Liberalizing the killing of wolves State of the science

Recently, some state governments began pursuing aggressive efforts to reduce wolf populations through programs that include liberalized hunting and trapping seasons, and efforts to incentivize killing (e.g., bounties). These efforts represent a departure from policies of the recent past, raising the question: why are states killing wolves? Herein, we address justifications commonly provided for killing wolves and other large carnivores by reviewing the science on the social and ecological effects of these policies.