Outside that zone, farmers would be allowed to kill wolves harming their livestock and pet owners would be able to kill wolves attacking their dogs or pets. It is important that the state recognize that some killing of wolves will be necessary and to allow it, Wydeven said. If they are able to survive in marginal habitat, there could be even more. I think the limiting factor is social acceptability I think as the wolf population expands, they are going to be in areas where they aren't going to be accepted. In most cases, those will be areas where livestock and pets are placed in jeopardy, Wydeven said.
Wolves are territorial and a pack can easily dispatch a dog that appears to be intruding.
Bear hunting hounds are particularly susceptible because they are trained and used in large blocks of public land where wolves are likely to hold. It was just running free on the owner's land. The bill for a trained hound isn't cheap. As the number of wolves in the state grows, the cost of reimbursement is likely to grow and the source of reimbursement monies to disappear. Our reimbursement money comes from the Endangered Species Checkoff on state income tax returns, Wydeven explained.