Hunting Season on Rocky Mountain Gray Wolves Cancelled

Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Molloy ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to delist Rocky Mountain wolves in Idaho and Montana from the Endangered Species Act was illegal. Why? Because wolves do not understand boundary lines between states, and it's not possible to federally protect them in one state and not another.

The problem is Wyoming. As the state sees it, any wolf venturing outside of Yellowstone National Park is considered vermin can be shot on sight. It's a good thing for the wolves that the federal government does not find this acceptable. Since Wyoming cannot effectively manage their own wildlife at sustainable levels, and the Rocky Mountain gray wolves are considered a single population to be managed collectively, the feds had to step back in and strip state-level management of wolves from both Montana and Idaho.

Obviously the state agencies are not thrilled with the decision. Wyoming is currently suing over the rejection of the state’s wolf management plan. Montana and Idaho are now lashing out at the feds for not allowing them to continue with their management plans. But this decision comes at just the right moment for these wolves.

Hunting in Idaho was set to start as early as August 30, with a quota of 220 wolves, while Montana’s season was set with a 185 wolf quota, more than twice the number issued last season. New plans for the 2010 wolf hunt in Idaho included using traps and electronic calls.

Perhaps even more telling is the value placed on hunting wolves and other predators (including bear and mountain lion) by these states. For example, a big game predator hunting tag in Idaho is worth $11.50 compared to an elk at $30.75 or moose at $173. These bargain hunting tags are currently being refunded and wolves are afforded protection again beyond status as a big game animal.

While hunting gray wolves is illegal again, wolves that prey on livestock are still in danger of being shot. In an already harsh economy, livestock loss can heighten opposition to wolves, although no amount of wolf hunting will solve that problem; other predators and disease are a far greater threat to livestock than wolves. Defenders of Wildlife has been working with ranchers for years to promote nonlethal wolf management.

Defenders of Wildlife also led the legal battle for re-listing. In a statement issued by Defenders, president Roger Schlickeisen said the legal victory shows that “decisions under the Endangered Species Act should be based on science, not politics.”

In recent years, the Rocky Mountain wolf population has been expanding their territories beyond Idaho, Montana and Wyoming into the surrounding states of Utah, Oregon and Washington. These states were covered under the previous delisting by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, yet were never part of the original gray wolf recovery area. It stands to reason that since Judge Molloy ruled U.S. Fish and Wildlife to be in violation of the ESA, the definition of the Rocky Mountain gray wolf population and recovery area will have to be revised to include Utah, Oregon and Washington.

Let’s just hope these states are able to write effective management plans to protect the immigration of gray wolves. After all, these new arrivals come with nothing but the fur on their backs and their hopes and dreams for a bright and healthy future.

Photo credit: Pamela Black