Throughout history, wolves have been associated with evil. Other people talk about the wanton killing of animals by the pack. To me, they represent, like the American bald eagle, a connection to the beginning of this country, when the land was filled with so many other creatures that no longer exist because of the development of the wilderness. I can imagine the exhilaration of seeing my first wolf in the wild, comparing it to my first sighting of an eagle several years ago. Even the howl of a wolf at night will send chills of pleasure, not fear, through me.
Every person has their own opinion about the value of wolves.
That is true with the wolf management plan recently endorsed by the state Natural Resources Board. The decision against hunting wolves as part of the plan was good news in this corner. I know eventually hunters or trappers will be called upon to play a role in the management of these predators, but it just seemed to be coming too early in the recovery process. The hunt would not be scheduled until the wolf population reached 350. There are about 200 wolves in the state, and that number is increasing about 20 percent a year.