Ed Bangs is coordinator for wolf recovery for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This is what he said about current wolf populations around and in Yellowstone National Park: Im eating crow. I never though wed get that high.

I dont know why Ed Bangs is surprised at the current wolf populations. The ranchers told him that before they turned the first mating pair loose in Yellowstone Park.

Im proud to say that we have more wolves in Idaho than they do in Montana and Wyoming. Eat your heart out Wyoming. Eat your heart out Montana.

According to the article in our local rag, we have 512 wolves in Idaho. (That is the size of the RAM you need in your computer if you run more than one program at a time or you play games, etc. RAM in this case is not an animal. Wolves dont kill this kind of ram.)

Wyoming and Montana have about the same number of wolves and the total is about that of Idaho. Ive decided that we need to round up some of our wolves and ship 84 to Wyoming and 84 to Montana. Then way we will all have the same number of wolves, more or less.

Montana and Idaho have plans accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the management of wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not like Wyomings plan, which was probably Shoot all of those pesky critters. I think our plan in Idaho is Shoot all those pesky critters but dont say that to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Im not sure what is in these plans but Idaho and Montana are now monitoring and managing there wolf populations.

I do know how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife is handling the problem. It's standard federal government procedure. When the federal government creates a problem they can't solve, they turn it back to the states to pay for the cleanup.

Wolves are sexy critters and have pups by the zillions. They teach these pups to hunt and they dont care how many dear, elk, sheep, colts, or calves it takes to teach them.

They dont eat everything they kill. The ravens and coyotes have to clean up after them when they are teaching their pups to hunt.

I know the above is true because I lived in Arizona for six years and the early Arizona histories said so.

Our hunters are mad as hell at the wolves here in Idaho. They are killing too many elk to suit the hunters. The hunters, who do not need elk for food, are competing with the wolves that need the elk for food. The hunters dont see it that way. They want lots of elk to shoot at. The more the better.

I asked some local ranchers what they think about wolves. Here are their reports:

Rancher Jack: Every zoo should have one.

Rancher Bill: Just make sure they keep him on leash tied to a tree where he can watch Old Faithful.

Rancher Sally: The mistake was they released breeding pairs. They should have only released bachelors.

Rancher Ted: The only good wolf is a dead wolf.

Rancher Pete: What we need to manage is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Rancher Mad Dog Fred: Well, I cant tell you what Fred said. I dont like profanity.

I know that some of you would like to see a wolf or two. I suggest that you go to Teton National Park and watch them hunt on the National Elk Refuge. Take your skis and snow shoes. You will have to be there in the wintertime.