Despite many obvious benefits from a strong wolf population State Governments line up to eradicate wolf populations.

This is long, but important.
If you value the Wild please read on. I apologize for any grammatical errors.


The Wolf population in the Rocky Mountain area has done remarkably well after reintroduction, so well that the Wolves are due to be De-listed as an Endangered species this upcoming spring. it is estimated that in the Northern Rocky Mountain Area comprising Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho there are at least 1800 of the animals.

However population is not experiencing an explosive growth trend for the past few years populations in both Yellowstone and Montana have shown signs of stabilization and growth has nearly all but stopped and is staying at population that drifts upwards and downwards through the years. Only Idaho is experiencing a fast growth of the animal.

It took years of political effort from wildlife conservation, thousands of hours of study and preparation from biologists and ecologists and millions of dollars of your tax money to reintroduce the wolves back in the three states of the program.

The Wolves reintroduction has uncovered many hidden benefits to the ecosystem in the area, Big Game animals without a predator had become lazy and bloated. They would spend the majority of there time care free in the wide open spaces of valleys and wallow in drainage basins and streams over eating and trampling important fauna in the area. This destruction of habitat was causing ripple effects through the entire system disrupting bird populations and hurting fish populations. Some reports even mention exploding mosquito populations from complacent big game.

The life of an elk or deer between 1920 and 1995 in the Rocky Mountain area should be compared to that of a milk cow or domesticated animal. Since the wolves reintroduction the animals are learning to be cautious, they are eating where they are supposed to be eating and spending more time in the hidden in the timber areas. They are learning that in order to stay alive they can not stay in one area until it is grazed over and staying on the constant move. They are also being wise to the dangers of being cornered and killed by meandering next to streams for long. Vital Stream bed areas are recovering after a 75 year stampede from big game.

Other populations are flourishing well with the presence of the wolf, Coyote populations in some areas has reduced by as much as 50 percent a much needed change as they were too many and not intended by nature to ever be a top predator, with Coyote numbers down animals such as the Prong Horn antelope are recovering and also the fox whom is rare for this area is allowed to thrive, many other smaller animals constantly eaten by coyotes are finding relief.

However.

Despite obvious benefits and a self balancing population, State Governments with leaders comprising ranchers and farmers embedded in the ages old philosophy of hatred towards the wolf are eagerly awaiting to all but eliminate the wolf. When the Endangered species act is removed species management is handed down to the State level. So far both Idaho and Wyoming have drafted and accepted very discouraging plans that paint a dismal future for the wolf. Both plans intend to cut the population of wolves down to the absolute bare minimum level that would avoid re-listing by the federal Government.

Idaho and Wyoming's plans both call for no more than 15 breeding pairs per state. Montana has yet to release a plan but it is expected to be similar.
The average pack is five to ten wolves. So give or take no more than 90 wolves per state.

The plans call for public tagged 'trophy hunting' of wolves. It also gives cattle owners shoot on site allowance and eradication and poisoning permissions for ranchers, it will be legal once again for ranchers to use 1080 poison, 1080 is so deadly a teaspoon can kill a hundred individuals and it is considered a terrorism threat to america but has been grandfathered in the system to cattle owners for years. Ranchers put the poison in neck bands of sheep and cattle when the sheep is bitten the poison is released into the predator.

1080 attacks the metabolic and nervous system instantly causing a horribly painful death of convulsions and muscle ripping spasms as the body self destructs by the triggered reaction.

Ranchers have been known to illegally use the poison in animal carcasses endangering entire populations and even public water systems. (please Google 1080 poison)

They also call for helicopter pack dispersement and airborne shooting...air borne hunts have been known to chase animals to the point of utter exhaustion than land and shoot point blank an animal too tired to even move.

I understand that some population management of wolves is necessary, I personally am supportive of limited and controlled hunting and management systems when needed, I feel that cattle herders do deserve to be heard in the debate and they need to be reimbursed for dead cattle or given a method to discourage wolves from preying upon there livelihood.

However I am dead against the current plans being proposed it is nothing short of a slaughter that is only supported by a few wealthy cattle herders ranchers. It is a waste of tax dollars spent to bring this animal back than to break its back. It is a step back for the ecological system out here and a utter shame.

Do what you can to fight this, write to the each state in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Also write to the Federal government and urge them not to de-list the wolf from the Endangered Species act.

What is really needed is a hybrid endangered status that protects the wolves from local fears and attitudes but allows for limited management.

State governments are currently in a rush to approve current delisting plans because the Bush administration is supportive of Western Wolf eradication and will endorse the plan (big surprise there)

Everything must be done to stall state plans for as long as possible and force each state to redraft there management plan to something more favorable.

Thank you for reading my rant on the issue, right now I am ashamed of my states government.


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