Delist the Gray Wolf
"Learn the true wolf story."
People ask, why do we need to manage wolf populations by hunting?
The answer is simple.
Wolves are apex predators, meaning no animals kill wolves except man. A mature wolf eats more than 22 elk per year. If their diet is deer, they eat 30-50 of those per year. If moose is on their menu, each wolf eats nearly 20 per year.
Unmanaged wolf populations very quickly destroy the delicate balance of nature’s habitat and carrying capacity. Managing predator populations, especially apex predators like the wolf, is extremely important if we are to maintain this delicate balance. Predictably, the federal government has failed on this issue. It should be left to each state to manage all wildlife within their state borders, including the wolf.
Too many wolves will result in too few, and ultimately, no prey populations. Hunters, and true nature lovers, want to see abundant and healthy populations of all wild animals. As beautiful as wolves are, can we not agree that deer, elk, and moose are also beautiful. It would be tragic to allow the unmanaged wolf path to continue, as the result would be further decimation of and possibly the extinction of deer, elk, and moose. It is up to us to strike a balance and manage all wildlife, predator, and prey alike.
The chart and graph displayed here shows just how detrimental unmanaged wolf populations are. With wolf populations exploding at the rate of nearly 750%. Meanwhile, elk populations are down 75%, moose populations are down 80%, and deer harvest numbers are down over 55%. These trends are unsustainable.
Due to unmanaged populations, wolves are a real threat to wildlife, hunting and more...
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We need you to contact US Senator Tammy Baldwin and urge her to VOTE YES and Delist the Gray Wolf with NO judicial review!
Hunter Nation Support
We supported Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-7) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s (CO-03) “Trust the Science” bill, that calls for the delisting of the gray wolf, with no judicial review. With Hunter Nation’s support and effort, that bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The bill is now in the U.S. Senate and Hunter Nation is working hard to make this much needed, science based conservation legislation, the law of the land. However, we can’t do it alone. Hunter Nation needs your help to get this bill passed!
Hunters Call to Action
Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin may ultimately cast the deciding vote. I’m asking you to reach out to her and let her know that, as a hunter, this is an important issue to you and your family. Let her know that Wisconsin had the lowest gun hunting deer harvest in recorded history, in 2023, due to the unmanaged wolf population. Also, let her know that you are aware she is up for reelection in November and that you will make sure that hunters in Wisconsin know whether she is on the side of hunters, or not. You can reach her at her Senate office at 202-224-5653. Tell her that Hunter Nation asked you to call!
Current Predator News
by Bronson Winslow | Restoration News – The out-of-touch Senator for Madison is doing everything to sic the wolves on northern Wisconsin hunters—literally Northern Wisconsin’s hunters and ranchers are fighting a losing war with the state’s dangerous and rapidly growing gray wolf population, costing them livestock and livelihoods. But Democrat politicians seem bent on backing the predators over their own constituents.
Deer hunting in Wisconsin is in jeopardy. Anti-wolf hunting advocates, and their organizations, time and again have convinced activist judges in California and Washington D.C. to keep the wolf on the Endangered Species list. They have thwarted any efforts to responsibly manage the wolf population in Wisconsin and our deer population is suffering as a result. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently asked an appeals court to return to a Trump-era rule which would…
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We need your help today (9/19). It’s time to make our voices heard and protect the balance of our ecosystems and our hunting heritage. We urge you to reach out and demand the immediate delisting of the gray wolf. Please call and message the following Senators and express your support for the wolf delisting bill: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI) at (202) 224-5653 and by web message Sen. Jon Tester (MT) at (202) 224-2644 and by…
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Join host Keith Mark in this powerful episode of the Hunter Nation Virtual Campfire as he is joined by Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany to discuss the Trust the Science Act. This emotional conversation also features firsthand stories from recent wolf victims, Denise C., Greg M., and Scotty M., who share their life-altering experiences. Chris Vaughan, Hunter Nation's Wisconsin State Director, provides a crucial update on the state’s wolf population and the ongoing efforts to delist…
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JUNE 19, 2024 – MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS TAYLOR COUNTY SPORTSMAN’S CLUB/HUNTER NATION FORUM If you’re of the opinion that wolves need to be more tightly managed in Wisconsin and beyond –– which just about every one of the at least 200 in attendance likely was at Tuesday’s predator management forum in Medford –– change is only going to happen through pressure on elected officials who have the ability to make that change. That was…
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MEDFORD, Wis. (WAOW) By Sabrina Lee Dozens gathered in Medford to discuss the predatory impact on hunting in Wisconsin, with the grey wolf population taking center stage. Since their reintroduction to areas in Yellowstone and Idaho nearly 30 years ago, there are an estimated 950 to over a thousand wolves in the Badger state. That's up from 248 in the year 2000. The grey wolf is currently listed as an endangered species in Wisconsin, which…
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On Friday, May 3, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (CT), the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold an oversight field hearing titled “How Many Wolves Are Enough? Examining the Need to Delist the Gray Wolf.” This hearing will be focused on the impacts of an unmanaged gray wolf population on local communities. Specifically, the subcommittee will hear from impacted stakeholders from the agriculture community, sportsman, local elected officials, and wildlife biologists. Witnesses and Testimony…
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By Benjamin Yount | The Center Square – A Northwoods’ congressman says he has the science on his side in the debate over what to do about the gray wolf. Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany got his plan to take the gray wolf off the endangered species list through the House. It was a close vote, just 209 to 205, and the plan faces a dim future in the U.S. Senate. Still, Tiffany said there’s more…
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May 1, H.R. 764 to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act passed the House. This is a BIG WIN for Wisconsin hunters, pet owners, and farmers. Thank you, @HunterNation , for all the support. Rep. Tom Tiffany@RepTiffany
Mission, KS – Hunter Nation applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for its bipartisan effort in passing Congressman Tom Tiffany’s (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's (CO-03) legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The “Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764),“ removes the gray wolf from the list of endangered species and prevents judicial review of the delisting. This bill gives each state and the state wildlife agencies the ability to manage…
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by The Associated Press Thu, April 4th 2024 DENVER — A wolf has killed a calf in Colorado, wildlife officials said Wednesday, confirming the first livestock kill after 10 of the predators were controversially reintroduced in December to the aggrievement of the state's rural residents. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed after an investigation that the wounds of the calf killed Tuesday, and nearby wolf tracks, were consistent with a wolf kill, what they refer to as a…
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By Courtney Flatt (Northwest News Network) Some ranchers are saying it is time to find creative ways to deal with wolf attacks on livestock. That’s what a new bill in the Washington state Senate hopes to do — to the frustration of some wildlife rights groups. A big goal of Senate Bill 5939 is to lethally remove wolves that chronically attack livestock. Right now, ranchers say, current methods — with all the paperwork and decisions — are…
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On Friday, March 31st, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed 41 bills which had been passed by the state’s legislature. Among the vetoed bills was Senate Bill, SB139, which would have set a target population goal for the gray wolf which would have helped manage the state’s out-of- control and currently unmanaged wolf population. The veto was immediately condemned by Wisconsin hunters, farmers and residents in the areas most impacted by the increasing wolf population, and…
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Field and Stream by Travis Hall Back in December, Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) released five gray wolves on public land west of Denver. The widely-publicized release took place amid heavy opposition from hunters and conservation groups because it had been mandated by a narrowly-passed ballot initiative four years earlier. Now, Colorado’s voting public is on the cusp of considering yet another controversial wildlife-related ballot referendum. The ballot initiative that led to December’s wolf release, known as Proposition 114,…
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Wisconsin Public Radio – By Danielle Kaeding Supporters of the bill say it's necessary to keep the wolf population in check Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed a Republican bill that would have ordered state wildlife regulators to set a statewide population goal for wolves. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Rob Stafsholt, R-New Richmond, and Rep. Chanz Green, R-Grand View, after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources nixed a population goal in an update…
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Nevada Current – By Jeniffer Solis State wildlife managers reported a possible wolf pack sighting in Nevada for the first time in over 100 years on Wednesday. Last week, a helicopter crew conducting an aerial moose survey spotted three suspected wolves traveling together in northeast Nevada near Merritt Mountain, north of Elko. State wildlife biologists are now working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to confirm the sighting of one of Nevada’s most iconic…
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Fox News By Thomas Catenacci House Republicans are urging the Biden administration to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act, pointing to conflicts with ranchers and farmers, along with the species' growing population. As the species is delisted from the endangered list in several states, farmers fear increased livestock predation and call for stricter management strategies. GOP lawmakers propose legislation to either fully delist the gray wolf or grant states more control over…
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CNN's Lucy Kafanov reports.– Packs of gray wolves are once again roaming the Colorado Rockies after the state approved the first-ever voter mandated reintroduction of wolves. While urban voters and environmental advocates applaud the move, some ranchers are worried about the apex predator's potential impact on livestock and livelihoods.
