Recently, wolves in Montana and Idaho have been removed from the Endangered Species Act, leaving the door wide open for wolf hunting. Wolf opponents such as Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, Senators Jon Tester, Senator Ken Miller (who recently stated, “KILL EM’ ALL!”, and Idaho Governor Butch Otter’s efforts will end the lives of hundreds of wolf families, including pregnant females and wolf pups.
Do you believe Montana and Idaho wolves should be hunted? Why or why not? Wolf Preservation appreciates your respectful input on this critical issue!
The Wolf Preservation Blog 
I am incredibly angry about this turn of events and made so many calls to Senators and the White House imploring the Tester/Simpson be taken out of the budget bill where it had no business being. I have signed every petition I could as well…but all of our efforts and pleas fell on deaf ears because the politicians and President Obama were intent on getting the budget bill passed and it was obvious to me that there was much pandering going on to special interest groups (ie: hunters & ranching organizations) who had lobbied hard and spent a considerable amount of money to get their message to their senators…especially Sen. Tester who is up for re-election in MT. I no longer believe we have a democratic system in place because politicians do as they please despite all good science and opposition to this horrendous situation now facing wolves. I ABSOLUTELY abhor the tactics that have taken place and condemn those who are so adamant about killing wolves. I read the Facebook comments made by those in favor of killing wolves and the cruelty and absolute horror of what people are planning to do to wolves once they are given the green light by those such as Butch Otter, is horrifying to me. All I can say is that I am sick at heart and will NOT be voting for President Obama in the 2012 election for allowing the bloodshed of wolves to begin.
Wolves have killed & injured so many people in the world, right?! WRONG. I don’t understand why politicians (of all people) are so adamant about no longer protecting this majestic creature. The suffering these animals have endured & now will continue to endure is so cruel & heartless. Being hunted from a plane until total exhaustion sets in. Takes a REAL man to do that. I would certainly not be against anyone killing a wild animal in self-defense, but to kill just to be killing is inhumane. Does anyone kill a wolf for food? The worst are those who laugh as they hold up the bloody body of these defenseless creatures, poking a finger in a bullet hole with a huge smile for the camera. Allowing the murder of wolves is wrong on SO many levels. In my opinion, the wolf is on the same level as our American eagle. Both represent strength, beauty, power, freedom & pride.
Here’s my thought – I truly believe that the only reason politicians are even fighting for this “right” is to win over their hunting constituents. Having stated that, whether or not there are actual other problems at hand with regards to wolves, is a mute point. Those problems are not being handled with the best possible outcome in mind. No, I am not a tree hugging nature lover, however, I am an individual who thinks ahead. And the eradication of the wolf in any state will have horrid reprocussions on that state’s ecosystem. Allowing the erradication of the wolf does, however, allow for sociopathic individuals who use hunting as a tool to appease their need to kill. Hunting can and is a sport that is passed down through generations; however there is a vast difference between those individuals who enjoy the hunt and the spoils from those who torture and kill because they can. That’s no different than a bully on the playground.
I am not blind nor ignorant to the problems that are brought forth regarding wolves. However, wolves are no different than lions, bears, and even mankind. All of the previous mentioned have the capability to be predators that prey on weaker sources. Wolves sometimes do it for food….for what reason does mankind kill one another? If the resolution being brought forth is to terminate the species because of danger, lack of food sources, and the killing of livestock, then how big a step is it to terminate mankind because we “think” we are a danger, or that a person has food that another needs/wants, and hell, lets face it, humans have been known to kill for far more sadistic reasons than animals. I’m not promoting killing of humans, however, I am saying that the wolf instict to protect and fight for food sources is no different than a man fighting to feed his starving family. Killing in either instance is wrong. Hunting is not wrong, individuals with murderous tendencies are the reason I believe this issue is even a topic.
Perhaps I got off topic because of my lack of objectivity with regard to the original question….I truly believe that wolves are a necessary and integral part of a healthy ecosystem and environment but despite what good science says about the presence of wolves, the political environment surrounding the whole issue of wolves is driven by the hunting and ranching community. This is what needs “fixing” before humans can live with predators….it seems to be the human mentality to kill what is feared or misunderstood….the issue of wolves surviving and thriving in Idaho and Montana is a fired up issue between the “wolf hating” contingencies and those who believe that wolves have an important part to play in keeping a healthy ecosystem and balance in nature. Hunters and ranchers alike see wolves as competition to their life styles and in the case of ranchers, to their livelihood. It truly is a political issue whether we like to think of it that way or not and wolves are the pawns in this political chess game which has been played out.
