While there are many who are very happy to have the gray wolf back on the endangered species list, which will help foster and protect the species, the state of Wyoming is not. The reason for this is that the pack hunters have been a point of contention for Wyoming’s Game and Fish Commission for quite some time. Normally, this fight has between man and beast, but now that contention has brought them head to head with Washington D.C.

This issue first came to light when federal court judge Amy Berman Jackson officially made the wolves endangered, Latinos Health reported. The commission was quick to react, appealing the decision just one day after Jackson put them back on the list. This opposition comes from the very strict way Wyoming deals with the predator. In over eighty percent of the state gray wolves are to be shot on site. However, this new motion would threaten that law, and make a move towards trying to extend the longevity and survival of the species.

While activists are happy at this progress, many in Wyoming are outraged by this new motion. This is due to the fact that many fear this new law will threaten, and eventually end their hunting season altogether. Anti-wolf groups have already taken up protest on local media, and many others across the state continue their hunting. All of this could be short lived if the new law goes into effect and the appeal goes unheard.

Wyoming has made attempts toward wolf conservation at the past, but these practices have been largely scrutinized by many different groups for being inefficient. Jackson’s decision is an attempt to crack down on and stop wolf hunting in the state. While many skeptics are unsure if this will do anything to change the way Wyomingites act towards wolves, there are many who hope this restriction will allow the wolves time to regrow their population.