Nine Wolves Killed

Wildlife officials killed nine wolves in just over a month in southwest Montana. The wolves had killed several cattle and seriously injured two sheep dogs guarding flocks. There are about 900 wolves in the northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming with Montana having the smallest number at 166.

New federal rules have allowed wolves to be killed legally by ranchers to protect their livestock. The cost of lost livestock to ranchers was explained best by Steve Pilcher, executive vice president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, in his question, "How would you feel if every week I went up and took $500 to $600 from your billfold?"

Nonetheless, wildlife advocates want non-lethal methods used to control the predators. Defenders of Wildlife representative Suzanne Asha Stone stated, "There needs to be emphasis on protecting wolves, not killing them every time they get into trouble." Stone also wants the state to encourage ranchers to adapt to living with wolves.

I sense that the protection of wolves, which have just killed and eaten a steer, is not something that immediately crosses a rancher's mind. With regard to adapting to living with wolves, I'm not sure how someone would do that other than get a gun with a scope.