Hunting Wolves: The Dangers Of Hunting And Regulation

It shows the importance of a balanced ecosystem and it is also a prime example of survival of the fittest. Wolves strengthen the deer population, and keep each other in check. Although the misconceptions are numerous, wolf hunting would pose a threat to these amazing and needed animals, and compromise ongoing wolf studies. The wolf population cannot afford the potential damage this could cause, therefore wolves should not be hunted. Works Cited “All About Wolves, The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale.” IsleRoyaleWolf.

Many wolves were removed from regions where they weren’t even threats to humans or livestock (Klinghammer 446) because wolves, like grizzlies, were perceived as competitors for land and food. Unlike grizzly bears, wolves didn’t survive in the Northern Rocky Mountains because of poisonings, shootings, and bounties for their pelts (Barker 177). These actions caused the extinction of wolves in western states, changing the ecosystems by eliminating a natural predator. The reasons for this genocide, according to David Mech, were “the possible predation by the wolf upon man. .

The weak are sorted out and the strong survive. The same goes for the wolves. The wolves that are injured or have diseased cannot survive. When they die scavengers get to eat their meat, which contributes to the ecosystem. Another pro is more people come to Yellowstone National Park to see the wolves since they were extinct for more then 30 years.

By overpopulation they have caused many problems from farmers to hunters, even some game. In some small way they may have helped with the illegal poaching of the wolves by making it legal to purchase tags and trapping permits. There are many ways in which the government and the people who care about the wolves and the people that are effected are working to fix this problem. Works cited (1) http://www.ask.com/question/how-do-wolves-hunt (2) Rob Pennell (3) http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/species/Fact%20sheets/gray%20wolf%20final.pdf (4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackenzie_Valley_wolf (5) http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/wildlife/wolves/?getPage=260

As of 1995, wolves have been reintroduced into the park. This has come with some strong opposition and yet has prevailed. The future of the wolf in Yellowstone park is now looking bright, although not certain since there still are those who want them banished again. History Many hundreds of years ago wolves roamed the entire North American continent with no barriers and very few predators. As settlers moved into the United States, wolves became more and more scarce in the wild of America.

Although wolves are often seen as killers, they have actually given life to many species of both animals and plants since they have been reintroduced and play a vital role in the ecosystem of the Northern Rockies. In an ecosystem, every living and nonliving thing interact with each other and depend on eac... ... middle of paper ... ...s were killed in the two states. This proves that state governments cannot be trusted to take on the full responsibility of the wolves, or the wolf population will fall to numbers similar to those before the reintroduction. There needs to be some sort of protection over wolves, whether it is at the state of federal level, that prevents states from holding open hunting seasons. For example, a rule can be made that wolves can only be hunted when they put in danger the lives of either livestock or humans.

In the wild the coyote population has virtually no natural predators so they can raise their young without any worries that they will be killed. The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies launched a study on the coyote populations and estimated that coyote populations in the southeast United States would grow by 210 percent if they weren’t hunted and killed by man. (Edmonds) There are coyotes in every U.S. state, except for Hawaii, and there is over 50,000 living in the usa alone. If they put a ban on predator hunting, coyotes would overpopulate to the extreme. The incredibly large number of coyotes, or any other predator ,would cause them to eat all of the easily available food, and they would have to look harder for any food resource.

The reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park did not end the debate of whether wolves should stay or go. Advocates for wolf reintroduction say the wolves control elk and deer population numbers; preventing the destruction of ranchers cattle and the land. Opponents say the wolves kill elk and deer that could be hunted. Ranchers fear the wolves will kill their livestock decreasing profits. Wolves are a natural mean of controlling the number of deer, elk, and other large game in an environment.

In 1996 the government brought back the wolf and there was a lot of controversy about the subject. Since people feared the wolf; they thought that there would be more wolf attacks, and livestock lost. The truth is: a person is more likely to get attacked by a buffalo or an elk than a wolf. Their food supply was plentiful at the time of reintroduction so attacks were never a problem. Wolves weigh around 70-120 pounds, 26-34 inches in height at the shoulder and very lean and powerful.

Farmers and Settlers also saw these wolves a... ... middle of paper ... ...s were wolves are present, having advanced cameras with analytics that could pick up the shape and form of a wolf, and lastly if a wolf attacks a rancher’s livestock, then the government would compensate for the lost livestock. Everyday people could also be a huge help in the protection of the gray wolf. They could donate money to national organizations, such as the Sierra Club, which promotes the protection of wolves. Many environmental organizations will combine messages from the public and their members and send them to government leaders. The public can always be better advocates for the protection of wolves, by continually staying informed and educated about the status of the wolves.