Wolf Weekly Wrap-up

Montana to target 220 wolves – Yesterday, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners approved a quota of 220 wolves for the fall hunt. The quota is nearly three times higher than their 2009 quota of 75 wolves, but FWP biologists believe the new quota will still keep at least 425 wolves on the ground. Defenders argued all along that this quota was too high—nearly 40 percent of the estimated 2010 statewide population of 566 wolves. As bad as this is, at least Montana appears to be taking a more measured approach than Idaho and Wyoming. The hunting season will be less than three months long, from Sept. 3 – Nov. 27, with a possible extension until Dec. 31 if the quota is not met. They will not allow trapping, aerial gunning or electronic calls. Each hunter will be limited to killing one wolf, and any kills must be reported within 12 hours. The numbers are still way too high, but clearly it could have been much worse.

Bunk wolf survey in Idaho – After the release of its wolf hunt proposal, Idaho Fish and Game published a survey this week to gauge public opinion. Though seeking public comment is a step in the right direction, the survey never asks whether respondents support the widespread killing of wolves and instead, immediately jumps to questions about specific parts of the proposal. Even those questions force respondents to accept faulty premises. Read yesterday’s blog post and find out how you can register your opposition to Idaho’s aggressive wolf hunting proposal.

Top predators vital to healthy ecosystems – A new study published in Science today confirms what we’ve been saying for years: wolves and other large predators play a critical role in shaping our ecosystem. Ecosystems evolve with an entire suite of plants and animals that must strike a balance. Top predators like wolves, sharks, and even sea otters make sure that prey species don’t grow too abundant. When wolves were absent from the West for nearly half a century, deer and elk took over the landscape, munching away on plant life so intensely that sensitive tree species like willow and aspen perished. These so-called “trophic cascades” create ripples throughout the environment that ultimately affect the health of humans as well. Too few wolves have resulted in too many deer, which increased the prevalence of ticks that transmit Lyme disease. Read more about the importance of top predators in today’s Washington Post.

Salazar wishy-washy on wolves – Interior Sec. Salazar criticized an amendment this week that would prevent any legal challenge to the delisting of wolves in Wyoming and the western Great Lakes. But the statement may be too little too late from our nation’s chief wildlife steward, who has already allowed the premature delisting of wolves in Idaho and Montana and agreed “in principle” to a plan that would allow wolves to be shot on sight across most of  Wyoming. Hopefully, Salazar will stand up to the wolf amendment, as well as an extinction rider that would block protections for the 264 currently awaiting endangered species protections, and many others not yet on the candidate list.