If the wolf population did need to be controlled, which right now it does not, then l would have no objections to limited hunting. There is not a problem with an overpopulation of wolves right now. That is a bunch of crap made up by people like outfitters, who profit by having an artificially inflated elk population.
Obama is a Hypocrite. The ESA should be based on science, not politics. It is not up to the senate to decide which species should or should not be protected. If this is not stopped now, the next thing you know big business will be paying off corrupt politicians to destroy any animal they find inconvenient. This anti-wolf bill is also unconstitutional as it violates people’s rights to contest it in the courts. Wolves and the ESA were sacrificed by attaching an outdated management plan to a spending bill, which should have nothing to do with wolves or the ESA. Obama approved it just so one scumbag democrat senator (Tester) can get re-elected.
As someone who is in Montana, I find this whole thing horrible. I can understand that they may believe there are too many wolves, just like elk, deer, etc. For me it is the mentality of the people who want to massacre the wolf…..kill them all. “Shoot, shovel, shut up” mentality…..I think it is horrible. I have a feeling that once the hunting is “allowed” to begin (because let’s face it, it has never stopped….) that they will eliminate them….AGAIN!
We should never allow these riders to be added to bills, and the ESA should not be changed in this way. Obama never got my vote nor did any of these others who wrote the riders, etc.
In the end….just like everything else, it is about votes or money. Humans will be the demise of the world and all the things in it!!!
There is no reason good enough to extinct another species. To delist the gray wolf after 1296 scientists have written stating that this is a bad idea, sends a message to the voters that elected officials are no longer listening to them. The misuse of the public’s trust to further political careers, at the expense of life is reprehensible. The gray wolf could be relocated amongst other states, but instead what’s being done is allowing special interest groups in Idaho and Montana to plan an all out massacre on the gray wolf. Idaho’s final draft for wolf management legislation clearly states their intention to get rid of the gray wolf. This is targeted for right after the pups are born. The majority of people in these states have never even seen a wolf, either in the wild, or in sanctuaries. There have been no human attacks, but rather the humans attacking wolves. Wolves also have a lower percentage of livestock kills than domestic dogs. Idaho’s final draft on wolf legislation is complete annihilation of the species, not management. The public should not have to exchange favors and money for honesty from our elected officials. If budget cuts are the problem, then cut out the frivolous spending, and start putting it where it’s needed. The US Fish and Wildlife Department would be a good place to start. This country elected a Democrat because of the unchecked spending and environmental destruction the Republican’s seem to espouse. So how’s Idaho going to afford paying a $500.00 bounty per dead wolf presented? Are they going to demand federal funds to pay for these bounties? I, as well as most of the public, do not want to fund their execution, so where’s the bounty money going to come from? We don’t even have the compassion to relocate them so they’re not starving. This is a man made problem, and This is not the job our elected officials were hired to do. When the wolf is absent to keep down the deer and elk populace, we go in and slaughter thousands of them because they’re damaging the environment. Also the coyote populace is kept down. I might add it’s human hunters that take the majority of deer and elk, not wolves. So how much sense does it make to kill off the one thing that keeps it under control? Wolves are a vital balance to our ecosystem, as your own scientists have stated repeatedly. But they’re also being ignored. Human beings can not continue to destroy the environment, (wildlife included) without a consequences somewhere. Why worry about climate change if we’re destroying everything in it? Humans have been the offender, not wildlife. No matter how much we take it’s never enough and we want more. If I came home and found people in my house raiding the pantry, I would definitely be upset. That’s what we’ve done to our wildlife. We keep shoving them further back, take their food, then complain if they wander to close to towns or cities.needs to be addressed as such. Extincting a species because of our greed is not the way to do it.
No they should not !!!
By killing wolves, these states will put down all the balance in wildlife but also destroy all coherency between all the living.
This is a disaster for wolves, for humant being and a shame for USA.
Our Mother Earth’s dream became a nightmare and it is absolutly incredible that politiciens with lobbying have the right to take that sort of decision !!
Where is democracy ?
Where is the intelligence ?
Where are the human being ?
May be, citizens, in the usa should change their political system and give their next vote for an ecological movement.
I think that we should do this in all over the world or Obama, like all others, will destroy everything on Earth.
Like in the dark 13th century, a world war have been declared against wolves and we should take care of the reason that push those lobbyings & politicians to act and start this new war in all places over the world where wolves are living…
Deadly accurate answer. You’ve hit the buelelys!
