Last fall Ted Bettin took a nice 6x6 behind my house and during field dressing, Randy Holmgren noticed something unusual that we had never seen before. The photo above was taken of the bull's lungs with thumb tip sized cysts all throughout the lungs. We placed the lungs in a plastic bag and took them to Region Three HQ of the Montana Department of Fish and Game. The biologist was able to immediately recognize it as Echinococcus. I've attached a file below to find out additional, more technical information, but what I've learned in lay men's terms is as follows:
Echincocccus is usually found in canines, has been around for a long, long time and has become much more prevalent in our big game animals since the reintroduction of wolves in to Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and subsequently outside the park in Wyoming, Montana and Utah. Canines are "definitive hosts," meaning the tapeworm's eggs are released from their feces. These eggs are then taken in by rodents and ungulates through the digestion of grasses or other food that has been contaminated. Once the eggs are ingested in the "intermediate hosts," the eggs produce a change that allows it to pass though the small intestine of the animal. Once it passes through the small intestine it proceeds to other internal organs, but predominantly in the liver and lungs where the cysts will spread and grow. The cycle continues when these intermediate hosts die or are killed and eaten by other animals and the cycle continues on and on and on. Humans can contract Echinococcus Granulosus from handling wolf hides, wolf feces or by coming into contact with the feces or affected hair of their own pets if those pets have been in contact or eaten portions of dead intermediate hosts.
From the below site: Professor Kritsky, Idaho State University wrote:
"Utah had a focus of E. Granulosus during the 1970’s and 1980’s during which time people were dying or undergoing dangerous surgery for the parasite cyst." Professor Kritsky's article can be found at:
http://rliv.com/wolf/Echinococcus%20granulosus%20brought%20in%20by%20wolves.pdf
There are many, many articles regarding this topic and I suggest you do some research and learn as much as you can. In addition to articles regarding Echinococcus , I encourage you to do some research regarding the reintroduction of wolves to the greater Yellowstone. Please read all sides of the arguments to aid you in making an educated opinion as to what it was intended, what it has become and what we should all do about it. And if you happened to come upon my site by accident and fall into the category of ant-hunting, anti-logging, anti-mining, etc, you are in the wrong place I believe they all have their place when done responsibly, and yes, it can all be done responsibly. To include a well regulated hunting season for wolves to keep their numbers managed in such a manner that "almost" everyone is happy. And please, if you are from back east, Midwest or west coast, let the people who live in the Rocky Mountain West do what's right in the states we call "home."
The article below is somewhat dated, but still provides the most comprehensive documentation regarding the reintroduction of wolves to the Rocky Mountain West that I've ever read. You should read it in its entirety to understand the full scope of the information. But, be forewarned, it's long, but interesting.
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/wolves.htm
In 1995-96 they started the reintroduction of wolves into YNP with approximately 31 brought in from Canada. Current conservative estimates of wolves in and around YNP are approximately 1600. In 1995, the Montana Department of Fish and Game issued 2660 anterless elk permits north of YNP, in 2000-2004 that number was reduced by 51% to 1400. In 2006 the number was reduced to 100, a 96% reduction of anterless elk permits after the wolves were reintroduced in 1995. In 2004, it was determined the YNP elk herd had been reduced from 16,700 in 1995 to 8,300. In YNP, elk comprise 92% of wolves winter diet, the overall kill rates of YNP wolves is estimated at 22 wolves per anum per wolf.
My own personal experience with wolves is limited. We hunted the Taylor Fork drainage's for quite a few years and started just before the reintroduction of wolves into YNP in 1995-1996. We first started seeing wolf sign in that area around 1998-99. At first it was just tracks of a small pack, 3-4 in number. Each year the elk numbers dwindled and when I took my Mountain Goat in that area in 2009, we saw very few elk, but wolf pack tracks throughout the canyon. In addition, I saw my first wolf track behind my house in 2009. When I called to inform Montana Fish and Game, I was told there were no wolves in that area. In 2010, when Ted and Randy came out from MN to hunt elk, we tried unsuccessfully to locate elk in the National Forest approximately 20 miles from my house. We found little to no sign of elk, but plenty of wolf tracks. We hunted closer to home about a two miles back and again found little elk sign, just wolves, and lots of them.
I believe the original intent of reintroducing wolves into YNP was a good idea, but I also feel that at some point regulations will have to be changed to allow management of wolves not only outside of YNP in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, but within the park itself.
I read an article once, in which a Bozeman, MT wolf defender opined the eco-systems in and around YNP could handle ten times the current number of wolves. I have no doubt that is true and when they eat themselves out of house and home, move on to our domestic animals to include cattle, sheep and pets, start feeding on every other predator and then eventually to killing each other. Then our wolves will be somewhat managed, but at what expense? People will try to point out that wolves kill the weak and injured. Do some research and you'll find they often kill just for sport and leave numerous carcasses uneaten and often times still alive but left to die. They are,...a beautiful animal, that needs to be managed in a way that benefits them, our wildlife and ourselves.
Hunt hard
Ron
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