Montana: Wolf Hunts Are Banned in Area Bordering Yellowstone

[2naSalit]

133. There are far more wolves in the

Great Lakes ecosystem and most are up around the lakes and CA border... than there are in the northern Rockies where there is far more habitat for them. They regulate their numbers on their own and is (without human interference) pretty much based on prey availability because wolves are territorial. They establish a "range" and stay within it unless there is some reason to compel them to leave it like ecosystem crash due to climate issues or human encroachment for instance. Wolves were still in the Great Lakes area but not many of them when they were placed on the ESA list as the first species listed, or was it the Grizzly bear? They were the first two species listed way back in 1973 and were on the list of species in trouble when it was first recognized by the government that they needed protection back in the 1960s (there was a protection Act prior to the ESA but the exact name escapes me at the moment).

In 2012, ID there were approximately 650 wolves prior to the hunt; Montana had about 899; Wyoming had (they claim) 600 or so, including the 80 in YNP and Teton NP. They aren't allowed to count whatever wolf population exists within the Wind River Indian Reservation which is about the same size as YNP. They have their own approved wolf management plan and the state is not allowed to mess with them as they are legally a sovereign nation. Not privy to their numbers and I am fine with that, they have far more respect for this animal so they are in a good place there. In all three states the general intent of the legislators is to remove all but 100 wolves or 15 breeding pairs in each state which is just plain criminal and not based on any kind of scientific knowledge whatsoever.