As law abiding hunters, we are allowed to hunt animals, that are deemed surplus....to the overall game population. Wolves hunt year round and literally "eat" into these surplus numbers. This ratio changes from year to year, but the constant remains.......human hunters are managed due to population trends, wolves are not.
I moved to Idaho in 1995, the same year the first wolves were introduced, and things have changed greatly because of them, especially after 2000, when the wolf numbers were high enough to really impact moose, elk, and deer populations.
I have a copy of the 1995 hunting regs, from when I moved to Idaho, that I keep in my truck. When people say things haven't changed that much, I let them review the old regs, and have them compare "then" vs "now", in their favorite area, for their favorite game animal. That ALWAYS leave them quiet and pondering the changes that have occurred, without further discussion. It's amazing how quickly we forget how "things were", pre wolf introduction.
Andy3
