Wolf hunting

This article is about hunting of wolves by humans. For the hunting of animals by wolves, see Wolf § Hunting and feeding behaviours. For the novel, see Wolf Hunting.
Tapestry depicting a Florentine wolf hunt (c. 14th century), Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Wolf hunting is the practice of hunting wolves. Wolves are mainly hunted for sport, for their skins, to protect livestock and, in some rare cases, to protect humans.[1] Wolves have been actively hunted since 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, when they first began to pose a threat to livestock of Neolithic human communities.[2] Historically, the hunting of wolves was a huge capital- and manpower-intensive operation. The threat wolves posed to both livestock and people was considered significant enough to warrant the conscription of whole villages under threat of punishment, despite the disruption of economic activities and reduced taxes.[1] The hunting of gray wolves, while originally actively endorsed in many countries, has become a controversial issue across the globe. Most people see it as cruel, unnecessary and based on misconceptions, while proponents argue that it is vital for the conservation of game herds and as pest control.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Statement by Valerius Geist pertaining to the death of Kenton Carnegie" (PDF). Wolf Crossing. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference WOLVES was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Game board says yes to aerial shooting of wolves" (PDF). alaskawolves.org. 2000. Retrieved 2008-04-23.