WPM: predator count up, ungulate count down, aspen returning

After Gary Ellenbolt's voice and christian smarminess sent me lunging for an escape from Bill Janklow's idea of public radio, Wyoming Public Radio brought a story of hope.

The interview begins with a back country outfitter whose home is filled with the carcasses of dead animals. His client count has fallen because moose numbers are down due to what he described as spiking numbers of wolves and grizzly bears. His guiding exploits fetch 5000 bucks a pop.

Wyoming game officials have noted decreases in mule deer populations as well. From Willow Belden's (great name) story:

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is seeking public input about how to deal with declining mule deer numbers in the Platte Valley and southern Wyoming. Mule deer populations in southern Wyoming have dropped about 30 percent in the past five years.

In another story, she mentions that stations have been established to inspect hunters' quarries for disease.

The Casper Trib brings this:

When walking through a forest decimated by mountain pine beetles, Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife biologist Tony Mong noticed how hard it was to maneuver around the dead, fallen trees. Dead trees make it hard for elk to move across the landscape because of fallen logs and more vegetation. It also hinders hunters in easily accessing hunting areas and limits hiding cover. The Sierra Madre elk herd is a keystone species in Wyoming, producing more than 30,000 recreation days and $2.6 million in hunter expenditures.

The Trib's Martin Kidston sez:

Three projects are slated for the Wapiti district and one for the Clarks Fork district. The project would treat about 50 acres of aging aspen by cutting back encroaching conifer stands. The effort follows a similar project that took place in 2009 when about 52 acres of aspen were treated. By 2010, officials said, an abundance of aspen sprouts had begun to appear, suggesting the project was a success. The aspen stands provide key habitat for elk, deer, moose, songbirds and other wildlife, officials said.

My takeaway is this: the State of Wyoming is benefiting from inbound hunter revenues while ordering the extirpation of an apex predator leaving We the People to expend resources fighting the effects of beetle kill. WTF?

Nick Gevock of the Montana Standard reports that the wolf slaughter shows no sign of abating anytime soon:

By Monday, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks had checked 44 wolves in the 14 districts statewide. Biologists said that signifies a steady kill with roughly four weeks of deer and elk hunting and two full months of the wolf season remaining. The wolf kill is updated daily at 1 p.m. For information, go to www.fwp.mt.gov and click on "wolf hunt" for a map and the current kill in each district.

Here is some more ammo for ip's concept making the Tohono O'odham Nation a county in a non-contiguous 51st State.