The Denver Post By Elise Schmelzer One wolf’s collar is no longer working, wildlife officials said. Colorado’s reintroduced wolves continue to roam widely across the state in the last month, though wildlife officials who released a tracking map said the geolocating collar for one of the canines was no longer working. The 12 wolves known to live in Colorado, including 10 released in December, spent time in a large swath of the state, according to a…
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has released its 2023 figures for that season's deer hunt harvest, the state's estimated wolf population and depredation payments, illustrating the complex trends central to the politics of regulating a controversial and charismatic animal. By Nathan Denzin | Here & Now (PBS Wisconsin) Deer hunting comes up a lot when people talk about wolves in Wisconsin. The harvest numbers for the 2023 gun season showing an annual dip in the number…
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by TOM AIZENBERG | KRNV EL DORADO COUNTY, Ca. — One man is dead after being attacked by a mountain lion in Georgetown, California on Saturday afternoon. On March 23 at approximately 1:15 p.m., the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) received a 911 call from an 18-year-old who reported that a mountain lion near the remote area of Darling Ridge Road and Skid Road in Georgetown attacked him and his 21-year-old brother. The caller…
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Fox News by Thomas Catenacci Releasing the apex predator into the region will improve ‘social tolerance' of the species, the Biden administration said. Wildlife expert Tom Nelson weighs in on the Biden administration's reported plan to release grizzly bears in a federally-managed forest area near communities in Washington on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime. We're prioritizing apex predators over elk and deer: Tom Nelson Washington cattle producer Neil Kayser: Grizzly bear relocation is a danger to our…
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St. Paul, Minn. (Northern News Now) – By Madisan Green The conversation about wolves and deer in the Northland continues in the Minnesota Capitol. Rep. Roger Skraba (R, Ely) Said: “It’s time to delist it and start putting pressure on the people that make a federal decision” “Bear management, wolf management, timber management, look at all of them and see how they work to bring more deer onto the landscape”
FarmProgress – by Olivia Sip Wolf population protection and livestock production create a tricky balance. A top priority for the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association is advocating for the delisting of the gray wolf. Kaitlyn Root, executive director of the MSCA, says, “There are over 2,900 wolves in the state of Minnesota, and we have producers that struggle losing calves to wolves, which is a really big deal.”MN has the largest Gray Wolf population the 48 contiguous…
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Montana Outdoor – Moosetrack Megan A March 19, 2024 federal court decision will change wolf trapping seasons in some regions of Idaho based on their alleged potential effect on grizzly bears. “We’re very disappointed in this decision,” Fish and Game Director Jim Fredericks said. “While wolf trapping seasons will change to comply with the order, we’re considering our legal options to reverse a decision we believe is wrong based on the law and on-the-ground reality.”…
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White Mountain Independent – By Peter Aleshire Mexican Gray Wolves saw a 24% increase in 2022 and a 6% increase in 2023 putting the number in AZ/NM at 257 total. Ranchers say reimbursement programs don’t cover their losses. They maintain that even the presence of the wolves affects how much weight cattle gain.
COEUR D'ALENE PRESS By KAYE THORNBRUGH daho’s grizzly bear population tops out at about 200, depending on the time of year, with the largest concentration of grizzlies existing in the Panhandle and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. https://cdapress.com/news/2024/mar/21/idaho-wolf-trapping-cut-over-threat-to-grizzlies/
Hunter Nation President Keith Mark, in a recent PBS documentary, discusses the conservative hunting advocacy group's perspective on how the economics of game management plays a role in wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation. By Nathan Denzin | Here & Now (PBS Wisconsin) Keith Mark: Sometimes I wonder if these anti-hunting groups really care about wildlife, like they say, 'cause they sure don't put their money where their mouth is. You can look at the Pittman-Robertson Act and…
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Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Brad Olson describes concerns about the state's 2023 wolf management plan related to how a growing population of the predator impacts ranching and hunting. By Nathan Denzin | PBS Wisconsin (Here & Now) Brad Olson: I think the biggest fact is is that that wolves, they're just predatory. So they take what's there, they take what's available and in one case in central Wisconsin, they came in in a night and wiped…
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By Bill Bartlett | The Nugget Long Hollow Ranch sits on 12,000 acres across two counties. Its main entrance is on Holmes Road in the heart of Sisters Country. The most visible part of the operation is its wedding and event venue but behind the bucolic setting are cows. Hundreds of them. The ranch also sits on an AKWA (Area of Known Wolf Activity). Long Hollow is claiming the loss of seven cows to wolves…
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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife species section supervisor Sam Jonas describes the legal requirements and population objectives shaping the state's 2023 plan to manage wolves. By Nathan Denzin | Here & Now (PBS Wisconsin) Sam Jonas: I would say, you know, the overarching result of the 2023 wolf management plan is that it strives for a sustainable and healthy wolf population in the state of Wisconsin, and that's the real goal of the plan itself. In…
