Gray Wolf: Encyclopedia II - Gray Wolf - Wolf hunting

Gray Wolf - Wolf hunting

Wolves are hunted for their pelt, recreation, and population control.

Gray Wolf - Livestock predation

As long as there are enough prey, wolves seem to avoid taking livestock. However, some wolves or packs can specialize in hunting livestock once the behavior is learned despite relative food supply. Sheep are frequently the most vulnerable, while horses and cattle are also at risk. Wolf-secure fences, relocation (in some cases), or local extermination of wolves are today the only known methods to effectively stop livestock predation.

Over several centuries in some countries, shepherds and dog breeders have used selective breeding to "create" large livestock-guarding dogs that can stand up to wolves preying on flocks. In the United States, as the timber wolf and other large predators been reintroduced, the USDA has been looking into the use of breeds such as the Akbash from Turkey, the Maremma from Italy, the Great Pyrenees from France and the Kuvasz from Hungary, among others.

Some ranchers in the United States hunt wolves from helicopters or light planes, some of them calling it an effective method of controlling wolf numbers, others calling it a sport. This practice is seen as highly controversial. Poisons have been used to kill wolves during the extermination campaigns in Europe and America. Today, most of the hunting is done on the ground or from helicopters. Other, non- or less-lethal methods of protecting livestock from wolves have been under development for the past decade. Such methods include rubber ammunition, and use of guard animals.

Gray Wolf - Trapping and breeding for fur

Wolves are frequently trapped, in the areas where it is legal, using snares or leg-hold traps. The economic value of wolf pelts is limited, so it is mainly a recreation activity. Wolf trapping has come under heavy fire from animal rights groups, who also use it to attack other forms of trapping and hunting. It is alleged that trapping, using the right tools and equipment, can be considered as humane as hunting; however, unskilled trappers can create unnecessary suffering in animals.

Wolves are bred for their fur in very few locations, as they are considered as a rather problematic animal to breed, and combined with the low value of the pelt, it has driven most of the fur farms to change to utilizing other animals, such as the fox.

Darting and box traps are important tools used by wildlife biologists who use the techniques to catch wolves, fit them with collars holding radio transmitters, and check their health before releasing the wolves. Use of such radio collars enable biologists in airplanes to track the wolves and count pack sizes. The radio telemetry is an important component in the suite of tools used in Wisconsin to calculate the overall wolf population.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Wolf hunting", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki