Wyoming Wolf Management
Wyoming has once again taken over management of wolves within its borders. The Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., entered its final order in favor of Wyoming in a lawsuit that put wolves back on the endangered species list in 2014. The court announced in March that it had upheld the state’s plan but had not issued its final order. Tuesday’s decision is what Wyoming wolf managers hope is the last legal battle in a roller-coaster legal process. One interesting note is that no changes were made to Wyoming’s wolf management plan from when the state oversaw the carnivores between 2012 and 2014. Wyoming will manage the 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation. Wolves in the majority of the state will be considered predators and can be shot on sight, similar to coyotes. In the Northwest corner of the state where most of the wolves are located they are classified as a trophy animal and will be subject to fall h...