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Mountain Journal by David Tucker The Gray Wolf and a Dogged Pursuit A COALITION OF WESTERN ENVIRONMENTALISTS SEEKS RENEWED ENDANGERED SPECIES STATUS FOR WESTERN GRAY WOLVES The US Fish and Wildlife Service decided that placing the Western Gray Wolf back on the endangered species list was “not warranted.” Now, the Western Environmental Law Center says it intends to sue
By Brandon Ferdig | Star Tribune – Attendees fill Morrill Hall on Dec. 18, with State Rep. Isaac Schultz (left) and Steve Porter at the front. Look plainly at the wolf issue, and we can see the source of the conflict: 1. Wolves are revered. 2. Wolves can cause serious harm. This animal whose howl at the moon elicits within us spine-tingling wonder is the same one that would latch its jaws onto your dog.…
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Colorado Times Recorder – by Brodie Farquhar STEAMBOAT SPRINGS – About 100 ranchers from northwest Colorado gathered Wednesday evening to hear Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) and Wildlife Services personnel present information about the reintroduction of grey wolves into western Colorado. Officials answered questions about how to prevent wolf depredations on livestock, as well as how the state will compensate ranchers for losses. Carhart overalls, cowboy hats, and wildlife officer uniforms filled a meeting room…
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Trevor Ballantyne | Steamboat Pilot Colorado Parks and Wildlife released five gray wolves onto public land in Grand County on Dec. 18. Since then, the wildlife agency has not received any reports of the wolves attacking livestock in Colorado, but the ranching community remains concerned over how to mitigate conflicts with the animals. Colorado Parks and Wildlife/Courtesy photo Colorado Parks and Wildlife hosted a meeting with area livestock producers Wednesday to answer questions and listen…
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Wyoming Public Radio | By Melodie Edwards A recent decision to reintroduce wolves has created division between rural and urban Coloradoans. But wolves have actually been there a while. A few years ago, a couple migrated down from Wyoming to settle in the mountain valley of North Park, southwest of Laramie. It’s given the ranchers there a headstart on adjusting to a new reality. As soon as I climbed out of the car, longtime North Parker…
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By Nathan Denzin | Here & Now | PBS Wisconsin Indigenous communities, farmers, hunters and Wisconsinites of all stripes express strong feelings about wolves as their numbers grow in the state and a new management plan for the species is unveiled. Bring up wolves to a Wisconsinite, and you’ll likely get a passionate response. “They’re going to allow an unchecked, unmanaged wolf population to continue to wreak havoc,” said Keith Mark. “The more you put wolves in close…
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By Mark Heinz | Cowboy State Daily Some of Colorado’s wolves have been pushing north, toward the Wyoming state line. It's likely just a matter of weeks before some cross over into Wyoming, where they can be shot on sight. There’s no telling when wolves from Colorado will cross the state line into Wyoming. But it’s bound to happen, and it could happen soon, a wolf watcher said. “If I had a crystal ball, what do…
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By: Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner A former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warden who served on the agency’s committee to create a new wolf management plan for the state is under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for killing a wolf in his yard in December. He has claimed self-defense, but he posted on Facebook in November that he was baiting the animals with doughnuts and rice crispy cereal. The warden,…
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By Ashlee Manalang | Earth.org Controversial legislative actions and management strategies threaten the progress made in wolf recovery efforts. Despite federal wildlife authorities declining pleas to reinstate safeguards for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, conservation groups continue to advocate for their protection. In recent decades, there has been a paradigm shift in attitudes toward wolves, largely due to a better understanding of their ecological importance. Wolves are now recognized as apex predators. As such,…
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Clay Newcomb ventures to southeast Alaska in search of wolves and Sitka blacktail deer with his friend and outfitter, David Benitz. Traveling aboard sea boat and skiff, Clay shadows David along his expansive traplines across the vast coastal Alaskan beaches. David shares his art for trapping along with his love and appreciation for the wolf and desire to manage them as a natural renewable resource. After discovering a few empty sets, they change their attention…
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Colorado Trappers & Predator Hunters Association Rallying call to Preserve our Wilderness Heritage: Colorado At the Forefront – SaveTheHuntColorado.com In recent years, Colorado has become the battleground for a movement threatening not just the hunting tradition, but the very essence of wildlife management. This is not merely a local issue; it’s a ripple that could stir waves across all states. The assault on Colorado’s hunting community and wildlife managers is a precursor to what sportsmen across…
