Why your first reaction to the recovery of this species (that your own hunter breed almost completely erased), is to think about them as moving targets?
Can't you find something more productive to do than to shoot innocent animals?
Can't you find something more productive to do than to shoot innocent animals?
Unfortunately it wasn't until we'd nearly erased wolves and grizzlies (cougars have always been too wily to be wiped out) that we decided it was actually good to keep them around. Now we've got them back--but being back, they will need to be managed, and that includes hunting. Not wanton extermination, but rather a season tailored to remove a specific number of wolves in order to reach what the state fish & wildlife department considers appropriate.
It does not sound like conservation to me...
It is worth noting that a predator like the wolf needs a huge hunting area to thrive. Otherwise they starve. If you manage the habitat there is no need to kill them in cold blood.
Whatever your thoughts on hunting, it's part of the predatory/prey cycle throughout the world. It's also a not-so-distant tradition from our history that goes back millions of years.
What if instead of killing them, to patch a flawed system, we work on rebuilding their habitats?
Also there are many ways of controlling the numbers of a species, killing them is just the easy one.
However if you're vegetarian, vegan, or raise your own livestock then I salute you as having a consistent stance on the issue.
But if I had to choose between hunters of industrial farming, I choose hunters, of course. It is just I think we can try to fix both problems.
And yes, I am vegan.