I am writing to express disbelief at the number of wolves “harvested” in Yellowstone National Park as set forth in your Jan. 12 article about hunters who are apparently building a “shooting gallery” on which to eliminate the state’s renowned gray wolves after killing at least 20 wolves in the past few months. Surely these figures are just preliminary as there are less than 94 wolves left in the huge boundaries of the park and hunters are having a turkey shoot of these wolves when they exit those boundaries. Gov. Greg Gianforte expects the wolves to stay in the park and not set paw in the greater area that surrounds the park. Several months ago, he blithely shot down a trapped radio-collared wolf about 10 miles north of the park. This action, which was part of an ongoing study by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials, ordered the governor to take a state-mandated trapper education course.
Gianforte responded to the action by the state wildlife officials with a letter stating that once a wolf exits the park and enters state lands it may be “harvested” under Montana law. At this time, the governor expects them to know that they are “fair game.”
Montana is supposed to be a place where wolves, cougars, deer, elk, and other wonderful wildlife roam without having to be on a “wildlife commission list” that vastly overstates the number of wolves that can be eliminated. When will the governor learn that Montana’s wildlife is in a place where these creatures can be viewed and appreciated in their natural state without a “kill-list?”
Mary Mosher
Kalispell