Tisk, Tisk, Tisk.
Unbunch the panties there Aldo.
I'm quite unlike the "all predators are evil and must die" redneck that you obviously assume that I am.
I do support the hunting of predators in limited numbers, be they wolves, mountain lions or grizzly bears.
Let well studied wildlife biologists determine the holding capacity and current condition of the habitat, calculate overall health and the reproduction rate of the predator in question, set seasons and strict quotas to achieve a livable balance with prey species, livestock and human populations.
Look at each individual ecosystem in which the hunted species inhabits, allowing different quotas in each sub unit based on populations and overall health of the unit.
Reevaluate these numbers yearly and adjust permits accordingly.
This is how the most modern day game managers operate.
With proper stewardship predators can be successfully managed to an (albeit artificial) balance that never endangers the core populations.
Alaska is a very good example with it's Brown/Grizzly bear management program.
The secret is the huge unbroken habitat available in Alaska that allows wildlife to thrive in most cases.
Down here in the lower 48 we have islands of habitat surrounded by human populations that can only support X number of animals.
If the predators are healthy and breed every year, there are often problems as the dominant members lay claim to the choicest areas of that home range and force subordinate animals to less desirable areas where they often raise havoc with livestock and humans.
It pains me to see state trappers funded by taxpayer funds answer the call of a concerned rancher that has lost livestock or a pet owner that had Fido eaten, have to come out, kill the offending predator then throw the carcass in the dumpster where it is a complete waste, where if the population were controlled with limited hunting the hunter would not only absorb the cost, but value the trophy taken as well.




It's ironic you mention the aerial shooting, but a tad naive to call it a "hunt" as it is not in any way ever meant to be a hunt.
What it is meant to be is population reduction in it's most efficient form.
Just so happens that I am friends with an Alaskan aerial wolf shooter that just might be the best there is.



He is a long line trapper in Alaska and knows wildlife more intimately than any human being I know.
Alaska fish and game actually uses him to receive biological data regarding wolves and lynx populations.



It all boils down to us humans.
We want an artificial wilderness that never experiences population crashes of either predator or prey, which by the way is completely natural in nature's scheme of things.
We want our deer and elk, we want to see wolves and grizzly bears, we want to have scenic vistas from our decks that overlook the woods, and we want that big fat juicy rib eye sizzling on the BBQ this coming Monday.
We are the cancer of this planet that erodes everything natural, with the ever spiraling human population we will have fewer and fewer wild places and that deeply saddens me as a worshipper (and consumer) of the wild.