Democracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion Wyoming’s wolf-elimination policy leads to torture and darkness

Columnist|
April 19, 2024 at 10:52 a.m. EDT
A wolf at Yellowstone National Park. (Jacob W. Frank/AP)
5 min
correction

An earlier version of this column incorrectly ascribed to Wyoming a law passed by the Idaho legislature targeting the state's gray wolves. This version has been updated.

The alleged torture and killing of an adolescent female wolf earlier this year in Wyoming has brought international outrage, a demand that the perpetrator be incarcerated and policies reformed to prevent any more cruelty to predators.

When it comes to wolves in Wyoming, where wildlife is plentiful and people are scarce, it’s open season, 24/7/365. No license is required in “predator zones,” which cover 85 percent of the state. The state also protects hunters’ identities, thanks to a 2012 law passed after the harassment of an Idaho wolf hunter whose name had been posted online.