"Should they pass something like this, it would pit federal and state government against county government. My guess is that it wouldn't turn out very well for the county. This is the first time that I've seen a county commission weigh in on any kind of wildlife season, if they are that concerned about it, where have they been up to now?" said Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association president Tony Jones in an article that appeared in the Missoulian newspaper.
Perhaps it is because federal and state wildlife agencies have failed to truthfully address the issue, and it is those who live in Ravalli County who are suffering the losses. Jones feels that the county should work through MT FWP to find resolution. Unfortunately, this is the very agency the sportsmen of Montana no longer put any trust in to take care of the predator problem.
Many Ravalli County hunters and other sportsmen feel that Jones' fish and wildlife group is not representative of those who do hunt. The Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association is an affiliate of the Montana Wildlife Federation, which in turn is a chapter/affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. That organization is also listed as a collaborator with "The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative", which MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks is likely already working with - only in the other direction. - Toby Bridges, LOBO WATCH
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