It is truly ironic that with Wyoming Elk hunters as successful as they have ever been and who consistently blast over 22,000 Elk from their woodlands and open spaces, still make the Wolf, Puma, Griz and Black Bear out to be the epitome of "EVIL INCARNATE".................In fact 2012, set an all time high record for Elk killed--over 26,000 of the browsers were removed from the population---And still, the cry is heard to expand the Wolf hunting and trapping season................As George Wuerthner points out in our email exchange(see below)-----"Gosh I wonder how this is happening with all those wolves in Wyoming "decimating" the elk hunting opportunities just like in Montana where the majority of elk management units are at or above objectives".

Wyoming has record elk harvest in 2012

From: George Wuerthner [mailto:gwuerthner@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 02:16 PM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: Fwd: Wyoming has record elk harvest in 2012  

Exactly. That is the way to view this and it is not often stated, though it's there as the underlying issue. Same for wolf proponents. Many of us see changing the way predators are treated as a way to make atonement for past misdeeds. So wolves represent more than an animal for both camps.

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On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Meril, Rick <Rick.Meril@warnerbros.com> wrote:

The bizarre and intense anger of the wyoming hunting and ranching folks (as u have stated) is much more related to general federal government hatred than wolves per se

Wolves become the public face of all things Uncle Sam evil incarnate

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Wolves kill Elk in Wyoming but leave more than enough for human hunters

From: George Wuerthner [mailto:gwuerthner@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 02:03 PM
To: Meril, Rick
Subject: Re: Fwd: Wyoming has record elk harvest in 2012  

Yes isn't it amazing. You would not believe this could be happening given all the rhetoric from outfitters, RMEF and others.

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On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 2:01 PM, Meril, Rick <Rick.Meril@warnerbros.com> wrote:

They are raining Elk faster from the sky than the wolves can catch them :))))))))

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From: George Wuerthner [mailto:gwuerthner@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2013 01:19 PM
To: Ron Moody <couleeking@hotmail.com>
Cc: Bob Ream <bobream@mt.net>; Dan Vermillion <dan@sweetwatertravel.com>
Subject: Fwd: Wyoming has record elk harvest in 2012  

Gosh I wonder how this is happening with all those wolves in Wyoming "decimating" the elk hunting opportunities just like in Montana where the majority of elk management units are at or above objectives.

In today's Bozeman Daily Chronicle, P. C6, I read,

Elk hunters in Wyoming killed a record number of elk last year.

The wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that favorable hunting conditions, long seasons and a growing elk population all contributed to hunters killing the highest number of elk ever in 2012.

According to the game department's recently completed harvest survey, just over 57,000 hunters killed 26,385 elk last year.  that amounts to a 46 percent success rate.

Last year's total exceeds the previous high of 25,692 elk killed by hunters in 2010.

Wyoming hunters have averaged over 22,000 elk annually with a hunter success rate of greater than 40 percent over the past 10 years.

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Wyoming has record elk harvest in 2012

billingsgazette.com

CHEYENNE — Elk hunters in Wyoming killed a record number of elk last year.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reported that favorable hunting conditions, long seasons and a growing elk population all contributed to hunters killing the highest number of elk ever in 2012.

According to the game department's recently completed harvest survey, just over 57,000 hunters killed 26,385 elk last year. That amounts to a 46 percent success rate.

Last year's total exceeds the previous high of 25,692 elk killed by hunters in 2010.

Wyoming hunters have averaged over 22,000 elk annually with a hunter success rate of greater than 40 percent over the past 10 years.