Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Effects of regulating hunting
How are wolves important to the ecosystem
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Effects of regulating hunting
As wolves can be known as livestock killers, we can change that by hunting them and lowering the population. Not lowering the population can plummet the local deer, elk, moose and sheep populations. If they are over populated, they can end up preying on other species to the point where there are few animals left. Although not hunting wolves can also have some benefits, it does have cons.
Having wolves, and not keeping check of the wolf population can cause them to over populate. Rapid growth is common in areas where there are lots of animals for them to eat. For example, Yellowstone wolf packs have grown, leading to many wolves roaming outside of the national park. There are known to be 1,700 in the Western states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. There has been many threats to livestock, such as killing and injuring of farm and ranch animals, which has
…show more content…
Because of this, a hunting season was instituted in 2009. Experts say that the Gray wolf is no longer in danger of being completely wiped out by hunting. Before it was caused by unregulated hunting. Some have said that the wolves in Yellowstone were “significantly reduced” by hunting and trapping.
Officials in Montana have placed a quota on the number of wolves that could be shot by hunters. Four each season, to minimize the impact on wolf watching in Yellowstone park.
Ranchers nearby the Yellowstone park have been supportive of the expanded hunting, saying wolves are a real threat to their livestock. Jon Robinett, of Dubois, Wyoming, says, “I have lost hundreds of cattle, several horses, and six dogs to wolves over the past 20 years.”
He also stated that there was about 50 wolves around his part of Dunoir Valley and that hunters only taking out a little amount like four “won’t help”.
“Some seasons held in Montana and Idaho were successful with hunters killing up to 72 of the 75 wolves on quota in Montana. 188 of the 220-wolf quota in
This makes them seem less menacing and scary like the first article makes them look. Sharon Levy says in part "It is only in the two decades that biologists have started to build a clearer picture of wolf ecology….Instead of seeing rogue man-eaters and savage packs, we now understand that wolves have evolved to live in extended family groups.." (ll 19-22) This article also explains the positive overall effects of the wolves moving back to Yellowstone. Not only did the wolves have a new home filled with beautiful elk for prey they were also protected from hunters. This changed the attitude of the wolves as well as their population, of course their population grew and stayed more
The gray wolf, Canis lupus, on Isle Royal is a small ever fluctuating population. On the endangered species list since 1978, the gray wolf has recently been taken off the endangere...
...I think that repopulating wolves in an area where they might have to deal with people is kind of a feeble-witted idea. Wolves are not an animal with a great reputation, even though they might not deserve that reputation most people do not like. I think that people as a whole would probably rather have deer in their back yard rather than wolves. Therefore, the questions what can happen, what should happen, and what will happen, with the deer problem all three have different answers. These answers will differ due to the area that the deer are in and the peoples' feeling towards these deer. It is too bad that there is not one perfect solution to the deer problem. Maybe in the future there will be, but until then we will have to deal with each problem that comes up individually.
Wolves had live throughout parts of the world for thousands of years before humans just kept rising in population and minimizing the wolves’ population through the expansion of their territories for farm agriculture and industrialization. It is only in the United States where humans completely annihilated wolves; they did this by hunting the wolves down until the last wolf was killed in 1926. However, in 1995, 14 wolves were caught from Canada and release into Yellowstone National Park. This makes it almost 70 years since the wolves have been reintroduced back into Yellowstone National Park (17 July 2009)
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 regulated hunt and a population control procedure has become necessary in Wisconsin to protect state's economic endeavors of game, wildlife, and agriculture, and also the wolves themselves, to keep them from overpopulating and facing starvation and lack of land.
The history behind the extirpation of the grey wolf in the United States dates back to the very first European settlers that colonized eastern North America in the late 16th century. The killing of gray wolves was done primarily out of fear in an attempt to protect livestock, and, in some cases, to protect human life within the colonies. As more settlers expanded West, the practice of killing wolves was considerably increased to protect livestock that included cows, pigs, and chickens. As waves of European settlers expanded westward, they began to deplete the deer, moose, and elk populations. The gray wolves food source continual depletion gave rise to wolf populations actively targeting the settler’s livestock, causing great financial loss. The fiscal loss of livestock became such an issue to wealthy ranchers and settlers that they began to offer cash rewards for wolf pelts. This practice gave birth to a lucrative cottage industry of professional hunters and trappers. As the wolves began to move further West, and into Wyoming, they began to diminish the elk and moose population. To respond to this threat, Congress approved funding in 1914, to eliminate the native gray wolves from
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.
During 70 years of absence from the Rockies, the Grey Wolf had been protected under the Endangered Species Act that was passed in 1973. Since the wolf is under the protection of Endangered Species Act a person could be punished with up to a $100,000 fine and up to 1 year in jail for killing a wolf. Back in the 1850's there was a major population increase of the wolves in America, this was due to settlers moving west. These settlers killed more than 80 million bison, the wolves started to scavenge on the carcasses left behind.
