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First it was seen as a menace to sheep and fair game for shooting, then it was listed as endangered and received legal protective measures, now it's back on the hunting list. Man just cannot strike a balance with the grey wolf in the American West.
After successful reintroduction efforts in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park brought the grey wolf population back to more stable levels, ranchers and hunters are now complaining that the animals are eating their livestock and their wild game, and they are taking full advantage of the first wolf hunting season in more than 30 years.
The quota is set at 220 wolves in Idaho and 75 in Montana, but the reinstatement of the hunt has raised concerns that this will only lead to the loss of hundreds more in months to come.
It's not a simple issue: farmers want to protect their domestic animals from wolves. Attacks do not occur often, but it's a costly loss for the farmer when they do. Wildlife advocates, however, say the hunt will undo progress made over the last several decades to revive wolf populations, and just bring them back to endangered levels again. There are also concerns that the reinstated hunt will interfere with the ability of wolves to move between Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
As Earthjustice's Doug Honnold said, "It's the endangered species that need to be protected, not the states' rights to kill wolves."
To learn more, don't miss the Focus Earth Episode: Man Vs. Nature.
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No Longer Endangered, Gray Wolves to be Hunted by the Hundreds
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