Wyoming's Wolves Again Under Federal Protection

After the state went on a wolf-hunting rampage, a federal district court has restored endangered species protection for the gray wolf in Wyoming. The shoot-on-sight policy will be halted until the state comes up with a credible, science based plan to protect their survival. Judge Amy Jackson said the US Fish & Wildlife Service accepted a state promise to maintain a wolf population without requiring adequate safeguards. The state's excuse for a management plan reclassified the wolf as a trophy animal which allowed seasonal hunting as well as labeling it a preditor that could be shot on sight in four-fifths of the state. Obviously there was a dissconnect between federal policy and Wyoming's wildlife department since it is logically impossible to reconcile the wolf's endanagered status while being classed as vermin on the state level. Wyoming's wolf hunt was scheduled to begin October 1st. The ruling will cause a lot of itchy trigger fingers among wolf haters.

Wyoming was required to maintain at least ten breeding pairs and 100 wolves outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, there are 306 wolves outside the park now. However since federal protection was lifted by the Current Occupant in 2012 to pay off political favors, sixty-six were killed by trophy hunters and more than 60 killed in the areas in which it was classified as vermin. Wolves face similar persection in Idaho where an anti-wolf board establishes policy. Until state agricultural and sport hunting interests give up their wolf hatred, the species needs the protection of federal law so it can fully recover. The US Fish & Wildlife proposal to end endangered species protection everywhere except southern Arizona, New Mexico and a small area of North Carolina is therefore premature. Wyoming provides a case study of what will happen if wolves loose their endangered status. US Person suggests stuffing turkeys instead of wolves.