The Wolves of Montana; Protecting them from Ranchers
The Wolves of Montana; protecting them from ranchers is now going to be nearly impossible. Livestock production in Montana has looked for ways to stop the wolf population there from attacking their animals. Until recently wolves have been protected by local laws, because wolves were hunted into near extinction by farmers in the earlier part of the 20th century.
Now the entire population of gray wolves may get killed off under the newest Montana wildlife legislation and directives put into action by the state governor. Gov. Brian Schweitzer has given orders that authorize killing off wolves in large numbers and to end investigations of ranchers who shoot wolves themselves.Never heard of this before? Get up to speed here. This is an almost guaranteed death sentence for the Montana wolf population.
Wolves are responsible for attacking local livestock and the elk population of Montana. This has been an issue for over a century, but until now has been handled as an issue of environmental impact in Montana.
Local communities are encouraging people to rally and write the Montana government and doing anything to help the wolves of Montana. Protecting them from ranchers is unlikely to be possible at this point, but any public response can have effects on the situation.