Conservationists and citizens alike are outraged by the aerial wolf hunts happening in Idaho.  This slaughter is being done under the auspices of protecting elk populations, but there is just one problem: the elk populations were already decreasing before wolves were even reintroduced to the area. The real culprit is habitat change. 

The hunts are also being allowed based on wolf population numbers. The journal Science called into question the accuracy of these numbers, and several conservation groups are calling for the hunts to be halted until the US Fish and Wildlife Service can monitor the wolf populations for another 5 years.

The biodiversity and ecosystem of our country shouldn’t suffer because of bad science and policy. It’s time for the Idaho Wolf Control Board to stop the aerial hunts until a definitive 5-year study is completed.  

Watch this to be more informed about the affect of wolves in ecology: http://youtu.be/ysa5OBhXz-Q.