Wolf Season Officially Open In Wyoming - KGWN –Cheyenne, WY– Scottsbluff, NE News,Weather, Sports

Wolf Season Officially Open In Wyoming

Wyoming's first wolf hunting season began Monday morning for the more than 2,200 hunters that bought licenses, but emotions are very different for two groups of people on this historic day.

With the help of Governor Matt Mead and the Wyoming Legislature, wolves have been removed from the endangered species list and population management of wolves is now under state control.

For ranches in Wyoming, October 1 marks what ranchers consider a victory for them in the protection of their livestock.

"We're really pleased that the Fish & Wildlife service has delisted the wolf, taken it off the endangered species list," said Mark Eisele, President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

Ranchers like Eisele say they aren't bloodthirsty wolf killers, they just want to protect their way of life.

"I have friends and neighbors and associates who ranch in that northwest area, just outside of and the surrounding area of Yellowstone and the livestock losses are huge," Eisele said.

He estimates revenue losses of up to 25% for some ranchers. A loss they can't continue to sustain.

"Talk to anybody on Main Street if they can take a 25% hit in their business year after year after year," Eisele said.

Others like Connie Wilbert with the Sierra Club are not so happy.

"The reason we're disappointed is because we don't believe this constitutes responsible wildlife management," Wilbert said.

Her organization believes enough was already being done to contain the problem wolves and losses by ranchers are being exaggerated.

"If you look at the numbers, wolves don't kill that many head of livestock in the state of Wyoming on an annual basis, it's actually quite low," Wilbert said.

The Sierra Club is not concerned with the current quota, at 52. But Wilbert says states like Idaho and Montana have let their quotas get out of control.

"We're hoping that Wyoming doesn't follow that same path, but we're not terribly confident that they won't," Wilbert said.

The Sierra Club is just one of a number of organizations that say they'll continue to fight the ruling.