posted on Sep, 9 2012 @ 10:22 PM
Well, Wyoming joins Idaho and Montana in taking state control of the management for their wolves. I'm not sure how I feel about this and there is
really one major point of this story that gets my goat. Lets see what this is about first though...
Gray wolves in Wyoming are no longer an endangered species and now will be managed by state authorities, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
announcedamid protests from environmental groups.
As of the end of September, gray wolves in Wyoming will be managed by state officials, rather than by the federal government, Fish and Wildlife
officials said.
Hmmm.. Okay....and why would this be?
There are now more than 1,774 adult wolves and over 100 breeding pairs in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and authorities say the population growth
has exceeded recovery goals for 10 years in a row.
"Our primary goal, and that of the states, is to ensure that gray wolf populations in the Northern Rocky Mountains remain healthy, giving future
generations of Americans the chance to hear its howl echo across the area," Fish and Wildlife Director Dan Ashe said in a statement
Sounds fair and reasonable so far, right? I mean, I know the ranchers and such have a real serious problem with the wolves making dinner out of their
livestock and have since these were reintroduced into the environment some time ago. They were abscent for so long, human beings are literally the
only thing to recall they had once belonged there. So, in a very real sense for nature, this wasn't reintroducing as much as introducing for the
first time. I doubt the wildlife knew the difference. Anyway, so far, outside the Ranchers, things seem to be alright and predators are needed where
hunters can't help control the Deer and other prey animal populations.
So what has me a little confused and upset about this?
Like Idaho and Montana, Wyoming agreed to maintain at least 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs within the state's borders, according to the agency
press release.
Biologists believe that most of Wyoming's wolves live in the Northwest part of the state.
The state authorizes up to 52 wolves to be killed each year as "trophy
game."
Source
TROPHY GAME?! Okay, I understand why the protection is a bad situation for the ranchers, as noted. ..but TROPHY shooting WOLVES?! Since when did we
start trophy shooting predator species in the United States?? I know they make great fun of this in Asia and Africa and it makes me sick. However,
here, we are overrun with Deer, Elk and a number of other critters these wolves and others controlled as a part of the balance of nature at one
time.
So, I believe we see good with a real BAD feature mixed in here. I'm somewhat mixed about even shooting coyotes, but grew up in an area where they
occasionally made snacks of the family pets, not to mention small human kids they might happen across, so I get that and accept the need. I just
can't stomach pure trophy killing, really for any animal, but in a predatory species it's obscene on a different level.
Anyone here among those who would want to go Wolf hunting?