I am mortified that the government turned it’s back on the plight of the wolves. They had no place in a budget bill or any bill that removed the relative safety they were living under. All this just to make a bunch of politicians, wolf-haters, ranchers and hunters happy. The wolves need to be protected, they are not harming the elk/deer populations, the number of calf killings attributed to wolves is negligible (more die from weather and being trampled by other cattle than to wolves), wolves don’t attack people. Wolves are scrared of people. There was/is no reason for the wolves to have been delisted, they haven’t recovered enough to have been removed from the endangered species list. The politicians and anyone that sided with them should be ashamed of themselves! What they did was dirty, underhanded and a slap in the face to every American that still believes America can be a great country.
This is a simple matter of politicians padding their wallets with special interest group money. Lazy ranchers, who can’t be bothered to employ the simplest herd protection methods, buy their influence with the government. Ranchers who, by the way, profit from grazing their herds on public lands.
Depredation statistics do NOT justify this kind of legislative action against an endangered species. The science is available, but, because it doesn’t support the cattlemen’s desires, it is, conveniently, being ignored. Then again, we’ve never known our government to make sound decisions based on facts when there’s the jingle of coins coming from the other side.
Hunting to control populations is a ludicrous proposition since the balance was never a factor before game hunters and ranchers came on to the scene.
Lastly, the idea of removing the protection from a species only to open up hunting and drive their numbers to critically endangered again is completely idiotic. Hunters who propose this are idiotic, ranchers who support this are idiotic and the politicians who are allowing it to happen are idiotic.
i dont think wolves should be killed because i think killing or making another spieces of animals (like wolves) extinct is wrong because if they are killing wolves for no reason then that is totally wrong but if they are killing wolves because they keep on eating another animals then that is still wrong because they have to eat meat to survive. also nature has its own way. every animal helps keep the world balanced. we, humans, should be extinct because we kill animals or we eat them. but thats not the point.they should let wolves free and if there is too much send to other places in the world. if we were wolves and humans wanted to get rid of wolves then we would die not knowing why we died.it is the same for wolves. if the government decides to get rid of wolves how sad do you think it is dieing not knowing why you died. but im not blaming the goternment. if the people that are living in idaho protest saying that wolves should be left alone maby the government will listen to you guys. for an example if we got rid of every single frog in the world there will be too much flies then we will regret getting rid of frogs since they eat flies. so yeah please leave the poor innocent wolves and wolf cubs alone thank you.
Not much to add to this list of reasons. You all have covered it so nicely. MC
Thanks Mark!
Ok look, this topic has been wide spread throughout he states for years now. What we need Is a legitimate action to be taken. The environmental quality council meeting held on may 24 is the most coccamaeme meeting to ever be established. What we need is for somebody to hear the voices of ranchers. Be it I am one I understand the heartache and headache the wolves bring on us. If somebody with a head on their shoulders were to ask the opinion of every rancher, cattle, livestock owner in the 3 state area, that’s how we get results. The people in the office in their black silk suites haven’t firsthand dealt with the problems the wolves cause nor have they been out and about to understand the abundance of them. Will somebody please get your average joe on tv or the web?! I garuantee you that’s how we will get results. No quesions asked firzthand expierience makes a fat difference, nonetheless as far as the endangered species? Ha let’s get down to reality. Its been a large problem for years but everyone in the office has been worried bout the dept. Of int. And so on, make them see. Let’s look into the decline on hunting productivity since the problem. Let’s look at the economy drop since the wolves have dampened the hunters success, they don’t wanna come back. Yet less and less hunters do come back and everyone wounders why the states of Mt. Id. And wy. Haven’t been enjoying the political b.s. ha alright if you guys want a successful speech person who will get something done call. Im always up for debate and hardly loose on a situation im fimiliar with.
Thanks, Spade Mury
Hi Spade,
If you can provide some sources with your comments, that would be helpful. What kind of legitimate action are you suggesting? Are there any types of non-lethal methods or preventative measures (there are several) implemented by any rancher, cattle, or livestock owner? If not, would your consider them? If followed, I would agree that some financial assistance to implement those programs should be provided for livestock owners. Do you see wolves turning to livestock in response to lower elk numbers due to hunting? Do you believe that the rest of wolves in Oregon and New Mexico, which are at dangerously low numbers, should be eliminated and what is your position on protection of wolf pups? I define endangered as “to expose to harm or danger.” How about you? I look forward in hearing your respectful input. Thank you Spade.