Wanna Shoot a Wolf? Come to Idaho!

Headline taken from this article, which basically sums up yesterday's delisting of Northern Rockies wolves this way:

Fifteen years after gray wolves were successfully reintroduced to Yellowstone and a separate expanse of wilderness in central Idaho, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Monday implemented a decision made previously by the Bush administration to formally remove these wolves from the federal list of endangered species in Montana and Idaho.
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In Idaho, Republican governor Butch Otter has endorsed a proposal to halve the state's wolf population of 88 packs and more than 1,000 individuals (counting new pups born this spring). Otter has said he plans to apply for a wolf-hunting permit so he can be the first Idahoan to fell a wolf. The governor claims that wolves have taken a huge toll on big game animals, namely elk—even though his own fish and game agency noted recently that elk numbers in Idaho are actually meeting or surpassing population objectives in most areas.

Here's another headline:Wolves officially delisted from endangered list; let the lawsuits begin. Indeed. Assuming there are any wolves left after the 60 day notices come due. The bloodlust/"management" of some of these nutjobs is downright frightening. Read more here, from Ralph Maughan.

Heckuva job, Cowboy Ken. The livestock industry has directed the extermination of many of the West's native predators. And the beat goes on...