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The First Bounty
Mass. Bay Colony started offering a cash reward to any colonist that killed a wolf. Other types of payment included tobbaco, wine, and corn. Other colonies followed their example. -
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Payment
Any Mass. Indian could get 3qt. of wine or a bushel of corn for one wolf. A bushel of corn today is worth almost 400 US dollars.Blankets and trinkets were given, also. Before this reward system, wolves were killed only for ceremonies unless there were too many to live with. Then, wolf pups would be killed and eaten. Wolf pup was a delecicy in Native American society. -
War of Extermination
The War of Extermination is declared in Ohio against bears, wolves, and other predators because of the ever increasingly decreasing numbers of live stock. -
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Era of the Wolfers
Demand for wolf pelts increased as a result of reduces in beaver populations. In 1830, a pelt was worth $1. By 1850, the prce had doubled. Wolfers preffered poison to traps and killed buffalo, elk, and other animals for bait.They poisoned the meat and came back and tracked the dying wolf. A tactic was to kill only the pups, and leave the mother to breed again next season, producing more wolves, and so producing more money. About 100,000 wolves were killed per year between 1870 and 1877. -
Extermination
The US government provided poison and trained help in attempt to rid the US of its remaining wolves. Cyanide guns were used to eliminate the wolves. Up to 21,000 would be kille anually. -
Low
This was considered to be the low point for wolf numbers. The only remaining wolves were in extreme northeastern Minnesota (350-700) and on Isle Royale (20) -
Endangered
The Eastern Timber Wolf is listed as endangered under a 1966 Endangered Species act. However, it only provided limeted protection on federal land. -
Minnesota Closes
The SNF (Minnesota) closed to the hunting of wolves on federal land. You could still hunt on private land and on frozen lakes and streams inside or outside of the forest. -
ETWRP
The Eastern Timber Wolf Recovery Plan was established. 5 wolf management zones in Minnesota, a limited public season, reintroducement, and a list change from endangered to threatened were all called for. -
Reclassification
The USFWS reclassifies gray wolf populations into three groups. Eastern, Western, and Southwestern. -
Off the List
The Fish and Wildlife service removes the gray wolves in the Rockies from the endagered species list. -
Return
Wolves in Idaho are put back on the endagered species list and hunting seasons are put on hold.
