Eye Of The Hunter™ - Rocky Mountain Elk vs. North Yellowstone Wolf

Eye Of The Hunter™ examines the effect government introduced wolf populations have had on elk and deer hunters in the Paradise Valley, Montana with long time outfitter Bill Hoppe.

[@Adventure.Discovered]

As the elk population declines so will the wolf population. We have Wolves and elk living together in Canada. There is still a lot of game to be had. The game #'s will fluctuate just like the coyote and the hare. in time things will balance out.

[@jamiemenuez]

we generate millions of dollars with deer and elk hunters, zero with wolves.

[@cuttzizzle]

" . . . the mountain sheep numbers are down." - He's blaming the wolves for that . Yet he has domestic sheep in that area and they are known to spread disease to wild sheep.

[@FiresteelFilms]

Probably the best bet it to manage ALL wild animals - prey and predator species. Man has a serious foot print. Time to be a good steward.

[@mikehenggeler4421]

The "huge herds of migrating elk" were not natural because there was no balance. Thus, that was not a desirable condition. Nature is at its best, its healthiest, when there is balance. The folly of mankind--thinking that God's handiwork can be improved upon.

[@jimsmith1506]

There is a big difference between rural Canada and the lower 48, especially the northern rockies.

[@jimsmith1506]

I would love to open up on a pack of wolves if I saw it attacking an elk. I could limit out with 5 shots.

[@codegood1024]

And these guys think there are no elk yet but having wolves stalking and chasing them all the time have caused them to be more elusive and on the move a lot more often. And i read that there are nearly 120,000 elk in montana and USFWS say the preferred population to sustain themselves is 90,000 so there are more elk than people claim just harder to find. There are herds that have lower populations than before but not all of them and its not only from 1700 wolves omg there so over populated! Lol

[@live2ridesleds]

Thanks Thomas!!! URGH, we need a Open hunting season on them!!!!

[@StevenAndTraceyJiles]

How do we know the elk aren't migrating away from the wolves...?

[@redshaftedflicker]

The wrong wolf was introduced, plain and simple and hasn't been managed properly. I don't know about you, but it's nice to see elk in YNP which has decreased dramatically.

[@YNP_Wolf_Lover]

It isn't decimating the wildlife. It bring the elk numbers to healthy numbers [Before they were overgrazing and reducing everything for every species from bird, small carnivores, etc..] Even aspen didn't have time to grow before being eaten. Elks had come to a point where the health of the herds dropped because of surpopulation of elks, the limited ressources [They were 18 000 - 20 000 elks in winter in YNP in the 1990's]. They were competitioning between their own species for food. Why ? Because grizzly bears & mountain lions mostly hunt young elks on occasional events [Birthing season especially]. Since elks numbers were very very high [even surpassing the support capacity of the system], the number of wolves reach these numbers of 160 as you said. But the estimate of 80-100 is observable. Elk numbers are healthy & diseases free [Wolves removed them], they are now under the support capacity of the ecosystem. With this said, when the elk numbers became healthy & stable again, the wolf population follow their curves. It was because of the tremendous numbers of elks in the early days of wolf reintroduction that they reach such numbers, then a predicted & observable drop in wolves was observable, following not directly [but somewhat], the number of elks.

[@rockinpiano1]

Take care of them like they used to. There's a reason our forefathers wiped them out. We're a predator and they're a predator competeing for the same pray. Animals have lost their natural fear of humans. You can see it the way the sea lions and seals invade our rivers going after endangered salmon runs. You can see it with the increased couger attachs on humans and pets. I know folks that dust these kinda animals every chance they get.

[@ClaireDuggins]

Gray wolves aren't endangered...

[@brianhoppe9925]

Claire Duggins they should be

[@coreylevine3856]

no one say anything about the coyotes