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It is obvious from these numbers that these wolves have become a problem. Much of this problem
lies in the fact that states are now facing more wolves than expected. Another contributor is the fact that the
reintroduced wolves were not of the same subpopulation as those which originally inhabited these areas. The
reintroduced wolves were from the Canadian subpopulation. This means that they are much bigger than the
wolves which originally inhabited this range. Another problem arising from these Canadian wolves is their
observed behavior to practice kill or kill for fun. There have been many cases where this behavior was
documented in which the wolves kill their prey but do not feed on it.
In light of this data these anti-hunting groups are still attempting to block the use of hunting as a
management tool although they have been largely unsuccessful. On August 3 rd the Montana District Court ruled
that Congress’s decision to delist wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains was indeed Constitutional, although
the ruling stated there may be room for an appeal. With that stated you can be sure that these groups will take
this case to a higher level and in recognition of this threat SCI has already filed to be permitted to intervene in
defense of the delisting.
Wolves are beautiful, awe-inspiring animals however when their populations are left unchecked
they can devastate ecosystems. But in the midst of this legal maelstrom there is a glimmer of hope. Idaho, which
is believed to hold around 1,000 wolves, has recently announced the regulations for its new wolf hunting
season. This is a great victory for American hunters and as always SCI will continue to work for sound,
conservation minded management of all of this country’s magnificent wildlife.