I ran across this news at AMERICAblog. Normally, I would probably agree with their take on things. But in this case, "Chris in Paris" doesn't know crap.

They take this move as something bad. Whenever a species recovers enough to make it off the list, this is a great thing.

I lived in Wyoming at the time this was being debated back in the early 90s (just down the road from Big Dick Cheney) and there are a lot of details that are left out of this recent news. The populations of elk and bison in the Yellowstone area were out of control at the time. With no predators other than man and a bunch of new grassland created after the Yellowstone fires, elk populations exploded. Yes, people hunt elk in this area, a lot of them. But they don't kill enough of them to control the population.

Wolves are helping to solve this problem. Inside the park areas, they have an abundant food supply. I can still remember their howls at night the last time I camped in the park.

Yes, pulling them off the Endangered Species List means that some states may be able to create hunting seasons for them. This is something that needs to be fought at the state level.

But in reality, this isn't going to mean a whole lot. Hate to let the Dick Cheneys of the world know that hunting wolves isn't exactly like shooting at planted quail in Texas. Finding wolves and getting close enough to shoot one isn't an easy task. Nor is there any big demand to shoot wolves.

There are already seasons for black bears and cougars in this area, but very few hunters actually go after these. It's just too hard, and you can't eat them. Trophy hunters don't have the patience to actually hunt these species. They would rather have a big elk than a wolf any day.

And notice that there are 1,500 wolves, and the population is growing at 24 percent a year. And this despite the fact that ranchers and poachers have killed 1,500 wolves since they were reintroduced.

With an established base in the save haven of the Yellowstone/Grand Teton park area, there is little danger their population will be endangered again. And with the abundant elk in the area, they will migrate pretty fast despite the hunting pressure.

Don't worry too much about the wolf. He is a pretty canny creature, now that he has a home in the lower Rocky Mountains again.