Why does The HSUS oppose state management of gray wolf populations?
If the USFWS’ scheme to delist the gray wolf as two DPSs succeeds, the individual states would assume the management of their wolf populations, independent of federal control. All of the states with current wolf populations have created wolf management plans in anticipation of this delisting. All of these plans call for increased killing of wolves in response to livestock and public-safety complaints. All state plans but Minnesota’s, which calls for a five-year waiting period, include immediate hunting seasons to reduce current wolf populations to numbers that hover just above the minimum for relisting.
If the USFWS’ scheme to delist the gray wolf as two DPSs succeeds, the individual states would assume the management of their wolf populations, independent of federal control. All of the states with current wolf populations have created wolf management plans in anticipation of this delisting. All of these plans call for increased killing of wolves in response to livestock and public-safety complaints. All state plans but Minnesota’s, which calls for a five-year waiting period, include immediate hunting seasons to reduce current wolf populations to numbers that hover just above the minimum for relisting. Some of the state plans could result in precipitous declines in the current wolf populations. For example, Idaho’s plan calls for a minimum of 100 wolves in 10 packs before lethal control measures would be curtailed. The current wolf population in Idaho is estimated to be 370-512 animals. Even at the most conservative estimate of 370, reducing the population to 100 animals would mean ki
