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On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would reconsider whether gray wolves deserve protection under the Endangered Species Act. The move comes after the Trump administration removed federal protections, allowing states around the West to implement hunting quotas that significantly reduce wolf populations.
In Idaho, lawmakers passed legislation allowing the killing of up to 90% of wolves in the state. The measure expanded approved hunting methods to allow chasing wolves with ATVs and using night vision goggles after dark. Additionally, new funding is available to hire professional hunters to cull wolves, including from helicopters.
In Montana, wildlife officials recently approved quotas that could allow up to 40% of the state's wolf population to be killed and approved the use of previously outlawed hunting methods, such as baiting and night hunting. State lawmakers also passed legislation to pay hunters for their expenses in killing a wolf, reminiscent of bounties that helped exterminate wolves from the West decades ago. Earlier this year, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte received a written warning from wildlife officials for personally trapping and killing a wolf near Yellowstone National Park without first completing the state's mandated trapper education course.
In Wisconsin, hunters blew past official quotas this spring, killing 216 wolves in just four days, requiring wildlife managers to end the hunting season early. State officials estimated that roughly 90% of hunters used dogs to chase down wolves and said fresh snow made it easier to track them.
The announcement of a review by the Fish and Wildlife Service comes as dozens of Native American tribes asked the Biden administration to enact emergency protections for gray wolves. Andrea Zaccardi, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that petitioned federal wildlife managers for the review, noted the urgency of emergency protections, saying, "we are concerned that a lot of wolves could be wiped out while undertaking a year-long review."
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