Dear editor:

Somewhere around 40-plus years ago the ideas of proper game management changed, not for the good of wildlife. Tenants of game management used to dictate our wildlife species and game herds had to be maintained and for perpetuity for future generations.

Now we have Brian Nesvick, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish, stupidly saying “but we still have hunting,” when at least in our corner of Wyoming, success for hunting can be danged slim. The attitude is to he** with herd numbers and quality.

This is why you’ve seen our deer herds at century or so all-time low and, at least on the North Fork of the Shoshone, getting worse every year. Will they be gone forever, never to return to once abundant numbers?

Mismanagement and the department don’t seem to care. They’ll just take years to study them to death, side stepping, using every excuse to not take immediate action to help stop and eventually restore the loss. They are not held responsible for many years of mistakes, and all game is disappearing.

By endorsing and illegally bringing Canadian gray wolves to Wyoming and surrounding states, using misappropriated Pittman-Robertson fund, etc. then turning them loose to devastate our herds; unfettered, exploding growth of grizzlies preying on our game animals, over issuing licenses, allowing outfitters carte blanche  [commercialization of our game herds], the list goes on.

In the NF alone, since 1998, we’ve lost, total, over 6,000 elk draw tags, but G & F says “no worries.”

No consequences for the many unethical, reports of magnitudes of hunting violations, mostly by too many outfitters and guides, abusing their privileges and they don’t seem to care or realize they are shooting themselves in the foot for the future of their well-being and our wildlife.

Paycheck and retirement first, wildlife last.

Randy Selby

Wapiti