Wolfs are hunters, they are better than you and I, and any animal fills their bill. If you and I were left unchecked we could quickly wipe out any species. That is the wolf, the ultimate predator,and if left unchecked they will deplete their prey ,then shift to an alternate , till the habitat can't support them. The process takes years, as does the recovery, in natures time frame it means little, but in our world we could live out a lifetime seeing only one extreme or the other. Hunting or Trapping predators is carefully controlled, to try keeping some balance, while some would have you believe nature will balance out the time frame between the top and bottom will be long and in many cases painful. Your next steak, porkchop, or rack of ribs is right at the top of the wolfs menu to. Not many farmers can stand the loss of even a few head of livestock. And while the government promises payment for losses it seldom happens.