Hunters cry: too many predators
"Our fathers and grandfathers got rid of wolves for a reason," fumes one letter writer. "The outfitting business and hunters who put meat on the table are being shortchanged."
The number of elk in the park's northern herd has dropped dramatically, from around 17,000 during the 1994-95 season to 11,700 last spring, according to park biologist Wendy Clark. But she says hard winters and elk hunters, not wolves, deserve much of the blame, and adds that fluctuations are normal.
"There's this sentiment bordering on hysteria that suddenly predators are overrunning the landscape," says David Gaillard of the Bozeman-based Predator Conservation Alliance.
Gaillard says hunters may just be reacting to the return of predators, including lions. "But really it just means we're making progress in restoring balance to the region."
* Andrea Barnett
