Remember when our government announced the big plan to re-introduce the gray wolf to America? Fanfare and lot’s of bravos from all we animal lovers. Boos and Lot’s of raspberries from the cattle ranchers.
It’s proceeding about as well as expected. It’s a loser for the wolves, the cattlemen, the animal lovers and the government. Several cattle ranches in New Mexico where the wolves were situated are going out of business. Wolves killing the cattle on top of a drought and low beef prices have done them in. The government can’t enforce it’s stated policy to destroy wolves who have killed cattle a third time. The government can’t reimburse ranchers for their cattle killed by wolves. For reasons the government can’t explain the wolves are not reproducting at the expected rate. (productivity is always low for government workers) One small pack where the two adults have a missing front paw each have killed 10 calves in the recent months since they can’t hunt normal prey.
It’s much like the government run wild horse program I’ve written about twice. Millions of dollars spent and no one is happy with the results. Unlike the wolf project the horses are multiplying so fast the land set-aside won’t support them. Plus, in this economy people are dumping their horses into the herd land.
Now the government wants to round up 25,000 wild horses and burros and move them to the Midwest. They have 32,000 in federal corrals. The tab for this year will be $50 million to manage the wild horse problem, up from $32 million last year. At this rate Salazar will have a budget of $100 million just to horse around. And, the problem will just keep growing and growing.
Maybe the solution is to move the wolves to where the horses are. Since they are talking about euthanizing the horses, the wolves can spare them the trouble. Better they eat the horses than the cash crops of poor ranchers or the elk and deer they are eating now.
Do you really want this organization taking over this country? Running everything from GM and Chrysler to health care?
Let’s ask them to get the wolves and horses right before we add to their plate. Then, work on the post office, Amtrak, and Social Security.
One last thought. Maybe we should ship the wolves to Washington. With 600 elected politicians the 50 wolves could survive for a year or so and we could have a version of term limits. After all every politician need not worry about outrunning the wolves, just outrun the fat Senator, or an old one like Byrd who is beside you. Anyone who survived a year of outrunning their own wolves might merit the job.
