Through my whole career I've walked the fence and been beaten up by both sides.

Gray wolves are very hardy, very tough and can withstand a lot.

If people were not asking these questions, we'd be in worse shape. It's all out in the open now. I think we'll have a situation in the future where the dean will stay above the fray.

I was on the ground near Murphy Lake, northwest of Whitefish - it was around 1990 - when I came around a corner on the old highway that's no longer used and there was this wolf starting to walk away. Since then, I've probably seen hundreds and hundreds from the air and on the ground. It's been extraordinary.

I didn't think I had a chance. I was about as naïve as you can possibly get. It was like I woke up one day in the thick of everything, dealing with a lot of controversial issues.

I've seen it before in my coaching career, but it's certainly unique to this area,