The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed bill 205 in the Legislature on Tuesday. The bill gives the go-ahead to hunt wolves in certain circumstances in Eastern South Dakota beginning in July and possibly in Western South Dakota soon after. Surrounding states like Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota currently manage their wolf populations, but in portions of South Dakota wolves are still listed as an endangered species.
Senator Mike Vehle says wolves are not welcome in South Dakota. He adds that a wolf-management plan should be in place before a problem arises.
“We need to make sure that we do not start wolf packs in South Dakota, they will be very detrimental to not only to our wildlife but to our domestic livestock because we just do not have the habitat for them. There may have been habitat back in the 18 – 1700’s but there is no longer, it’s more of an agrarian area,” says Vehle.
Vehle says there are currently no resident wolf packs in South Dakota although transient wolves are occasionally spotted. Bill 205 goes next to the Senate Floor.