I wouldn't say pre-human settlement, since Natives were in these areas for many years, but they didn't have the desire to mass hunt wolves (and culturally, would not do so). So pre-US colonialism, perhaps.
Philosophically though you're correct- humans very easily see themselves as "apart" from the environment, when really we're just another mammal doing our thing. We are nature as much as we are in it, even for all of our tools and manufacturing.
Philosophically though you're correct- humans very easily see themselves as "apart" from the environment, when really we're just another mammal doing our thing. We are nature as much as we are in it, even for all of our tools and manufacturing.