Managing wolves

After 832F, a radio-collared 6-year-old alfa female wolf, was needlessly shot by hunters earlier this winter, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials closed areas around Yellowstone National Park to hunting and trapping wolves. Thank you FWP.  

Collaring operations are expensive. But they are the key to managing wolves. The collar of 832F is now useless for finding out about her — where she roams, her relationship to her pack and her pups.

She had many more years to give off valuable data. Many thousands of dollars have gone down the drain by this one bullet. And she will no longer bring joy to tourists and others who watched her graceful wildness in Yellowstone Park. 

These are not the first dollars that have been wasted. Before she was shot, eight radio-collared wolves were shot in areas around Yellowstone Park.  

Unfortunately, hunting groups forced a reopening of this area through court action. I say, hunters, please let Fish, Wildlife and Parks do their management job.

Jivan Zeisse

West Glacier