viewpoint: Republicans should listen to voters on wolves
Stephen Capra
The recent study released on December 12th, by Alexander and Elizabeth Metcalf at the University of Montana Forestry, Justin Gude and Michael Lewis of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and John Baldridge of UM’s Business and Economic research, as reported by John Cheney makes clear that wolf tolerance has grown considerably while Montana republicans continue to treat wolves as a threat.
Their research compared wolf tolerance with more than 7,607 Montanans from 2012 to 2023. In 2012, the number was 41 percent that felt tolerant of very tolerant of wolves. By 2023, that number reached 74 percent that were more than tolerant.
At the same time, the trapping of wolves went from 71 percent in 2012 to less than 36 percent. This is a clear shift in attitude, and the results showed this is not a rural-urban divide; the results were very similar. In the last 10 years, the state has grown considerably. The newcomers to Montana’s urban centers, by a 2-1 margin, are conservative, yet there is respect for wolves and a feeling that we must move to coexistence.
Still, Republicans in this state ignore the loud majority and give in to the 1.2 percent that want to kill and torture wolves. The party seems open to allowing these sick individuals who live to torture have substantial control over wildlife management than those of us who love wildlife. The trapping of almost any species, from beavers to wolves to martens, deprives most of us that thrill in seeing a healthy, diverse environment and who love viewing wildlife, of even getting an opportunity to see these vital species.
The Governor, for his part, has led this trapping rampage on our public lands and supports trappers consistently, and has trapped and allowed wildlife to suffer.
People come from around the world to glimpse a wolf in the wild in Yellowstone, and in many cases pay big money to do so. Yet, the party in charge is dedicated to the destruction of wolves in Montana, even as many of their own party have made clear their disapproval.
We cannot allow this genocide of wildlife to continue, and republicans must begin to view wildlife through another lens; one of beauty and of species that have every right to live in our state, just as people do. I personally have been at the legislature for the past five sessions, and it is disgusting to see the bills pushed forward and the misinformation used to justify bills that are a death sentence for wildlife.
Republicans can now show real leadership by silencing the Representatives who believe torture of wildlife is acceptable. It’s time they listen to their constituents who are making clear that wolves belong in Montana, and it’s time to respect wildlife, as we do people.
The biggest resource in our state is not timber, oil, or coal: it is wildlife. We must work to protect areas and to end the nightmare of trapping to make Montana truly great. We must look forward, not backward, and leave the history of trapping to the fires of hell.
Stephen Capra is the executive director of Bold Visions Conservation based in Bozeman, the organization. Is working to end trapping on 180,000 acres around Bozeman and to create a 1.8 million acres Sanctuary for Wildlife, south of Bozeman to Island Park, ID.