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USFWS – Federal Register – A Proposed Rule by the Fish and Wildlife Service on 02/07/2024 We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a finding on the gray wolf ( Canis lupus) in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) and in the Western United States. After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, we find that gray wolves within the NRM area do not, on their own, represent a valid…
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Hunter Nation denounces the Biden administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their decision to make no change to the gray wolf’s status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced their decision to make no change in the wolf’s status, at least until September 2025, they stated their decision was based, in part, by the fact that the debate over the management of wolves has included…
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Field & Stream BY TRAVIS HALL The controversial plan was mandated by a narrowly-passed ballot initiative back in 2020. On Monday, December 9, Colorado wildlife officials uncrated five gray wolves on a tract of public land west of Denver. The wolves were captured in Oregon earlier this winter. Their release is part of an ongoing effort to re-stock the species into its historic range in select parts of the Centennial State. he five wolves were…
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USFWS – Federal Register – A Rule by the Fish and Wildlife Service on 11/08/2023 We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), establish a nonessential experimental population (NEP) of the gray wolf ( Canis lupus) in the State of Colorado, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The State of Colorado (Colorado Parks and Wildlife or CPW) requested that the Service establish an NEP in conjunction with their State-led gray wolf reintroduction effort. Establishment of…
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Hunter Nation, is celebrating the efforts of Representatives Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Tom Tiffany (R-WI) for their wildlife management legislation, H.R. 764, known as, the “Trust The Science Act”. The legislation mandates the delisting of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This delisting would effectively return the management of the gray wolf to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials. The legislation would also prevent judicial review of the legislative action. The bill…
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Cause & Affect
Yellowstone National Park
Nearly 30 years following the Gray Wolves release in Yellowstone, population is up 750% and is no longer an endangered.
Elk and Moose populations have plummeted after wolves were turned loose in the park in 1995.
MID-1990s Population
Elk - 20,000
Moose - 1,000
Wolf - 14
Current Population
Elk - 5,000 (down 75%)
Moose - Less than 200 (down over 80%)
Wolf - 120 (up over 750%)
Wisconsin Impact
In 2000 Wisconsin hunters harvested over 615,293 Whitetail Deer, in 2023 the deer harvest is currently under 300,000.
248 wolves in 2000 have grown to over 1,000 today that is 300%.
The 2023 firearms season was the lowest on record, statewide deer harvest was down nearly 20% from 2022.
2000 thru 2008 - 486,274 Avg Deer Harvest
2009 thru 2023 - 325,225 Avg. Deer Harvest
That is an average of 161,045 (33%) fewer Deer Harvested since Since 2008 when the Wolf population exceeded 550.
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In 1974, there were nearly 16 million American hunters. Deer, elk, moose and all game populations were on the rise. Hunting was an honored and revered skill, really a lifestyle, that had been passed down from generation to generation. At that time, the American hunter was living in “the good old days of hunting,” and the future of hunting had never looked so bright.
That same year, the gray wolf was listed as an “Endangered Species.” The goal was to someday bring the wolf populations back to a level that would be healthy for the wolf and sustainable to other game populations. In 1978, United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) developed a wolf recovery plan for the Great Lakes Region setting specific population numbers that must be met for the gray wolf population to be considered recovered, which in turn, would trigger a delisting of the wolf. Once the delisting occurred, the management of the wolf would return back to the states.
In 1980, USFWS developed a similar Northern Rocky Mountain wolf management plan. Again, specific population numbers were established to trigger a delisting. All impacted states had to develop their own state plan for the management of the gray wolf, that would come into force once the delisting occurred, and management of the wolf had returned to the state level.
With the endangered species designation, states with an existing wolf population were no longer able to manage wolf populations through hunting. Without any management, wolves continued to proliferate in Minnesota, and then, migrated into Michigan and Wisconsin.
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By 1992, the wolf population in the Great Lakes Region had exceeded the recovery criteria. Instead of triggering the agreed-upon delisting, the recovery plan was revised to increase the number of wolves required to delist.
In 2000, the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population recovery goals were met. Based on that recovery, in 2003, USFWS moved the gray wolf from endangered to threatened. In 2004, USFWS proposed that the gray wolf be removed from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2005, under pressure from animal-rights groups, USFWS withdrew its delisting recommendation. In that same year, a Federal Judge moved the gray wolf back to an endangered designation.
With an exploding wolf population, in 2007, USFWS once again removed the gray wolf from the ESA. In 2008, ignoring the agreed-upon recovery plans and further ignoring sound science, a Federal Judge put the gray wolf back on the ESA. This legal back-and-forth continued until 2011.
