Europe and Russia Wolf hunting

wolf hunt gerard rijsbrack, depicting wolf hunt french king s hounds, 3rd quarter of 18th century

it known wolves survived in scotland until 18th century. mary, queen of scots, known have hunted wolves in forest of atholl in 1563. stories on killing of alleged last wolf of scotland vary. official records indicate last scottish wolf killed sir ewan cameron in 1680. popular folklore on other hand tells of how old man named macqueen of pall à chrocain in findhorn valley of morayshire killed last wolf in 1743.

ireland throughout of first half of 17th century had substantial wolf population of not less 400 , may high 1000 wolves @ 1 time. although irish hunted wolves, evident documentary data did not see same need english exterminate wolves. although wolves perceived threats, nonetheless seen natural parts of irish landscapes. level of rewards , bounties established oliver cromwell s regime after cromwellian conquest of ireland attracted few professional wolf hunters ireland, england. politically, prospect of numbers of armed irish roaming around country hunting wolves not acceptable, given ongoing conflict between irish , new english settlers, seen safer english authorities encourage men own country deal wolf problem. wolves exterminated ireland in late 18th century, 1786.

coat of arms of marquis of flamarens grand wolfcatcher. grand wolfcatcher placed arms between 2 wolf heads symbol of office.

in 9th century france, charlemagne founded elite corps of crown funded officials called luparii , purpose control wolf populations in france during middle ages. luparii responsible initial reduction of wolf populations in france, become decimated in later centuries. office of luparii today known wolfcatcher royal. on 9 august 1787 office of luparii dissolved because of financing issues during french revolution reinstated twelve years later napoleon. after revolution ended, wolf hunting no longer activity reserved aristocracy. wolves killed monetary rewards equivalent month s pay. 1818 1829, 1400 wolves killed each year. high kill rate coincided increased distribution of flintlocks. @ dawn of 19th century, there 5000 wolves in france, number reduced half amount 1850. 1890, wolf population had been reduced 1000 animals, , further fell 500 in 1900 because of increased usage of strychnine. wolves temporarily increased during first world war, though time ended, population estimated between 150 , 200 animals. last confirmed french wolf kill occurred in 1937. extinction of wolf in metropolitan france, office of wolfcatcher royal modified in 1971 , serves administrative function regulating vermin , maintaining healthy wildlife populations.

wolf bounties regularly paid in italy during 12th , 13th centuries , 1950 s. gian galeazzo visconti himself offered ten imperial marks every wolf killed. 600 wolves recorded have been bountied between 14th , 19th centuries. presentation of killed wolf authorities obligatory. authorities had give accurate testimony description of presented animal (gender, weight, measurements, color, estimated age, etc.) , symptomatic ascertainment of eventual rabies infections. wolf s paw amputated and/or ears sealed in wax in order avoid spoils being represented elsewhere. 1 case of fraudulence in 1834, punished arrest, occurred. italian wolf hunters lacked organisation or determination of french counterparts, having not formed special hunting teams. wolves exterminated alps in 19th century, though never exterminated in peninsula.

in switzerland, conflicts between humans , wolves reached peak in 16th century, amid large-scale deforestations. wolves became extinct in zürich in 1684. later exterminated appenzell ausserrhoden in 1695, , schaffhausen in 1712. last known traces of wolves in central switzerland date 1707 in zug, 1753 in uri , 1793 in glarus. wolves became extinct in engadin in 1821. between 1762 , 1842, 80 wolves recorded have been bountied in vaud. wolves further exterminated in valais in 1870, ticino in 1872 , solothurn in 1874. wolves migrated switzerland in small numbers in 20th century. in 1908, wolf shot in ticino, , further 2 killed in 1914 in lignerolle.

in 19th century spain, principality of asturias passed act between march , december 1816 paying out bounties death of 76 adult , 414 young wolves @ 160 reales adult wolf , 32 wolf cub. hunting of wolves represented considerable source of wealth local populations, lobero or wolf-hunter being respected county figure.

