Family-Outdoors

Wolves have been nearly driven to extinction, and then carefully re-introduced as part of the natural ecosystem. They are loved by many, but hated by some...especially ranchers in the West.  Here's the latest in their saga. From SD GFP... Gray Wolf Returns to Federal Endangered Species List PIERRE, S.D. – On February 10, 2022, a District Court decision ruled that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must re-instate wolves under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, with the exception of wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Therefore, the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) no longer has management authority over gray wolves, and they can no longer be hunted or trapped in South Dakota. On January 4, 2021, the gray wolf was delisted as a federally protected species following 45 years of protection under the Endangered Species Act. This action allowed GFP to manage wolves as a predator as defined in state law.  Under GFP’s management a...

gray wolf (Photo credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region )  Following up on a law enacted during the 2013 South Dakota legislative session, the Game, Fish and Parks Commission has proposed a rule to require inspection of any wolf taken. Wolves east of the Missouri River in South Dakota are under state management. State law allows wolves to be taken – either shot, hunted or trapped – in this area. West of the Missouri River wolves are currently protected under the Endangered Species Act. The new rule proposed by the GFP Commission would require mandatory inspection of any harvested wolf. Anyone who harvests a suspected wolf must contact a Conservation Officer within 24 hours of the kill and submit the wolf for inspection to a department representative within 48 hours of taking the animal. The wolf inspection proposal will be finalized at the July 8-9 GFP Commission meeting, which will be held in Pierre at the Ramkota RiverCentre. To view the full proposals ...