In 2011, the current Hunter Nation leadership team led the fight to get Congress to delist the gray wolf legislatively. These efforts resulted in Congress passing legislation removing the gray wolf from the ESA in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, with no judicial review. This effectively returned the management of the gray wolf in those states back to the state level. This legislation was unanimously upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals, ninth circuit, and to this day, wolves are still being managed, and hunted, in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. The game populations in those states have rebounded to healthy levels, while the wolf populations in those states remain stable, healthy and above the levels required by USFWS and the respective state wolf recovery management plans.
Unfortunately, in 2014, another Federal Judge relisted the gray wolf in all continental 48 states, except Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Once again, the wolf was used as a pawn.
In 2021, based on ever increasing wolf populations in the states that had not been delisted, USFWS again removed the gray wolf from the ESA. In that same year, Hunter Nation successfully sued Wisconsin DNR to force a wolf hunt. Wisconsin was forced to manage the gray wolf consistent with their state statute that mandated a hunt, if the wolf was federally delisted. Hunters in Wisconsin killed 225 wolves in 72 hours, proving just how overpopulated that state was with wolves.
In 2022, another Federal Judge relisted the gray wolf in all states except Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Wolf populations continue to skyrocket in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, while deer populations in those states continue to plummet. In fact, the 2023 dear harvest in Wisconsin was the lowest deer gun harvest ever recorded.
This brings us to today. Hunter Nation is poised to lead the fight to get the gray wolf delisted in all lower 48 states without judicial review. Once this is accomplished, each state can manage all of the wildlife found in their state based on sound science and within the framework of the North American model of conservation. Hunter Nation has the credibility, track record and political clout to accomplish this. As mentioned, Hunter Nation's current leadership team is the same warriors who led the effort in 2011 that resulted in the delisting of the wolf in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and successfully sued the state of Wisconsin, forcing the 2021 wolf hunt. We are building a coalition of like-minded organizations and stakeholders. Most importantly, Hunter Nation is building a grassroots army of hunters and conservationists that would like to see all wildlife populations, predator and prey alike, thrive and flourish consistent with the North American model of conservation.
The Problem
The problem is complex but there is a solution.
Politics
Politics have no place in this issue besides getting it resolved. Wolves are part of nature and should be treated as all of our wild animals. Well managed, they are an asset to every American. Unmanaged, they are a danger to game populations, a costly liability to farmers and ranchers and an increasing risk to our pets and children.
Perception
For decades, highly funded groups, falsely claiming to be conservationists, have raised and spent millions of dollars to alter the public perceptions of the wolf, and influence politicians to vote the way those groups demanded. These efforts have devastated game populations, violate the scientific principles of wildlife management, and soon will make the American Hunter extinct.
Reality
The original wolf recovery plan was wildly successful. Wolf numbers have met every population goal established. They no longer warrant being listed as endangered, as they are no longer endangered. Congress needs to act to ensure ESA decisions are made based on science and not determined arbitrarily by activist judges.
The Solution
Hunters must unite and support the proposed legislation known as the “Trust The Science Act” H.R. 764, introduced by Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO).
H.R. 764 eliminates the politics of the wolf issue and replaces liberal, activist judges with the solid science needed to ensure healthy conservation of our natural wildlife while protecting those who live, work, hunt and recreate in our vast rural areas.
Our Plan
Our plan is simple, but it won’t be easy.
Educate & Unite Americans
It’s time for hunters, conservationists, and all Americans who care about honest wildlife management, based on sound science, to stand up and loudly state the truth about wolves. Hunter Nation has assembled a team of experts and influencers who are committed to getting the truth out.
Get The Truth Out
The time has come for the wolf to be an asset instead of a political pawn to be used by the anti-hunting, anti-science, so called “animal rights” groups. Wolf reintroduction efforts are a conservation success! Wolf populations have met all recovery goals and the wolf needs to be delisted immediately.
Delist The Wolf
Hunter Nation will continue to work to get Congress to pass H.R. 764, the “Trust The Science Act”. This bill will legislatively delist the gray wolf in the lower 48 states with no judicial review. Thus eliminating the Left’s use of liberal judges to block sound wildlife management.
