Wolves in South Dakota

Over a century ago, gray wolves were common in South Dakota, but intensive hunting and trapping wiped them out. While lone wolves occasionally wander in from other states, no wolf packs call South Dakota home anymore. Even without a wild wolf population of our own, South Dakotans play a crucial role in the survival and recovery of wolves nationwide.

What's at Stake

Gray wolves at risk

Today, gray wolves survive in only 10% of their historical range. The Endangered Species Act provides them with the strongest legal protection by banning hunting and trapping. However, new legislation threatens to strip away these federal safeguards, putting their survival in jeopardy and undoing decades of recovery.

Legislative threats

Don’t be deceived by the name. The Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764/S. 1895) aims to strip federal protections from gray wolves across the U.S. and prevent judicial review, meaning courts would have no power to overturn it. Having narrowly passed the House, it’s now under Senate consideration. Additionally, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 (H.R. 8998), currently circulating in Congress, includes a “rider” in Section 130 to remove federal protections from gray wolves in the lower 48 states.

Deadly consequences

Without federal protections, hundreds of wolves are slaughtered each year in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming under extreme anti-wolf laws passed in these states. In Wisconsin, when federal protections were briefly lifted, trophy hunters killed 218 wolves in less than three days—more than double the allotted quota. If more wolves lose protections, we could see similar tragedies occur across the country.

Beyond gray wolves

With critically endangered Mexican gray wolves (“lobos”) facing similar legislative threats and red wolves clinging perilously close to extinction in the wild, the urgency to act could not be greater.

Elect to Protect

Now is the time to act—before its too late. Vote for officials who will protect wolves and raise your voice for their future.

Your Elected Officals