As the generations pass, the animals will learn that the livestock are very easy targets. Since the livestock is trapped within fences and cannot defend itself, the wolves see them as very easy targets. Once the wolves learn that they can get food easily, they will not be stopped.27In some areas, such as Minnesota, the number of wolves has drastically increased over the past years. The farmers believe that the number of wolves is too high and threatens the number of wild animals that they can hunt. The deer are the most important of these animals and they seem to be keeping up with the growing numbers. This possible problem is very unlikely because last years deer harvest yield was the fourth largest in history.28 Therefore, the increased number of wolves has had no effect on the number of wild animals that are available for hunting.Another belief is that wolves are possibly harmful to humans. This belief is another reason why the farmers fear the wolf. The ranchers only see the wolf as a predator. Since wolves have been known to kill household pets such as dogs, the humans believe that they might be in danger.29 This is not a fact though; just like a lot of animals, the wolf is more afraid of humans than they are aggressive toward them. There has never been a report of a healthy wolf attacking a human in history.30Another reason that people are against the reintroduction of wolves is the cost.31 Approximately six million dollars have been spent over the past twenty-one years on the reintroduction of wolves. Most of this money was used to educate the public about the truths and lies about wolves. There were public meetings, brochures, and other printed material distributed in 1987 in this education which continues today.32 Some money was spent on surveys. The surveys of Yellowstone National Park cost about a million dollars alone. Also, the environmental impact statement that took two and a half years formulate and cos...
