I just got an email from U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).  He indicated that wolves have been de-listed from the endangered species list in many states and would soon be in Idaho.  That opens the way for them to be controlled (read hunted.)  For many that’s horrible news.  For those of us who live here, it’s not only a good thing, it’s about time.

Much of the income derived by Island Park residents comes from tourism.  Those tourists include people who come here to ride ATV’s and snowmobiles and fishermen.  But there is also a large group who come here to hunt.  It is undeniable that wolves have had a dramatic negative impact on the deer, elk and moose populations.

All you have to do is take a drive through the Lamar Valley (northeast corner of Yellowstone) and see how much game you see.  Yeah, you’ll see bears and wolves, but you won’t see elk (at least not to the extent you did before the re-introduction of the wolves.) 

Let’s face it.  Wolves have to eat to survive.  While the environmentalists would have you believe that wolves eat only the sick and afflicted, that’s just not reality.  Wolves take whatever they want (which is often well in excess of what they need,) not just the weak, the sick and the afflicted.

The problem is that wolves are outnumbering the elk in some areas, and that means the packs are decimating entire herds.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do the math:  Elk have one baby in 12 months.  Wolves have 8 – 10 as often as twice a year.  It won’t be long and there will be nothing but wolves.

Now hunting wolves, while not a great sport in itself, will have the desired effect of reducing wolf populations and keeping the balance at a level where it ought to be.  Wyoming Game and Fish officials have indicated they will be letting over 1,000 wolf tags in the months to come.  That’s good news for ranchers and hunters.  I hope Idaho is even more aggressive. 

I don’t know anyone who lives here who thinks we need more wolves.  That opinion (and the lawsuits that go with it) comes from our so-called environmentalist friends back east, who have never actually see a wolf and the devastation they wreak on an elk or deer herd.  No, I think we’re ready for some balance.

What do you think?

What started out as four feet of pure fluff (you could have lifted a whole dump truck load of snow with one hand) has finally started to settle and there is now a good base.  According to the Snotel site at Ponds Lodge, there is 34 inches of snow currently, having settled out from considerably more.

With a good base, snowmobilers are finding great conditions down low and over 1,000 miles of trails are being groomed weekly.  Up high snow conditions are improving (the boondockers will tell you it couldn’t be better) but avalanche conditions are high to severe, so riders should be outfitted with shovels, beacons, probes, etc. before getting too far off the beaten path up high (especially on the steeper slopes.)

If you’ve been waiting for just the right time to get out and enjoy winter, wait no longer.  Accommodations are available at Macks Inn (now open year round,) Phillips Lodge, Island Park Village and others.  Check the links at right for pricing and call ahead for availability. 

See you there!

This log cabin on the banks of Big Springs in Island Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was hand-built in 1939 by a German immigrant named John Sack and features inlaid flooring and hand carved furniture.

This preserve of grasslands and wetlands along the Henrys Fork of the Snake River peacefully coexists with Flat Ranch, a working cattle ranch owned by The Nature Conservancy. There is a visitors center open during the summer with a great view from the deck.

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway travels along Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. Under consideration for designation as a wild and scenic river, Henry’s Fork offers a variety of recreational activities like fishing, whitewater rafting, and waterfall
Mesa Falls

Island Park Reservoir which is formed by Island Park Dam is a major feature of the Mindoka Project. Recreation on this 11 square mile (7,000-acre) reservoir with 64 miles of shoreline is administered by the Targhee National Forest. Located in the high country of eastern Idaho, north of Idaho Falls.