It would appear that ranchers and cattlemen are paying people in the news……
Since the gray wolf in Wisconsin was taken off the endangered species list, the state Department of Natural Resources generally has done a good job of responsibly managing the population and conducting three wolf hunt seasons. Now a federal district judge has ruled that the delisting was “arbitrary and capricious” and has restored all federal protections for the wolves.
The ruling brings to an end the state-managed hunting and trapping of wolves in the Great Lakes region. It also prohibits states from using lethal means to control wolves around depredation sites such as farms and prevents landowners from shooting wolves to protect livestock, the Journal Sentinel reported. It also prohibits the use of dogs to track or trail wolves. Wisconsin was the only state to allow the use of dogs to hunt wolves.
That’s not good news for some farmers and landowners in wolf territory and it may not be such great news for the wolf. The ruling could result in further livestock and other losses due to a growing wolf population and more illegal killings of wolves by angry landowners. Landowners need to keep their tempers in check and authorities need to enforce the protections, but the ruling by U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell  in Washington, D.C., needs to be revisited.
The parameters set by the Legislature in establishing wolf hunts weren’t perfect; in particular in allowing the use of dogs. Some changes in the law are warranted.