In 1974, the Gray Wolf was officially included on the Endangered Species List. As a result, the Gray Wolf benefited from the protection that comes from being classified endangered for the past 35 years. Today, this beautiful animal which has long been a symbol of majesty was taken off the list. States such as Idaho and Montana announced plans to begin hunting the wolf as early as this fall. Several environmental activist groups plan to appeal the ruling.
The reason why the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted is due to humans negative impact upon wildlife and their natural habitats. The Gray Wolf did not become endangered because of its inability to adapt or disease. Instead, hunting and trapping by human beings brought the Gray Wolf to the brink of extinction. The protection granted by the ESA allowed the animal to slowly recover and show signs of having a healthy population. That is going to change. Soon the hunts will begin and hundreds of animals will be shoot and trapped. Pups will be orphaned and left the die of starvation and predation. In a very short time, the Gray Wolf's population will be strained all because the protection once allowed has been taken away. It is my opinion that once an animal is classified on the ESA, it should stay there and never be declassified. Because thanks to humans, the Gray Wolf will again be at the brink of extinction just like it was 35 years ago.
Being a long time non-resident Idaho hunter, it's been all too easy to notice that as the wolf population increased the deer and elk population has decreased. Most noticeable is the behavior of elk in areas with known wolf packs. The majestic sound of a bull elk bugling is now a dinner bell for any wolves in hearing range. I am not saying that all elk that bugle are being killed by wolves, however the elk behavior is definitely changing. The elk are now much more reluctant to make noise: calls, bugles, mews and other elk talk – the sounds that traditionally echoed off hillsides, canyons, and river bottoms are much less likely to be heard in recent years. These are also the sounds that attract hunters and their wallets. Revenue from hunters far exceeds that from the 75-100 people a year who come to see a wolf, if they know where to look? It is too bad that wildlife managers allowed a non-native species of wolf to be allowed to wreak havoc on a wildlife population that was doing just fine! Worse, their hands are now being tied when they try to manage population levels of this same non-native species. What species should we introduce next? Woolly mammoth, Sabre tooth tiger, how about a T-rex. Maybe someone in a lab has some DNA from one or all of these animals that can be manipulated in some perverse way, and turned loose in Idaho: The experimental state!
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