OPINION: Idaho’s war on wolves 

On March 4, 2021, the Idaho Legislature instigated a war on wolves, but this is not the first time the species has been under attack.

While wolves have been the target of fear and violence since before the Brothers Grimm published “Little Red Riding Hood” in 1812, the most recent culling of wolves began in 1871. By 1902 the hatred of wolves had reached a tipping point. Wolves, along with other predators, were exterminated from the United States in 1926.  

As wolves were killed off, the population of deer and elk increased significantly, which caused an over-browsing of woody plants. According to William Ripple, an Oregon State University forest ecologist, aspen quit regenerating in the 1920s. This end in regeneration occurred during the culling.  

The damage elk were causing due to their extreme numbers affected the entire ecosystem. With woody plants reduced to shrubs, riparian ecosystems saw an increase in erosion and water contamination.

Elk over-browsing also caused beavers to suffer due to a reduced amount of lumber to eat and build dams. A single beaver colony was reported in Yellowstone National Park in 1995. This is an extreme difference from the previous 25 colonies reported in 1921.  

The journey to wolf reintroduction began in 1975, 20 years before the first wolves were reintroduced to Idaho and Yellowstone. According to Ellen Petrick, a retired Yellowstone National Park interpretive ranger, wolves were extremely controversial. Interpretive rangers were not allowed to talk about the wolf issue until after Bill Clinton was elected in 1992.  

Beginning in 1995 and ending in 1996, 41 grey wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone and parts of Idaho. The situation was so sensitive that decoy trailers were deployed as a precautionary measure. Slowly, the new wolves created familial bonds and began to reproduce, allowing environmentalists to breathe as the population increased.  

While this success was celebrated among scientists and activists, others were less than thrilled. This conflict between pro and anti-wolf groups has persisted, even in the presence of compromise through the 2002 Wolf Management Plan.

The plan was agreed upon by representatives, environmentalists and sportsmen alike. However, those who are anti-wolf and hold power succeeded in placing more stress on wolves.  

This conflict manifested itself in Senate Bill 1211. The Idaho bill, passed after a record-breaking two weeks, makes extreme changes to wolf hunting and trapping.

A few of the changes made are the use of motorized vehicles, night vision, and inhumane traps are now legal. The season has also been extended to year-round on private land, the goal of these changes is to reduce the wolf population by 90%.

The bill allocates $300,000 to the Wolf Depredation Control Board whose sole purpose is to control the wolf population through lethal methods. In January 2022, Idaho increased the board’s funding to $1 million.  

This bill allows a $1,000 bounty to be placed on wolves. Anti-wolf organizations like the Foundation for Wildlife Management have been allocated funds through the Wolf Depredation Control Board for the purpose of incentivizing wolf hunting and trapping.  

In the 2021 season, 434 wolves were killed in Idaho, 327 were killed in Montana, and 300 were killed in Wyoming. The amount of damage the mentality of “kill or be killed” shared between those who support the bill is not limited to the wolves themselves, nor the elk or surrounding environment.  

A common piece of propaganda associated with wolf hunting is that with fewer wolves, there will be fewer depredations on livestock. That was the main sentiment utilized by Sen. Burtenshaw of the Idaho senate while proposing the legislation. 

However, this propaganda is just that, propaganda. Wolves have evolved to utilize a hunting method that requires all members of the pack to participate in order to be successful. They use their intelligence and numbers to overcome the strength of their prey. When packs become decimated, much like they are in Idaho, the pack has no choice but to target easier prey. This is where sheep and cattle become more appetizing to wolves.  

If Idaho truly wishes to protect agricultural communities, it would invest its resources into methods of peaceful coexistence. 

Wolves, unlike people, are incapable of hunting an animal to extinction. They hunt for what they need, not for a trophy or to brag. While many assume that the wolf is a heartless creature who lives to kill, the truth is that they kill to take care of their pack, just as people raise livestock to feed their families.

We may have evolved physically from the apes, but we evolved socially from the wolves.  

In early human society, we grew a bond with wolves. We hunted alongside them and trusted them so much that we domesticated them, and allowed them to watch over our families. Where in our evolution did that change? 

Mackenzie Davidson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @mackenzie_films