The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) proposed to increase the number of wolves taken by hunters to 58. The quota from 2017 was 44.
“Nothing has really changed, it’s just that over time the number of wolves has changed,” Ken Mills, WGFD wolf biologist, told the Jackson Hole News & Guide. “There’s more wolves out there and they’re demonstrating themselves to be more resilient to human-caused mortality.”
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation strongly supports state-based management of the gray wolf.
“RMEF supports the WGFD proposal to adjust mortality limits and hunt area boundaries to better meet management goals, including higher limits where wolf-livestock conflicts are elevated or in areas where wolves may impact big game populations,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “RMEF recognizes the WGFD’s use of the best available population and mortality data in setting appropriate harvest levels and managing for a recovered wolf population.”
(Photo source: Wyoming Department of Game and Fish Department)