Moose Calf Destroyed?

[WapitiTalk1]

Not sure how to absorb this. Seems like an effort could have been made to save/rescue the little long nose?

http://www.krtv.com/story/29199203/mt-f ... -the-woods

[foxvalley]

What a shame.Sounds like nobody really wanted to deal with the calf,so lets just kill it. We have lots of places in our state that take in every sort of critter, the last one I saw on the news last week was a snow owl that had a broken wing,and they healed it up,and I got to watch the owl fly away to live another day.
I'm sure if you stuck a bottle in that poor calves mouth,it would have had no second thoughts about drinking it.Cronic wasting disiese? dangerous to humans!? And whats up with the explosives to "get rid" of the carcasses? I sure know what to think about this.

[BrentLaBere]

Certainly not the way we would like to see this end. Bad situation all around if the camper didn't find the baby and the carcass. An unsuspecting camper walking up on a covered carcass with yogi hiding in the bush spells disaster. Would have only been a matter of time before predators answered the baby calves wine.
I am an arm chair biologist at best, no place for me to say one way or another. I sure would have rather read about that little guy being saved.......explosives though? That part is really interesting.

[idahoghost]

Seems like they may have missed a great PR opportunity and turned it to just the opposite.
Public understands putting an animal to sleep, not really sure how blowing it up would be perceived.

[elkstalker]

It's interesting that MT went the route of destroying the moose, here is what happened here in ID last week when a mama Antelope was poached and one of her twins wounded... http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/media/viewNewsRelease.cfm?newsID=7684

[jmez]

I don't mind that they killed it. That is the practical solution. I think their money, time and resources have better uses than raising an orphan moose calf. Blaming it on "disease" and dangers to humans however is a stupid statement. It is an outright lie.

[wawhitey]

I guarantee you if it was a wolf or a cougar it would still be alive. Unfortunate.

[Freebird134]

no matter what they do, wildlife agencies are always the bad guys to someone. They try to balance dozens of conflicting opinions and desires, while usually being overworked and underpaid. I don't know about Montana specifically, but that's the truth everywhere I've dealt with agencies. People complain about high taxes, then they complain when things aren't done perfectly. I live in wisconsin right now, and it's pretty sad watching the governor gut the scientists out of DNR. In a year or 2 when no research is being completed and problems start popping up I'll bet you my right arm the republicans are complaining that DNR isn't doing it's job.

What agency biologists need to do is actually be biologist. Do science and do what is best for nature. Tell the huggers to shut up, hunting does good. Tell the hunters to shut up, wolves are part of nature. And tell wildlife rehabilitation centers not to touch anything that wasn't hurt due to people. But, that isn't very popular with the politicians. I guess that's why I got out of agency work...

My two cents: that calf should have been left for nature to take its course.