Lessons Learned In the West
When Colorado chose to unleash wolves in their state, the governors of WY, ID, and MT refused to ship wolves from their states to Colorado. Those governors know first-hand the devastating effects unmanaged wolves can have at the state level.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats both domestically and abroad. 16 U.S.C. 35 (CHAPTER 35—ENDANGERED SPECIES) enacted on December 38, 1973. (a) Findings The Congress finds and declares that— (1) various species of fish, wildlife, and plants in the United States have been rendered extinct as a consequence of economic growth and development untempered by adequate concern and conservation; (2) other species of fish, wildlife, and plants have been so depleted in numbers that they are in danger of or threatened with extinction; (3) these species…
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The Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) placed on the endangered list Friday January 4, 1974 – Federal Register – Vol. 39, No 3 – § 17.12 Endangered native wildlife. (Pg 1175) Taking, Possession, Transportation, Sale, Purchase, Barter, Exportation and Importation of Wildlife. . Common Name and Scientific Name Eastern Timber Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf (Canis lupus irremotus) Red Wolf (Canis rufus) After consultation with the appropriate States and after having reviewed the advice and recommendations of interested persons and organizations as appropriate, the Secretary has determined, in accordance with the provisions of 16 U.S.C. 668aa(c), the following…
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In 1980, the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Team completed a plan that would guide wolf recovery efforts for a future wolf population in the northern Rockies. The plan designated three recovery areas – Northwestern Montana, Central Idaho, and the Greater Yellowstone – each of which included some portion of Montana. The primary goal of the plan is to remove the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf from the endangered and threatened species list by securing and maintaining a minimum of 10 breeding pairs of wolves in each of the three recovery areas for a minimum of three successive years. The U.S.…
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In 1987, the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Team revised the wolf recovery plan from 1980. The primary goal of the plan is to remove the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf from the endangered and threatened species list by securing and maintaining a minimum of 10 breeding pairs of wolves in each of the three recovery areas for a minimum of three successive years. The plan establishes three recovery areas – Northwestern Montana, Central Idaho, and the Greater Yellowstone – each of which included some portion of Montana.
Wolf population in Minnesota has exceeded 2,000 individuals over the past 20 years, and populations in Michigan and Wisconsin have exceeded 200 wolves for 20 years.” (Per USFWS) There were only 750 wolves in Minnesota when listed in 1974.
2011 US Congress passes legislation to partially delist the gray wolf from the ESA in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and parts of Utah, Washington, and Oregon. 9th Circuit upholds Congressional action in a 9-0 vote.
Madison, Wisconsin (January 13, 2021) – This week, Hunter Nation, along with the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, won our lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for ignoring a state law requirement to schedule a wolf hunt this winter. A Jefferson County Circuit Court found that the Wisconsin DNR violated state law by refusing to schedule a winter 2021 gray wolf hunt when the gray wolf was delisted from the Endangered Species Act on January 4, 2021. This is a historic victory for Wisconsin hunters and our constitutionally protected right to hunt and manage our wildlife here…
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USFWS – Federal Register – A Rule by the Fish and Wildlife Service on 11/08/2023 We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), establish a nonessential experimental population (NEP) of the gray wolf ( Canis lupus) in the State of Colorado, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The State of Colorado (Colorado Parks and Wildlife or CPW) requested that the Service establish an NEP in conjunction with their State-led gray wolf reintroduction effort. Establishment of this NEP provides for allowable, legal, purposeful, and incidental taking of the gray wolf within a defined NEP area while concurrently providing for the conservation…
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Field & Stream BY TRAVIS HALL The controversial plan was mandated by a narrowly-passed ballot initiative back in 2020. On Monday, December 9, Colorado wildlife officials uncrated five gray wolves on a tract of public land west of Denver. The wolves were captured in Oregon earlier this winter. Their release is part of an ongoing effort to re-stock the species into its historic range in select parts of the Centennial State. he five wolves were the first of anywhere from 30 to 50 that will be released in Colorado over the next 3 to 5 years, Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW)…
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Hunter Nation denounces the Biden administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their decision to make no change to the gray wolf’s status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced their decision to make no change in the wolf’s status, at least until September 2025, they stated their decision was based, in part, by the fact that the debate over the management of wolves has included more than two decades of litigation where courts have invalidated five out of six rules finalized by the USFWS on the gray wolf status. Hunter…
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USFWS – Federal Register – A Proposed Rule by the Fish and Wildlife Service on 02/07/2024 We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a finding on the gray wolf ( Canis lupus) in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) and in the Western United States. After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, we find that gray wolves within the NRM area do not, on their own, represent a valid listable entity; therefore, the NRM is not warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the gray…
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Hunter Nation President Keith Mark, in a recent PBS documentary, discusses the conservative hunting advocacy group's perspective on how the economics of game management plays a role in wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation. By Nathan Denzin | Here & Now (PBS Wisconsin) Keith Mark: Sometimes I wonder if these anti-hunting groups really care about wildlife, like they say, 'cause they sure don't put their money where their mouth is. You can look at the Pittman-Robertson Act and see how much money that the American hunter pours into conservation on an annual basis. Billions of hunter dollars go to fund your Wisconsin DNR,…
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Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map Collared Activity Update: February 28, 2024 – March 25, 2024 (Download PDF) Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Collared Gray Wolf Activity Map will help inform the public, recreationists and livestock producers on where wolves have been in the past 30 days or so. This map will be updated with new information on a monthly basis, produced on the fourth Wednesday of every month, and will reflect data for the prior month, give or take several days. These maps are created using GPS collar data collected from all collared wolves in Colorado. About the GPS collar data Currently, the…
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On Friday, March 31st, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed 41 bills which had been passed by the state’s legislature. Among the vetoed bills was Senate Bill, SB139, which would have set a target population goal for the gray wolf which would have helped manage the state’s out-of- control and currently unmanaged wolf population. The veto was immediately condemned by Wisconsin hunters, farmers and residents in the areas most impacted by the increasing wolf population, and around the nation by groups who see the move as purely political.
