Live data from Hacker News

Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

npr.org

191–200 of 255 posts

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#191

Copying from an old comment of mine: "As someone who grew up in a wolf reintro zone I have a few comments and opinions to help others have more productive conversations. First, not all wolf reintro's are the same. Each ecosystem is different and the scientific justifications need to be done for each, and the papers for one do not necessarily apply to the other. The Yellowstone program may have been a success, but oth…

I lived in NE WA and still have property there (working our way back out there). The hubris and ignorance displayed by many wolf management critics often knows no bounds. They are often completely unaware of how range land is priced and managed nor how the wolf management program works.

However, with all the concern expressed for the gray wolf, I have yet to see wolves re-introduced into the many acres of protected greenspace on the west side of the state.

I am sure the western side the Cascades can use more wolves to cut down the deer overpopulation and coyotes.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#192

Here in Wisconsin the wolf argument is a wealthy vs poor issue. Specifically, it is mostly the southern wealthy urbanites and suburbanites dictating to the poorer northern half of the state that they must put up with the re-introduction of wolves. It would be much less of an issue if the wolves were also introduced into the county forests and state parks in the southern half of the state where the wealthy urbanites a…

You are dramatically overstating the north-south divide in Wisconsin and the idea that “Southern Wisconsinites like the idea of having a wolf population” is the primary concern here is just insulting. In particular, while rural people are (quite understandably) more anti-wolf than urban people, the difference is not nearly as large as you suggest. And a huge part of the existing difference is about deer hunting compe…

I think city people should keep their opinions to themselves. You don't ask people in rural areas how cities should be organised either.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#193
post #52
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Things like that have bad incentive structures and will be gamed

You have to understand farmers and farming. Do you think a true farmer is more dedicated to completing government paperwork or more dedicated to raising another head of livestock? For the gamers/hackers, this is why we fund judges, prosecutors, investigators, and the rest of the court system. You cannot make the case that 5% of those with bad intentions ruin it for the 95% of those with good intentions. Not saying th…

I've never heard of co-pasturing donkeys to combat predators before. How does that work? That's neat.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#194
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why we don't just pay the ranchers for livestock killed Ah ha. A HN thread close to home (I live within earshot of wolves in Montana). So...we do [1], [2]. Ranchers (generalizing, of course) just don't like wolves. It's a really deep cultural thing. So if you as president want to take some step that will cause a bunch of folks in ranching areas to high five, you'd delist wolves. That they may not in fact be impacte…

In Norway we pay ranchers for sheep which are taken by wolves. They still really hate wolves. More sheep are taken by wolverines, lynx and bears yet the ranches are still keen on full extermination of the wolf population.

Yep, is a scapegoat species that always pays for all. Must be noted that the entire population of wolves in Norway comprises 68 animals or so.

Spain has 2000.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#195
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Norway we pay ranchers for sheep which are taken by wolves. They still really hate wolves. More sheep are taken by wolverines, lynx and bears yet the ranches are still keen on full extermination of the wolf population.

It's not unreasonable. Wolves are among the few predators that can and will attack humans . That the wolves, themselves, now have a deep-set fear of humanity and would only dare to do so if they're desperate and starving... is a distant second to that same deep-set cultural fear of wolves. Unpopular Opinion Time: The ecosystem damage from not having apex predators is large enough that it might be worth a few human li…

The wolf is the species of animal that has saved more human lifes also (excepting humans of course). Is also in a really select club of animals deliberately adopting and taking care of lost children. They had a strong desire to protect cubs.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#196

Copying from an old comment of mine: "As someone who grew up in a wolf reintro zone I have a few comments and opinions to help others have more productive conversations. First, not all wolf reintro's are the same. Each ecosystem is different and the scientific justifications need to be done for each, and the papers for one do not necessarily apply to the other. The Yellowstone program may have been a success, but oth…

I lived in NE WA and still have property there (working our way back out there). The hubris and ignorance displayed by many wolf management critics often knows no bounds. They are often completely unaware of how range land is priced and managed nor how the wolf management program works. However, with all the concern expressed for the gray wolf, I have yet to see wolves re-introduced into the many acres of protected g…

Well, it seems like education on the topic would be a good start. Do you know of any good introductions to the topic for laymen?

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#197
post #73

Yeah this is a bit premature. I dunno why we don't just pay the ranchers for livestock killed (it's pretty rare) and everyone goes home happy? Apex predator reintroduction is a good litmus test for how much conservation we can stomach, so I think it's important that we get this right.

> why we don't just pay the ranchers for livestock killed This path has been explored in Europe and is a mistake. 1) Killing a few wolves increases , not decreases damages (by altering the social structure of the pack). More paradoxical, killing all wolves in an area increases the attacks to small cattle in that area (even if there is not a single alive wolf anymore). Because wolf attacks are a very special case. The…

One of the most bizarre cases that I remember is a family trying to bill a wolf attack to the government showing the rests of a barbecue as a proof of the attack. Apparently the (very smart) wolves managed somehow to shoot the cow in the head with a firearm before to cook it. And this is a real history.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#198
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you are for the reintroduction of wolves where you live your opinion on this is selfish. Too many wealthy urbanites and subutbanites have a not-in-my-backyard mentality about wolves.

I live in a rural area with lots of coyotes, and I'd welcome a return of wolves to deal with the over-abundance of deer.

Plus the benefit of deterring coyotes from the area

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#199
post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't graze your livestock on public land and then act confused when the public has a say.

The "public" is not an abstract noble concept. How would you feel if the "public" wanted to tell you what programming language you had to use? The public doesn't like bugs, and they heard that Java is safer, so you have to use that now.

If I was coding my private program to run on a publicly owned & operated supercomputer, I expect I would say please & thank you.

Re: Gray Wolves to Be Removed from Endangered Species List

#200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's such a rare occurrence, is there an opportunity for insurance companies to provide solutions instead of the government?

I don't think so - because the ranchers would still bear all of the costs of the problem of having wolves exist. Insurance doesn't transfer costs to the whole group that benefits from the existence of wolves. Having the costs come from the public purse seems like a good way to do that fairly. Although in the case of wolves, it seems like politics seem to play as much or more of a role than fairness.

Farmers receive huge services from wolves, maybe they should pay for them also.

Wolves remove wild grazers increasing the amount of pasture available for cattle. Wolves clean scabies in deer, lyme disease, and bovine tuberculosis in wild boars that would otherwise end in the cattle or the farmer. Wolves reduce the coyotes population. Reduce the car accidents against deer crossing the road. Wolves protect trees and allow forests to grow. Without mention that wolves provide huge and easily measurable economical benefits to tourism.

Post reply on HN