in 1856 brochure, hungarian nationalist exile istván türr noted, among many other grievances against habsburg rule in country, (...) since restriction of liberty of hunting , seizure of arms in hungary, wild beasts have multiplied, that, besides enormous damage done crops, flocks, , poultry, wolves venture, not villages, towns, , besides doing fearful depredations, attack people. number of kreisjager (district huntsmen appointed government) not sufficient destroy them; arid in consequence of universal dislike public functionaries, increased still more circumstance not hungarians, landed proprietors not allow them hunt on grounds. 1 of these huntsmen told me nobleman, being requested allow him kill wolves in forest, refused saying, no, sir! wolves belong me, not government.

the swedish kings magnus eriksson , christopher of bavaria decreed wolf hunting civic duty, priests, parish clerks , landless women exempted. sweden s first wolf bounty opened in 1647. bounties remained in force in new laws of kingdom of sweden 1734. hundreds of sami extirpated wolves in organized drives. in 1960s, wolf numbers rapidly declined onset of snow mobiles used hunting. sweden s last wolf killed in 1966, after which, species declared legally protected , recolonized area.

norway followed similar pattern sweden, last wolf being killed in 1976, before becoming being protected , recolonizing area.

in lithuanian ssr, hunting of wolves formally permitted year long killing cubs in dens , payment of monetary rewards. number of wolves in times in lithuania fell 20-40 individuals.

in communist romania, 2,800 wolves killed between 1955 , 1965. during reign of nicolae ceauşescu, reward equal quarter of month s pay offered rangers killing wolf cubs. full-grown wolves killed method @ resulted in as half-month s pay.

in croatia, between 1986 , 2004, 115 wolf deaths recorded, of 54% due shooting. during period, number of dead wolves found ranged 0-15 annually. lowest kill rates occurred in late 1980s, 1990s, coinciding start of croatian war of independence in former state.

a russian wolf hunt, portrayed on wolf hunting nikolai sverchkov, 1862

in czarist russia, before emancipation reform of 1861, wolf hunting done solely authorized firearm holders, police, soldiers, rich landowners or nobles. upon learning of frequency of attacks on livestock , humans, czarist ministry of interior sent agents western europe in order learn how people there dealt wolf problems. upon returning, ministry of internal affairs developed plan in 1846 deal wolves involving opening of wolf bounties , appointment of government hunters. each hunter given jurisdiction hunt in 1 district, more 1 large areas. hunters given 3 rubles each male wolf killed , 1.5 each cub, tail presented proof. each hunter receive annual salary of 60 rubles year, provided killed 15 adults , 30 cubs year. peasant hunters, however, rewarded, because of corrupt bureaucrats stealing money. in 1858, after paying equivalent of $1,250,000 on million wolves in central russia, officials became suspicious, , discovered hunters bought wolf pelts low prices, cut them , handed them magistrates wolf tails. in later years of 19th century, russian hunting societies began energetic campaign against wolves. in 1897, members of moscow hunting society killed first 1000 wolves, though number of professional wolf hunters @ time rather low. serfs began hunting wolves after emancipation in 1861, though success, civilian firearms highly expensive, , cheaper ones primitive , unable bear heavy ammunition necessary kill wolves.

after russian revolution (1917), newly formed soviet government worked heavily eradicate wolves , other predators during extensive land reclamation program. during eastern front, wolf populations increased, though after nazi germany s defeat, wolf hunts resumed. end of war , onset of aerial hunting, ussr destroyed 42,300 wolves in 1945, 62,700 wolves in 1946, 58,700 wolves in 1947, 57,600 in 1948, , 55,300 in 1949. 1950 1954, average of 50,000 wolves killed annually. in 1966, wolves had been exterminated in 30 oblasts of rsfsr. during time, wolf depredations on humans , livestock had dropped factor of ten. however, publishing of russian translation of farley mowatt s fictional book never cry wolf, wolf hunts decreased in popularity. amid public outcry, czarist , soviet records of wolf attacks on both livestock , people ignored , wolf hunts decreased in number, allowing wolves multiply. 15,900 wolves reportedly culled rsfsr in 1978, compared 7,900 2 years prior. increase in population, twice many wolves culled in 1980s in prior decade. wolves became extinct in wrangel island in 1980s. in 1984, rsfsr had on 2,000 wolf hunting brigades consisting of 15,000 hunters killed 16,400 wolves. overall, soviet union culled on 1,500,000 wolves cost of 150,000,000 rubles on bounties alone. dissolution of soviet union, many wolf bounties lowered or dropped altogether. wolf hunting continues in russia, @ expense of individual hunters rather government.