Mission, KS – Hunter Nation applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for its bipartisan effort in passing Congressman Tom Tiffany’s (WI-07) and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's (CO-03) legislation to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act. The “Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764),“ removes the gray wolf from the list of endangered species and prevents judicial review of the delisting. This bill gives each state and the state wildlife agencies the ability to manage the gray wolf population as they currently manage all wildlife within its state’s border.
Join host Keith Mark in this powerful episode of the Hunter Nation Virtual Campfire as he is joined by Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany to discuss the Trust the Science Act. This emotional conversation also features firsthand stories from recent wolf victims, Denise C., Greg M., and Scotty M., who share their life-altering experiences. Chris Vaughan, Hunter Nation's Wisconsin State Director, provides a crucial update on the state’s wolf population and the ongoing efforts to delist the gray wolf. Don't miss this important conversation and learn how you can take action to help. Join Hunter Nation and support the movement to…
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We need your help today (9/19). It’s time to make our voices heard and protect the balance of our ecosystems and our hunting heritage. We urge you to reach out and demand the immediate delisting of the gray wolf. Please call and message the following Senators and express your support for the wolf delisting bill: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI) at (202) 224-5653 and by web message Sen. Jon Tester (MT) at (202) 224-2644 and by web message Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) at (202) 224-6542 and by web message
Keep on the gas. Mother Nature needs your help.
I moved from Montana to Washington State 2 years ago. The last 2 hunting seasons I have covered more miles looking for Deer and Elk then I did for 20 years in Montana. I am in what I have been told was the best hunting in the state 20 years ago before the wolf was released back into this area. On public lands you can hunt days before you see one single Deer. And weeks before you might see a Elk. There was a meeting about predator control a few years ago in the city I live in and I went to it. Lots of ranchers and Hunter’s came to it.
One guy said something about bringing back Dogs to keep the Lion’s under control. One of the head politicians from the Seattle area told him that their hands were tied on that and nothing can be done about that. I was the next person to speak to them and I told them that there hands might be tied but there voices are not. No comment from that. Also the last speaker was a man who was the top Fish and Game person in the state. He said that it was written up when the Wolf’s were introduced that there was going to be a limit on how many packs of Wolf’s that would be aloud in the State. He said that the paperwork has been lost and there is 2 times the Wolf packs that were agreed to. That was 2 years ago. He said if we don’t get ahold of them that there want be anything to hunt very soon.
I believe that is what they want. Trying to make it so nobody will be hunting because there is nothing to Hunt.
Then they can take our Guns away from us. Thanks for letting me vent.
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Wolves must be managed in the midwest. Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are infested with wolves and ruining our hunting tradition where our children and their children will never be able to enjoy viewing or hunting wildlife. The groups fighting the to keep them listed are people who are not directly affected by wolves. I agree wolves have a place in wildlife but are out of control. I have gone 7 years without seeing a deer in northern wisconsin.
The wolves and the “birds” will feast in the last days because of war.
Jeremiah 7:33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
We need to delist the Gray Wolf and put a stop to animal right activist and liberal federal judges and courts from playing these walls back on the endangered species list and put population Management in to the states hands
All animals need to be managed properly wolfs includes, yes delist.
Thanks for giving me hope. (Colorado resident)
We as conservationists need to keep every animal in check. The wolves need to be one of these that we keep populations in control. This past year deer hunting was absolutely terrible. No deer. Year before wasn’t much better.
Chetek, Wisconsin
Support an effort to delist and reduce the population of wolves to zero.
Wolves are a part of a healthy environment. The Yellowstone re-introduction of wolves was and is a resounding success. The whole ecosystem benefited from reducing the over-populated elk population. Keeping the herd moving and preventing over grazing. All the plants and animals in Yellowstone became healthier because of this.
We definitely have far too many wolves. A well balanced wild life management program needs to be implemented.