dogwhcker, remember when you told me that predator control in the basin was a conspiracy to boost wildlife #'s to feed wolves? You know, the secret operation to place wolves in places like 15 Mile, Gooseberry, the Peaks, etc.,...terrain and an ecosystem that was never conducive to wolf habitation. If I recall, it was also mentioned that you've 'called' in wolves waaaay out in the high desert, miles and miles away from where wolves are known to be. I've hunted this entire Basin pretty hard, and have yet to see an actual wolf or even sign out there. Wyo. Drifter and a few other locals on this thread hunt the area just as hard as I do, and have yet to report of a wolf.
What group do you represent on the Bighorn Co. pred board?
Duane@ssu, you stated something to the effect of "all of those whining about lack of access"...I've read through the entire thread and nobody here was whining, if I missed it, please point it out. One member by Shoshoni was lamenting local ranchers closing access because of apparent trespassing/shenanigans, but wasn't 'whining'. Easy to gloss over some of these long threads and mis-read, I've been guilty of that myself
What hunters can do to help out with the neighboring ranchers, regardless of private land or public leases, is to show respect.
-if it's private land,simply ask permission!
if it's public land, stay on the established roads, close gates, be a 3rd eye out there, notify the leaseholder or governing agency if you see any problems, such as vandalism, sick or dead livestock, off-roading, pick up trash,etc,. All of these claims of shot/rustled livestock, windmills turned off, gates left open...we all know that responsible hunters aren't guilty these things, but slobs are...I understand the frustration but, let's not loose track of that on a hunting forum. If it's public land, NEVER apologize for being there - and always FIGHT for legal access, but do help the other users. Isn't the motto of the Dept. of the Interior "land of many uses"? There are also rockhounds, arrowhead hunters, trailbikers, photographers, oil/mineral workers, etc., out there - they need to follow a code of ethics, too.
Again, be responsible out there, be respectful of the landowner/leaseholder, expect this of others and lend a helping hand, when you can. Quite a bit of the acess roads and water out there in the high desert was developed by ranchers, usually quite a bit if not the entire of amount of $$$ out there own pocket (there are exceptions). This water not only serves the livestock, but is also utilized by wildlife. This may sould a little cliche', but consider the opportunity to hunt a 'partnership' with landowners/leaseholders...be cognizant of other users out there that have every right to be there, also...even if it's a dreaded Easterner that had high hopes for a hunting trip out West
I live here in the Basin, hunt as hard as I can...I also have a farming/ranching background, have been a public land leaseholder myself. If you're 'in the know', most of the ADC stuff is understandable, if you're not, then I can completely understand the confusion. A majority, but not all of the ADC work recently done in Wyoming makes perfect sense. Unless you have connections or know of the right people, it's hard to get a straight answer. Wyoming as 23 Counties, all but 6 have predator boards. Pred. board members are people, too...some have it together, some don't. The burden of knowing what is really going on is the burden of the inquirer...it shouldn't be that hard
I'm going to take a little bit of responsibity here. SM Snyder had PM'd in regards to hunting Bighorn County and the surrounding Basin before his trip...I basically gave him a quick, generic reply stating that alot of ADC work was being conducted in the area, and the the calling might be a little tough. In the spirit of being a fellow PM Member and predator hunter, I should of taken the time to provide him with credible contact information so he could make his own assessment. Yes, the burden was ultimately on SM Snyder, guess I could of put more effort in on the matter.