Case Study : Gray Wolves

“Wolves can maintain populations and are beautiful animals that should not be harmed”, which is what Howling for Wolves group said. Howling for wolves was created to be a voice for the wolves. Gray wolves are a major draw for Minnesota’s yearly $500 million wildlife tourism economy, and they hold deep cultural meanings for many minnesotans. Wolves

Wolves have always been a symbol of the wild, free in spirit and roamers of the land. These animals are considered majestic and protectors of the wilderness. They have always roamed the western United States, although their population has fluctuated over time. Over the past 10 years wolf reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park has been a controversial topic to those of the United States. As of 1995, wolves have been reintroduced into the park. This has come with some strong opposition and yet has prevailed. The future of the wolf in Yellowstone park is now looking bright, although not certain since there still are those who want them banished again.

Over the past several years, the gray wolf, native to the Wisconsin area, has been listed federally as an endangered species due to the graphic and horrific treatment they had received during the industrialization periods of America, when they were frowned upon and hated because they are predatory creatures and did, on occasion, attack livestock and pets. Because the government was encouraging the hunting, including bounties for the animals, the wolves were hunted to near extinction. However, now Wisconsin faces a new problem. With the reintroduction of the wolves to the state, and their continued endangered status federally, the population has increased well beyond expectations, reaching what could be considered a problematic state. A

While researching the gray wolf, I found out that it is actually a very touchy subject in Michigan. The hunting of Gray Wolves has been a very controversial topic. Gray wolves are native to Michigan but were nearly wiped out in the 19th and early 20th centuries by hunting and state-sanctioned bounties. In 1973, when Congress created the federal endangered species list, only six wolves were known to still exist in the Michigan wild, and gray wolves were considered an endangered species. By 2007, the wolf population in the Upper Peninsula topped 500 -- far exceeding the recovery benchmark of 100 set by the federal government, making the Great Lakes gray wolf one of the most successful recovery stories in the history of the endangered species list. The gray wolf actually came off the endangered species list in 2012, but as of December 2014, has been relisted.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service are considering removing the gray wolf from the endangered species list once Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have enough wolves to be deemed sufficient to continue to expand the wolf population, requiring only that each of these three states have a management plan in effect to prevent the gray wolf from becoming endangered again. With the current attitude of the governments in these states, the wolf should not lose their federal support under the Endangered Species Act as it would merely serve to cause the wolves to become endangered once again, or at best, held to the absolute minimum population that the states can pass off as “viable, self-sustaining populations”

advocating for the grey wolf to remain on the endangered species list, through his format and use of lists and bolded literature. There do not seem to be any apparent violations within the conventions. The time line of these documents is in very close proximity as both of the memos were written during the month of October on day twenty-seven and twenty-eight, within the year of 2015. Some social and political issues that come into play during these memos is the issue that Oregon’s Commissioners is considering delisting grey wolves from the endangered species list based on propositions that I quote are “...not supported by science, the law or the public.” and “The continued insistence on delisting wolves seems motivated by politics and specious perception that it would make things easier for the agency.” (Page 4). It is apparent that the motive to remove grey wolves from the endangered species list would make it “easier” for the agencies that constantly have to monitor and deal with the problems that arise with having wolves in the state but, the current wolf population in Oregon is roughly eighty to eighty-three animals which is far below the carrying capacity of the state. ExigenceThe purpose for the

bAllen Gagnon 11-30-17 Gray Wolf The gray wolf originated in Eurasia and made its way to North America more than 750,000 years ago. The gray wolf's habitat grew to cover most of the Northern Hemisphere and eventually came to inhabit the largest range of any mammal in history. This naturally adaptive animal flourished in a range of climates from the severe cold weather of the arctic wastes of Greenland to the harsh heat of the deserts of Arabia. Although estimates vary widely, it is believed that about 5,000 years ago approximately 2 million gray wolves inhabited the earth.

Long before the settlers started to make the United States their home, “American Indians lived long beside the Gray Wolf before settlers started to come here.” (Rowe, Mark) The wolf is native to the North American continent and has been inhabiting its land for centuries. It is a canid species, or member of the canine family and is a cunning, smart, fast, and sly animal. Gray wolves range in color from black, brown, gray, and white and also look like a grown German Shepherd. They are well known for traveling in family sizes from 7-9 wolves, led by the alpha male and have a mate. They are a fierce animal that has been researched extensively because of their unique qualities and that they are near extinction.

In “Where Have All the Exploiters Gone? Co-Management of the Maine Lobster Industry”, author James M. Acheson validates Garret Hardin’s logic in “Tragedy of the Commons” that property rights do in fact help conserve resources. Acheson also refutes basic principles set forth by Hardin that users of open access resources have no vested interest in preserving resources over the long term and are unable to generate regulating mechanisms.

In this essay I will be informing readers about the history of the wolf in the western part of the United States, the wolf’s status as an endangered species, and its effect on the ecosystem and what we as humans can do to manage it.

The Canadian wolf can look many different ways.They can grow anywhere from 2-3 feet tall. The Wolf has fur and claws. When you think of a wolf, you can compare it to a dog. The teeth are just like a dog’s teeth. The Wolf’s tail is just like the rest of it’s body, fluffy and soft. A wolf is most likely to have blue or brown eyes. A wolf has four short legs, but they can run fast. The male can weigh anywhere from 70 lbs- 200 lbs. The female weighs about 50 lbs- 100 lbs.

For years, the Gray Wolf has been a sore subject for many. The controversy comes with those who fight for the protection to conserve this species and those who see the Gray Wolf as a threat to humans and their form of survival. Both arguments are logical and both sides seem to be supported by evidence. The biggest controversy comes with the first proposed delisting of the Gray wolf. This paper will outline the biology and ecology of the Gray Wolf as well as the causes for the decline of the species and the reasons to keep this species alive.

As the population is growing more crops and cattle for farms are expanding and this has started to cause the Gray Wolves to get in the endangered list in 1976. Within those farms, Gray wolves would invade the livestock and gather food from the farms. When the farmers witness their livestock being eaten and taken away from the wolves they would kill and shoot the animals to defend their farm. Since there are so many farms the food stock has become limited for them so they have to find whatever food they can. Besides limited food disease is also a huge problem within their community, diseases such as canine distemper which is caused by unvaccinated dogs and kills young pups to older adults. Gray wolves are also a dangerous predator to themselves,

Wolves were hunted to the brink of extinction due to government bounties and prejudice from farmers. By the 1970s, only 5,500 grey wolves remained in the continental United States, and were no longer as widespread as they were at the turn of the

Wolves in the Upper Peninsula have been a hot topic for many of years, especially the hunting and trapping of them. I think people pro wolf are afraid that making it legal to hunt them would eventually make them an extinct animal. This shows us a type of supply and demand, where the supply is the wolves in their natural environment and the demand is where the people live and want to live in harmony with the wolves.