Yellowstone wolves: one fifth of all wolves in the national park were killed by hunters and trappers in the last six months when they wandered into Montana following migrating elk. The justification used is that wolves pose a significant economic threat to ranchers and they are decimating elk, two contentions that do not hold up to factual scrutiny. Much of the antipathy expressed toward wolves in rural Greater Yellowstone is based on culture, not economics. Still, how could greater tolerance for wolves be achieved if they were viewed as an asset to struggling mom and pop ranchers, not a liability? Would economics then trump culture? Photo courtesy Doug Smith/NPS