Environmentalists call this problem the Urban Deer Dilemma. This exists when the number of deer exceeds the ability of the environment to support the deer (2). During the 1600s, when Jamestown’s first settlers arrived, there were between 24 and 31 million white-tailed deer in North America (4). As settlers pioneered farther west, the deer population steadily decreased until a dramatic drop in the 19th century. By the end of the century, less than half-a-million deer were left. In some parts of the United States, there were none. In 1886, the US Supreme Court forced hunters to get licenses and follow certain restrictions. Conservationists urged hunters kill bucks instead of does. Because of these precautions, by the 1940s, 30 states in the United States had deer herds large enough to starve themselves (4).
The habitat of the Arctic wolf is a very harsh place. The temperature must be below zero degrees. There are tundra, rolling hills, glacier valleys, ice fields, shallow lakes, and green flatlands (Arctic/Antarctic: The Arctic Wolf). These snowy white creators don’t have that many places to live. Arctic wolves used to be everywhere in North America, but sadly now they are reduced to Canada, Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming (Arctic/Antarctic: The Arctic Wolf). Arctic wolves are one of the most dangerous types of wolves; people need to find a way to save them and their habitat before they disappear forever.
Coyotes and bears are a common sight in the woods. These animals, along with others, are predators that help to control deer population but also decrease the amount of land allowed to the deer. In Western NC, deer rates have fallen and bag limits have been reduced. In Pennsylvania, biologists have conducted a lengthy study to determine fawn mortality and predation. Predators killed 46% of fawns, (Hart). A study about coyotes in Ohio found that even though they kill numerous fawns, the population of deer continues to grow, (Hart). It would be critical to maintain...
Canis Lupus, the Latin term for the “North American Wolf”. A meat eating mammal with the capability of weighing up to 180 pounds and reaching a height of sixty-three inches, the wolf is easily the largest member of the canine family. Over 500,000 wolves once lived in harmony, roaming the Northern Americas alongside the Native American tribes and the rest of the ecosystem. Wolves live in packs, a pack essentially being a family. While the average size of a pack is six to ten, the largest confirmed pack recorded in North America can be found in Yellowstone National Park where the “Druid Pack” numbers thirty-seven strong and counting. There have been alleged reports of a pack that attacked a small Russian town killing thirty horses in just four days. This pack numbered up to almost 400 members. Animal experts remain suspicious due to the fact that this number is almost fifteen times the size of an average sized pack. Wolves heavily rely on their pack. Every member of the pack has a specific job that benefits the pack, without the pack, death would be almost imminent. The pack is set up as a hierarchy, with an alpha male and an alpha female. The alphas get the best of everything, the best part of the kill, the best sleeping spot, and the breeding rights. When hunting, one member will scout ahead and will determine the weakest member of the herd. Once determined, the rest of the pack will chase the animal down and either takes it down on the run or chase it until it tires out. Unlike many predators in the animal kingdom, wolves eat their prey alive. While wolves are known for their spine tingling howls, the howl is not the only way they communicate. “Wolf Language” so to speak, consists of many grunts, snarls, growls, yips, and whines....
In 1922 the federal government passed a law that allowed wolves in Yellowstone National Park to be hunted. In just four years later the last wolf was hunted. In 1995, the gray wolf was reintroduced to the park. The government started off by introducing 31 wolves in the Montana and Wyoming parts of the park. Now 116 wolves now live and more then 75 pups.
“…and this is why the caribou and the wolf are one; for the caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf that keeps the caribou strong”― Farley Mowat. This quote is a great example of the wolves keeping balance in nature, and the partnership between two different animals. The gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. They were reintroduced by the government due to the endangerment of their species. The reintroduction of the gray wolf was beneficial because it improved Yellowstone’s ecosystem, protected the wolves, and it attracted tourists.
The problem is that people do not know that they exist or even why they do. As mentioned earlier, hunters defend their actions by saying that they are controlling the animal population, but have they ever taken the time to think about why there are some areas that are overpopulated? One reason that causes some places to be overpopulated by deer is by damaging their habitat. By destroying forests, they really have nowhere else to go. Eventually, some species just cannot survive and they die off. Deforestation is a major environmental issue. It results in a great loss of different species. An environmentalist named John Muir was very passionate about preserving trees, and helping to prevent deforestation. In his essay “Save the Redwoods,” Muir tells us that “we cannot escape responsibility as their guardians.” We can help decrease the number of trees that are cut down by recycling materials and using recycled products. Sure, this will not completely stop deforestation, but it helps. What is important is that people become informed of what is going on with the environment. Being informed about issues can help encourage people to do something about