I'm not insecure enough as a hunter, or a person, to believe that apex predators don't have a rightful place on the landscape.
Apex predators are THE litmus test for how we're doing securing habitat, practicing conservation, and keeping large ecosystems intact. Those animals simply would not exist otherwise.
I don't want to hunt in place where wolves, grizzlies, lions, black bears, lynx, bobcats, fisher, wolverine, marten, otters, etc. don't exist...I'll go a step further and say I wouldn't even care to live in such a place either. If we get the point where those animals fail to exist, we've failed and we've failed big.
I don't want to hunt in a place where ungulate populations are essentially game farmed via wiping out apex predators, simply to make it easier for human hunting. Hunting should be hard, if you want it easy, I suggest Texas.
I also don't understand the mentality that every ungulate on planet earth needs to either be on a humans wall or eventually be turned into a human turd. I have no problem with lions, wolves, bears, etc. killing prey species like elk, deer, pronghorn, etc. I also have no problem with ungulates dying of old age either, its not a "waste", its another indication that we're providing everything that animal needs to survive from cradle to grave. THAT is what I want, intact ecosystems large enough to be self sustaining with apex predators, ungulates, and also be healthy enough to afford some level of human hunting as well.
Also, the lack of knowledge about predator/prey relationships is severely lacking by those screaming the loudest about "the wolves ate all the elk". They aren't even the leading predator on elk, deer, or anything else (see Bitterroot study, ID statewide study), etc. I doubt most people realize that on average, wolves rarely live much beyond 3 years in the Rockies, its a tough life out here.
I'm also not in any way opposed to trapping and hunting all the apex predators, no differently than I'm not opposed to hunting sheep, moose, goats, bighorns, elk, deer, etc. I'm also fully supportive of trapping, and I've done a lot of it, trapping every fur bearer in the State of Montana (including lynx) that I was allowed to at the time, with the exception of wolverine.
What I have no use for is people unwilling to even hunt wolves legally and do their part...there are 10 tags allowed in MT, I don't know how many in ID, and 2/3 of Wyoming is open year round with no required permit. Black bear and lion tags are OTC in those States as well.
This talk of poaching anything, is ridiculous, hunt them legally or take up golfing, needle-point, bowling, etc. there is no room for you in hunting.
