Help support Joe Fleming

[kenneth Griffiths]

Who thinks that joe should get charged with shooting a wolf. He just may yet.

[John Lundrigan]

As i said in my post on this thread Joe, You had been tracking this animal knew it's habits and knew it was in the company of a coyote.  There can be no comparison to the incident with the black lab.  I don't belive luck had anything to do with it and i don't believe there was any chance you would have shot someones dog.  Based on your prior knowledge of the animal

[Laina A]

This has to be the stupidist thing I have ever heard. Of course he should NOT be charged!!! Totally different situation people then the lab shooting, cannot even compare the two. The eastern coyote is basically a western coyote which has picked up significant wolf characteristics through interbreeding. This genetic make up gives the eastern coyote the potential for a much larger body size - twice the size of their close relative, the south-western coyote. Its a guessing game about weight when you shoot an animal until you actually weigh it. Its easy to look and say "thats a big fella" but you cannot pin point the exact weight and think 'this fella is over 80 pounds so may be a wolf, I better not shoot," especially when there was no known wolfs on the Island. Our coyote do have strong wolf features. Google the eastern coyote....its nothing to see people talking about 72-75 pound males. I think Joe did what any hunter would of done and charges would be a complete load of bs to say the least! I support Joe Fleming!!!!

[Pierce Rumbolt]

Well said Marlaina

[Laina A]

Ty

[kenneth Griffiths]

Well i guess you said it all there, great post.

[kenneth Griffiths]

I wounder if anything had happened yet?? I am sure that Joe will give us an update on what is going on with getting charged or not.

[joe fleming]

Just got back from crab fishing.Haven't heard anything yet and didn't seize pelt,so I guess everything is good for now.Also ewen whiteway has gottten a permit to have the wolf pelt.thanks for the support.its been an interesting few months here on the web site.

[Edward Smith]

Hey joe,
I hope you know we will stand by you all the way! We are glad you are a member!

[Brandon Pickett]

That's great Joe! Do you have a rough estimation when the wolf mount could be on display in Lewisporte? It would be a real treat to actually see it in person when it gets done. 

[joe fleming]

It should be on display by the fall.I was talking to Ewen and he said thats when he hopes to get it done.It should be a nice mount.and thanks again.

[kenneth Griffiths]

I am going to make that trip to see that wolf for sure. Thanks joe, all the best.

[John Lundrigan]

I don't think this can be compared to shooting a black lab instead of a coyote.  Wildlife officers originally believed the animal shot was a coyote and it took DNA testing to prove it was a wolf.  Certainly, the black lab didn't need to be tested.  Wolf coyote hybrids do reach 80 pounds.  There has been a lot of hype about how our eastern coyotes are very large in comparison to other coyotes.  Add to this the fact that wolves were deemed extinct in 1930 and i find no fault with the hunter.  He had been tracking the animal, knew it's habits and knew it to be in the company of a small coyote.  I don't think there was any chance he would have shot someones husky.  I think he practiced due dilligence and just encountered an anomaly in this particular instance.  If a stable wolf population does happen to occur in Newfoundland I think it will be almost impossible to seperate the two particular species of coywolf and wolf in the hunters perspective and the only way to seperately licence or manage the species would be to put a size restriction on what you're allowed to shoot.  A lot of people would like to see a wolf population make a comeback, i'd say it would be at the expense of some of our already diminished caribou herds.  For the people calling for a moose cull I spend a lot of time on highways at night, the numbers "aside from certain areas i've heard of" are not what they used to be. I can only speak for the avalon portion of the island but there are not as many as there were.  To drive from St.John's to Placentia and then through Colinet and across Salmonier line back to the highway and not see a moose was unheard of 10 years ago at night.  I've done it 3 times this year and saw 0.  Spent weeks trying to fill a licence in the Cape shore area 2 years ago and had to go in 10 k to get one in the end.  I didn't hunt the roads i crawled over the whole cape shore penninsula.  Not every accident is attributed to high speeds or poor driving, but i see people whip by me in bad conditions constantly.  Admittedly my knowledge outside the avalon is poor but in stephenville area hunting with a friend last year i called out 4 bulls in the first hour i hunted, there may be cause for a reduction in those areas.  Sorry for getting off topic in your thread, Joe Flemming, I "and some who won't admit it" would have taken the same shot.