Wildlife Management

Opinion: Wolves Under Fire in the Rocky Mountain West

By Hayden Janssen, 7-19-11

	Grey wolf. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.
– Aldo Leopold

The wolves of the Rocky Mountains are under attack. Idaho recently released its proposal for the 2011 hunting season, which calls for no limit on the number of wolves that can be killed. Yes, you read that correctly. The state that professed it will not manage its wolves has followed through and issued a public plan expressing there will be no limits on wolf hunting for this year. Based on the fact that Idaho, Wyoming and Montana are required to maintain a specific number of wolves in the three-state region, an undue burden has been placed on the other two states. One hopes Wyoming and Montana will take heed; however, at this writing, Montana has announced it expects to issue 220 permits, permission to take out roughly one-third of the total Montana wolf population.

There are those who argue that all wolves should be protected, no matter what. This is not an acceptable management approach when even endangered grizzlies that cause harm to a rancher are being culled. The other end of the spectrum is represented by a vocal and polar-opposite. These individuals profess a vested interest in nature, albeit a nature of their own design.

They call for the complete eradication of the wolf. Has it been so long that these individuals cannot remember the elk herds of Yellowstone and how they prospered at uncontrollable rates? Perhaps it is these same individuals who called for the removal of the wolf from the Yellowstone ecosystem decades ago. It took some time, but eventually the scientists of that day recognized that wolf removal was a terrible decision. Owing to uncontrolled elk populations, countless biotic populations suffered, most notably the aspen groves of Yellowstone. These groves dwindled, becoming mere representations of their former selves.

It took many years until the correlation among wolves, elk and aspens was made, but eventually the National Parks Service admitted the error of its ways in removing this predator from the ecosystem. This begs the question, are we so short-sighted today, so absent of memory, that we are willing to once again make the same mistakes, even with the benefit of hindsight? Has the benefit of time not afforded humanity the opportunity to realize that meddling in nature, displaying our Roman thumb either up or down for each and every species, only serves to devalue our own existence?

Surely we have become more astute in our interference.

At present, the vocal minority calling for the removal of the wolf from the Rocky Mountains is banal, believing that their ideals carry a bigger stick than the one carried by the facts representing the science of biology. Wolves are necessary. The purposes they serve and what they provide to the larger ecosystem is something that cannot be replaced by any other animal. (Once again, have we already forgotten Yellowstone?) The main constituencies supporting the decimation of the wolf are ranchers, hunters and those who fancy themselves either. Unfortunately, their literal call to arms is entirely unwarranted, yet their fear-mongering has somehow prevailed. Remember, we are meant to be living in rational times. So, let us address the underlying causes behind each of these different individuals’ desire to see the wolf quelled.

Ranchers of the Rocky Mountains receive vast subsidies for their undertakings (most notably: low fees for grazing on public lands, taxpayer-supported research grants, lower property taxes for their own grazing lands, drought relief, livestock feed programs, etc.). Despite the benefits afforded many in the ranching community, many ranchers continue to insist that wolves are compromising their way of life. Keep in mind, when a rancher reports, and proves, that a wolf has killed one of his herd, the government steadfastly compensates him for his loss at a value greater than what the unit was worth. Today’s ranchers will receive more cash for their range operations than in any time in the history of our country. This seems ironic as the direct effect of their occupational undertakings leave a far greater imprint on the ecosystem of the Rocky Mountains than any pack of wolves ever has. The damages incurred by the ecosystem directly from the flood of cattle and sheep on public lands is far more detrimental to a biotic system than are any single group of predators.

Now, the argument may be made, “Well the predators are undermining our way of life, our ranching.” This is true, and to determine which species should rightly prevail in this battle of bovine versus Canis lupus, one must only iterate which was present in this region first. Lastly, let us note that coyotes and mountain lions kill more livestock and elk than wolves do.

I have several ranchers who are close friends of mine. So, please feel free to ask any rancher if the above is true. If they are honest, as I’ve found most ranchers to be, they will support the above statements. If you do not believe these facts, you are either in denial, a rancher who feels attacked, or both. Do not fret; you are not being attacked. The simple fact is, every time one ventures into the forests, one is guaranteed one thing: cow shit. The ubiquitous presence of cow pies is a contemporary certainty, one that most certainly does not add to the outdoor experience. To stumble upon a wolf kill, while possible, it’s so very unlikely as to be absurd. Thus, while the ranching community of the Rocky Mountains may possess an ideal in which they are continuing to pursue Manifest Destiny, this delusion is unwarranted and timeworn. Humans have already left their indelible mark, and to continue on this same trajectory will prove irreparable for many species, ours included.

The second faction calling for the decimation of wolves in the Rocky Mountains are hunters. I am a hunter. I have no issue with competing for my game with another creature. I possess a rifle and, some would argue, higher intelligence. Therefore, one must question, is the competition that the wolf has provided the true underlying cause of the hunting community berating the wolf? Do hunters despise wolves so much that they are unwilling to contend for their game? Granted, wolves seek food outside of our recognized hunting seasons. Nevertheless, the arguments continue, “Well, wolves run game off.” So do subdivisions. When I witness a “hunter” shooting a semi-automatic rifle at an elk from 500 yards, I feel only pity. Not just for the elk, although I am confident he is not afraid as the bullets bury themselves 50 yards from him, but also for the “hunter.” For a true hunter you are not. You are an embarrassment to yourself, to true hunters and, if you actually take down game, to the animal that lost its life to you after your 20th round. Still, you will be the one at the local watering hole espousing how you took down that bull elk from 500 yards.

As a hunter, I respect the intricacies of nature, the freezing mornings and frying afternoons. I accept that true hunting, seeking game and pursuing one’s own food is what should be done. The beef at a grocery store is not manufactured on site, contrary to popular belief. A true hunter recognizes that he or she is a part of nature. And while it is easy to proclaim oneself the apex of nature while holding a rifle, this is not the case. Perhaps the reason that some hunters loathe the wolf so dearly is that when the bullets are gone, the hunter can no longer look down the food chain upon every species below.

Humans are merely a cog in the machine of nature. In the absence of an understanding that expresses this fact, we will surely continue to be the cog that destroys the machine, the snake that consumes its own tail, only recognizing the error of our ways once it is too late. Wolves need to be managed, but irresponsible management, such as has been expressed by Idaho officials, and undoubtedly will soon be by Montana officials, is not the answer. Until humans learn to live with and within nature, we will never fully understand all that can be offered to us by nature. As Leopold has said, “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” It’s high time that those who have gained so much from the land, be it livelihood, recreation, or food, willingly begin to see all of its components with love and respect. To do otherwise only serves to denigrate our own, human existence.

Hayden Janssen recognizes that he is but a cog within a much larger machine. New West welcomes guest columns and would consider a counter-opinion to the views presented here.

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