with the Durango pack behavior a long time before they went missing. The mother was not lactating the pup was weaned and it was fine without her, there is video of that fact if you are interested. The Durango was initially released into a safer more remote part of the Gila, they didn’t choose to stay there and ran off almost immediately. Also on this web site.
Probably beucase it is already occupied by other wolves who chased them out. But nobody seems to worry about that fact. The appropriate habitat is already taken up by wolves there is no more left in this area. Just because extremist groups can’t see them every day like those who live there do is no reason not to believe there are wolves out there.
As far as ignornace goes, FWS are responsible for the removal order for all problem wolves, this type of decision is based on the law and the rule for management. It is New Mexico game and fish that is playing games with wolf management and who should be removed from the program decisionmaking as all politically motivated decisions are coming out of their offices these days and that is a bad thing for the wolves. It is creating a prolonged problem and making more depredating wolves than otherwise.
Our public lands, as you so flippantly call them were set into place to be undeveloped, while still providing economic benefit to the local areas, it is federal law. So you just can’t have your way on that issue by throwing an “its mine all mine” tantrum. The law is on our side and to remove economic benefits from the land leads to development of the land. Do you really want that?
The person who couldn’t proove she was assulted by WS officers could not do so becuase she lied. She was unwilling to take a polygraph when asked and all three WS officers were willing. What does that tell you.
Who is ignorant here? YOU are.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:00 am
to hell with the wolf, it sucks, it does no good, and its plain ugly. like any other pest it needs to be removed. dont let the political correct nutcases make you feel bad about saying what you think. i want the wolf gone, and if i goes extinct i coulc care less. better them than me. the pro wolf times dont give a rats @## about the elk and deer and will let that go extinct for the sake of their political agenda. i cant eat a wolf, i can eat ungulates. and when this contry conforms to socialism and drives the economy into the ground, hunting, fishing, and farming will be how i put food on the table.