Question

Wolves in the northern Rockies were protected as a threatened species until very recently. The last few years they were legally hunted in MT and ID. a. Why are people hunting wolves? b. Try to come up with one possible benefit of wolf hunting and one possible negative consequence. c. Do you agree or disagree with wolf hunting? Explain your reasoning.

Answer 1

Answer (a)

Hunting is an effective way to help control wolf populations. We had a large number of wolves until hunting seasons were finally allowed. At first, after wolves were introduced, they were only in a few areas, but they ate all the prey and expanded their territories. We realized that as soon as it was legal to hunt them we had to get pack numbers down or we wouldn't have any game animals left,". Wolves are at the top of the food chain and if humans don't control them they just keep expanding.

Answer (b):- possible benefits:-

Left unchecked, wolf populations grow rapidly. This is especially true in areas where there are lots of animals for them to eat – like the Yellowstone ecosystem. Because wolf numbers exceeded targeted reintroduction population goals in the Yellowstone ecosystem more rapidly than expected.

Negative consequences:- Without wolves and other large predators, ecosystems can go haywire.Wolf kills are also good for the soil. Wolf kills feed more animals than hunting by humans, since wolves scatter their carrion over the landscape.

Answer(c):- disagree with wolf hunting:- because without wolf ecosystem can go haywire. There remarkable increase in deer and elk population which is not hunted by humans possibly.