Why were gray wolves nearly eliminated from the United States by 1950?

By 1950, the gray wolf had been nearly eradicated from the contiguous United States primarily due to widespread persecution by humans. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, wolves were viewed as dangerous threats to livestock and competitors for big game animals, leading to intensive, systematic efforts to eliminate them using every available method.1

This intense human-led eradication campaign was driven by the perception of the wolf as an evil creature and a direct threat to agricultural interests. As a result of this persistent persecution, by 1950, the species had been driven from virtually its entire range in the United States, surviving only in the northeastern corner of Minnesota.1