Wolf Wars: The Politics of Wolf Management and Conservation

There are few icons of American wilderness as powerful and charismatic as the gray wolf. Anyone fortunate enough to see them in the wild knows what a rare gift it is to watch a pack take down a weak member of an elk herd, or to catch the gaze of a wolf’s mystical eyes up close through a spotting scope. Yet they are also the subject of ferocious debate among stakeholders with an interest in their presence on their native terrain, including ranchers, hunters, conservationists and ecotourists. Join U.S. government wildlife biologist Aaron Bott, who lives, researches and guides in Yellowstone Country, for a foray into one of the most contentious topics in the American West: how to manage and protect wolves. Aaron will cover the history of wolves and wolf management including their eradication and reintroduction, their recovery, subsequent impact on the ecosystem, and their eventual delisting as an endangered species. Aaron will share details about how wolves are currently managed in the West and discuss recent litigation regarding wolf hunting and protection. You’ll come away with a fuller and more nuanced understanding of what makes wolf conservation such a challenge.


Originally presented August 10, 2021

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