Animal Emotions

Do animals think and feel?

by Marc Bekoff

Rampant Wolf Killing Makes Some People Happy

44 wolves have been "bagged" in Montana in just 2 weeks.

Published on November 1, 2011 by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. in Animal Emotions

In previous essays I've written about the planned slaughter of wolves based on political stupidity and fear-mongering. Well, the rampant and wanton murder of these magnificent carnivores is now a reality despite researchers warning that killing wolves is scientifically ill-advised. In just 2 weeks hunters have mercilessly killed, or "bagged," 44 wolves in Montana and that's just the beginning of the planned and sanctioned widespread slaughter. While many people find this to be reprehensible, many do not. Consider the words of Mike Thompson, FWP (Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks) Region 2 wildlife manager in Missoula: "Having 44 wolves killed at this point in the season and the sharp increase of harvest we had at the start of the rifle season is encouraging." Encouraging? How perverse it is to think of killing animals as an activity that people enjoy.

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Mr. Thompson has more to say: "I don't hear much about hunters being very happy with wolves until they get one and then they're pretty darn happy just like they are when they get a deer or an elk ... In the long run, Montana's going to have an additional hunting tradition that we didn't have before."

Great! More hunting and more killing, something of which a state should be proud! How can killing any sentient being make someone happy? How did such sick and regretable attitudes ever evolve? I'd like to ask some of the wolf killers if they'd treat their dog in the same way but I'm afraid to do so.

Please contact the Montana FWP and ask them to stop this insanity.

I've just been told by Garrick Dutcher who works with Living With Wolves that 95 wolves have been killed in Idaho since August 31, 2011.