December 27, 2009 in Outdoors

Wolves became game for hunters

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File Associated Press photo

This picture provided by Robert Millage shows Millage, 34, of Kamiah, Idaho, posing with the first reported wolf killed in Idaho on Sept. 1, the opening day of the state’s controversial new season. The real estate agent took the day off of work to hunt the predators, which were removed from the endangered species list earlier this year. A hunt in Montana followed.
(Full-size photo)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s March decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered-species list in the Northern Rockies gave the green light to open the first wolf hunting seasons in more than 70 years in Montana and Idaho.

Wildlife managers agreed with sportsmen and ranchers that reintroduced wolves had fully recovered and their numbers need to be reduced to curtail the bite they were taking out of big-game herds and livestock.

Montana’s wolf hunting started in September and closed in November after hunters neared their statewide harvest quota of 75 wolves.

Going into the season, Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials estimated about 500 wolves in the state. Despite the hunting, the number of wolves in Montana is likely to increase by 20 percent or more next year, officials said.

Idaho’s first wolf hunt started in September and was authorized in November to continue into 2010 in many of its 12 zones as hunters had killed only about half of the 220-wolf statewide quota.

Idaho sold more than 24,000 wolf tags, the majority of which cost $11.50.

Despite the harsh odds for success, Montana sold more than 16,500 wolf tags for $325,859. With a quota of 75 wolves, just one of every 208 hunters could fill a tag.

Two comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  respectnature25 on May 29 at 1:08 p.m.

  This is one of the saddest photos I have seen in a long time. This person killed a part of the spirit of the land. Salazar did an awful thing when he lifted protections for the wolves in the Rockies. The people of Idaho are not ready to leave behind their sickening and heart-breaking tradition of demonizing and brutalizing this beautiful and intelligent animal, the wolf. When will you finally learn to love and respect the wolf? Wolves were here long before us. Mother nature intended for them to be here. Let them be. Look into your heart, quietly and honestly, and see the wolf for the beautiful and intelligent animal that it actually is, not what mythology or your ‘tradition’ tell you it is, and let them be. There is so much pain and suffering in this world. What this entire country did to the wolves that were here and what you are doing now is adding to the tremendous pain and sadness and suffering in this world. Please stop, for the sake of your soul and for the spirit of the land. Let them be.

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  respectnature25 on May 29 at 1:09 p.m.

  This is one of the saddest photos I have seen in a long time. This person killed a part of the spirit of the land. Salazar did an awful thing when he lifted protections for the wolves in the Rockies. The people of Idaho are not ready to leave behind their sad and heart-breaking tradition of demonizing and brutalizing this beautiful and intelligent animal, the wolf. When will you finally learn to love and respect the wolf? Wolves were here long before us. Mother nature intended for them to be here. Let them be. Look into your heart, quietly and honestly, and see the wolf for the beautiful and intelligent animal that it actually is, not what mythology or your ‘tradition’ tell you it is, and let them be. There is so much pain and suffering in this world. What this entire country did to the wolves that were here and what you are doing now is adding to the tremendous pain and sadness and suffering in this world. Please stop, for the sake of your soul and for the spirit of the land. Let them be.