Should Missouri Bring Wolves Back? Experts Say Yes

They have some very compelling reasons, but the concept of reintroducing wolves back into the ecosystem in Missouri is a controversial one. Let's dig into why some conservationists believe wolves would be lifesavers for Missouri and why some ranchers will not be happy.

I am intrigued by an article I saw shared by The Detroit Free Press. It's the result of a study done by an environmental conservationist from the University of Wisconsin along with a graduate student that claims the presence of wolves in that state has lowered vehicle collisions with deer by a staggering 24%. It's not necessarily for the reason you think either. Yes, the number of deer is trimmed by wolves that feed on them, but they learned that wolves caused deer behavior to change which led to less presence near roadways.

Why do they think wolves being reintroduced to Missouri would save lives?

The Missouri Department of Transportation mentions that the state ranks near the top 10 in America for vehicle/deer collisions. When you also consider that the Missouri Department of Conservation says there is a deer overpopulation problem, you can understand why the idea of wolves back in the wilds here isn't a crazy idea after all.

Here's the problem with wolves coming back to Missouri

Missouri would be wise to study the history of what happened when wolves were reintroduced back into Yellowstone National Park in 1995. That indirectly led Colorado to bring wolves back in 2023, but now there's a problem. Many ranchers now say the wolves are preying on their livestock. Those 10 gray wolves placed in the Colorado wilderness now have conservationists and ranchers divided. If this ever happened in Missouri, there's little doubt that many ranchers would have legitimate concerns.

There is no official proposal for wolf reintroduction to Missouri as of the date of this writing, but the concept is gaining ground in other states in the region. With the problems that Missouri is having with the deer population, I predict it will happen sooner rather than later.