# This sounds like a really great idea!



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I'm sure this has been tried somewhere else, now where was it?









http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wi...-reintroduction-into-British-countryside.html

Do you want to tell them or shall I!?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

If they introduce the wolves and elk together they won't have to supplement the feed for the wolves. Although they may wonder why they keep growing in numbers while the elk keep having to be replaced.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I think peoples sheep will be the first to go.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I understand the need for bio-diversity but at what cost ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

They would do a fantastic job on the red deer herds in the highlands of Scotland but would find the sheep a lot easier to kill. I can't see it working anywhere else in the UK.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Do the red deer need to be extirpated ? I agree that sheep would be the easiest for them.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I could see Lynx working though. We do have a very small population now.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

youngdon said:


> Do the red deer need to be extirpated ? I agree that sheep would be the easiest for them.


No but their numbers are high and because of the remoteness of the highlands it takes a lot of time and effort to manage them.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Do they allow people to apply to hunt them ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Oh yeah! Red deer stalking on the hill is the cream of deer stalking in the uk. I would rather go woodland stalking myself.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Are there just not enough hunters in the pool or what. Who would own(or be responsible for managing) those red deer Matt?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

No there are plenty of stalkers out there. Private landowners and organizations like the National Trust, Forestry Commission will own the land. They will all have estate employees none as 'Stalkers' that take clients out stalking.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

So as a game manager how would you rectify the problem Matt.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I know it sounds simple but shoot more deer! People like stag stalking in September with maybe a heavy rain storm but culling the hinds in winter with 5ft of snow and bloody cold winds is a different ball game and then you've got to get the 5 or 6 you've shot of the hill.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

When do they rut Matt ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

September/October.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Have you hunted them Matt ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

No one day maybe, I'm not that bothered. I'd rather go after our English woodland Red's. They make the Scottish ones look like muntjac!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I like the idea myself. I am sure they have reviewed every possible angle for potential problems. In fact I bet they are prepared to pay for every sheep taken by one of the new predators and perhaps the loss of sheep grazing land would be concidered and reimbursed there too ?

Brown bears....I wonder why they did not say griz ? They are one in the same, only the brown is a coastal griz that grows much larger due to supply of food.

Personally I think it is not all that bad of an idea. I do have to wonder who is paying for it and who would fund it for follow up and loss as Matt mentioned.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I surely hope you are being facetious when it comes to the wolves. Our government certainly didn't take all things into consideration, or if they did they chose to ignore it, and they certainly don't pay for all the animals the wolves kill.(they need positive proof, if there is any doubt the rancher gets nothing).


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Oh yes I most certainly am Don. Perhaps I should have been a little more obvious. It is like the beaver they are introducing all in all I think it is a good idea...but there are costs to everything a pro/con list if you will.

I do have to say when I was in Yellowstone I never saw one wolf and I looked, glassed, sat up and woke up early but not one. I did however see tons of elk.

I know about the proof positive kills, I have read and spoke with ranchers about this subject. None who were dirrectly affected but indirrectly we all are, they are closer to the fire though. But yet...there is a ton of money being spent, just not dirrected to those that need it.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I think you are plenty obvious Brian. Perhaps you should speak to someone who has been directly affected. Wolves kill just to kill and the carcasses are not always found in time to tell who or what killed it, mind you that just because the bones are scattered and have teeth marks in them from the wolves chewing on them is not proof of what actually killed the animal. I bet only a relatively small number of people actually see wolves in the wild, let alone Yellowstone that is jammed with people.

If we eradicated the mosquito would you want it brought back too ?


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Brian putting wolves back in the UK would only work for a couple of years to help reduce the red deer herds in Scotland, they would hammer the sheep. They would then have to be thinned in numbers to almost nothing! Bears no way!


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

Sounds like the U.K. has their share of nutjobs too. Wolves and bears ? That's all you guys need Matt.


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## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Tom wolves would work for a while and then would turn into a pain but there's no way bears will ever be released back into the UK.


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