It’s groundhog day in wolf country, a grisly scenario playing out over and over in each wolf state. The Michigan state Senate passed SB 135o on Thursday, which designates wolves as game animals, moving them one step closer to public hunts. The bill will now be shuttled to the state House for a vote. So much for Michigan being reasonable on wolves. The same trophy hunting crowd, who rammed through wolf hunts in Minnesota and Wisconsin, are alive and well in Michigan.
“Michigan moved a step closer to letting hunters target gray wolves Thursday, when the state Senate voted to designate the predator as a game species.
The bill was approved on a 23-15 vote and sent to the House, where a similar measure is pending. It doesn’t guarantee that wolf hunts will be allowed but authorizes the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, whose seven members are appointed by the governor, to establish seasons.
Wolves were shot, trapped and poisoned to near extinction in the lower 48 states in the last century but have rebounded in the Upper Midwest and Northern Rockies since receiving protection under federal and state law. “….Ann Arbor.com
But history be damned, wolf hating mania is in full force. When Ken Salazar and the USFWS turned Great Lakes wolves over to the states, they signed the animals death warrants. The wolf states are not interested in wildlife watchers, wolf advocates or Native Americans who oppose the hunts. We’ve watched the dominoes fall for the last three and half years. First Montana and Idaho, then Wisconsin, Minnesota and Wyoming, now Michigan is clamoring for wolf blood.
Montana and Idaho wolves were the first to be railroaded, sacrificed for Senator Tester’s (D-MT) reelection. This is the third wolf hunt held in the two states. Not only are the hunts in Montana and Idaho becoming more brutal with each passing year but Montana is moving ahead with wolf trapping for the first time, starting on December 15.
There is no reason to hold public wolf hunts. Hundreds of wolves are killed every year by Wildlife Services for agribusiness. The truth is wolves are being killed because the federal government turned them over to their mortal enemies, the state fish and game agencies. Wolves are being killed because the states were given permission to slaughter them.
We have to get serious about pushing for federal legislation to relist wolves. We can’t just sit here and watch the slaughter take place and spend our days counting wolf corpses.
Wolf hunts wipe out 555 wolves in just 3 months!!
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Michigan Senate takes step toward allowing wolf hunts
Tags: wolf hunts, SB 1350, Michigan wolves, wolf persecution grows, stop killing wolves
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Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
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Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
WWP's Gray Wolf Page
Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative
Howling For Justice 
I used to be happy that my home state was being reasonable. Not anymore, thanks to that prick Matt Huuki, who introduced the House version. He may have been voted out, but who knows what will happen to that one.
Also, this one article I found mentioned that should the Legislature approve the bill, opponents may seek a statewide ballot initiative to overturn it. Those being the words of Nancy Warren, Upper Peninsula resident and regional director of the National Wolf Watcher Coalition.
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WE HAVE GOT TO GET A HOLD OF OUR SENATOR’S ( NOW ) AND PUT A STOP TO THIS BEFORE IT STARTS OR THEIR WON’T BE ANY WOLFS LEFT LIKE BEFORE
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good luck with that – their in bed with the ranchers and special interest groups i.e. deer hunters and atv clubs. public opinion doesn’t mean squat to these so called PUBLIC SERVANTS, we should have stepped on them a long time ago. the governors and judges are also on their side. money and power, time to get them back in line… now.. call – call- call your reps and complain.
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I wrote to Sen. Carl Levin and others about this. Here is the reply I received:
Dear Mrs. Totten:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Sportsmen’s Act (S.3525). I appreciate hearing your views on this matter.
On September 10, 2012, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012, a compilation of 19 separate bills covering a range of issues, including conservation, hunting, fishing and recreational access. Among other things, this act would require that no less than 1.5% of capital from the Land and Water Conservation Fund is apportioned for an annual priority list of projects intended to increase public access to federal lands that restrict access to hunting, fishing and recreational activities. Several conservation programs, including the North Americans Wetlands Conservation Act, the Great Ape Conservation Act, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the African Elephant Conservation Act, and the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act would be reauthorized through this bill. Additionally, the Sportsmen’s Act would exempt ammunition and fishing tackle from the Toxic Substances Control Act, leaving the regulation of waste removal from these materials to state fish and game agencies and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bill also would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow hunters to import polar bears from Canada that were killed legally before the species was listed under that Endangered Species Act in May 2008. Some have expressed concern that allowing this importation would set a dangerous precedent and could incentivize hunters in the future to kill vulnerable species before they are listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Forests, parks and wilderness in the United States are some of our nation’s most valuable treasures. These areas provide a unique and distinct landscape that showcases the beauty of our nation, and it is critical that we do all we can to protect them. Hunters, fishers, and outdoor enthusiasts have long played a crucial role in modern wildlife management and conservation efforts. During my time in the Senate, I have supported the rights of these individuals. Protecting our national parks, forests and other wilderness areas for future generations, while securing access for current users, is one of the most important roles I have as a Senator. The Senate is expected to begin consideration of the bill when it returns to session in November.
Thank you again for contacting me. I will be sure to keep your views in mind should the Senate take further action on this legislation.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin
levin.senate.gov
I still have hope that Michigan won’t jump on the band wagon as other states have and We will set a higher standard for our wolves.
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I think you should contact your state senator and house rephttp://databank.senate.michigan.gov/
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I should add, I was totally surprised (insert sarcasm) that no one word was mentioned about wolves. I respect Sen Levin, if I remember correctly, he is against wolves becoming “game”. I’m still researching this.
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Why can’t one of your states do the right thing and save your wildlife .Be the first to manage humanely and the world would forever be in their debt don’t become a massacre state be a leader and not a follower give something back for future generations otherwise what will our childrens children have an earth with no wildlife what a bleak future they will have if we keep slaughtering and raping our world
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I wrote to my state Senator, Rick Jones (Republican) expressing my concern and asking him to vote against the wolf hunt legislation. Here is his reply:
Thank you for contacting my offi ce regard ing Senate Bill 1350 , legislation which would add the Gray Wolf to the game list and authorize a hunting season. Recently this legislation was referred to the Senate Committee as a whole. While I do have some concerns regarding the licensing of hunters to hunt the Gray Wolf, I am more concerned about the safety of livestock and pets that are being attacked by the Gray Wolf.
I have a long hist ory of legislatively supporting animal rights and the protection of our pets, allowing a wild animal to attack and kill our pets is of great concern to me. I have supported animal rights in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. I also feel there may be a better way to go about protecting our animals in all regards on this issue. I look forward to continued discussion with my colleagues on this legislation.
Sincerely,
Rick Jones
State Senator
District 2 4
The coyote, which is prolific and on which an open hunting season already exists, is responsible for most of the attacks on pets in Michigan. Yet the pro-hunt people combine the damage done by coyotes with the limited, anecdotal accounts of pets being attacked by wolves to justify a wolf hunt. If people are allowing their pets to run in the wild and not confining them in a protected area, then it isn’t the wild predators who attack those pets who are to blame; it is the pet owners. Hell, more pets are killed by motor vehicle traffic than they are by wolves. Should pet owners demand a hunting season on motorists? Ridiculous. Anyway, I had to learn again, at my old age, that bringing my concerns to a Republican lawmaker is an act of futility unless I’m also bringing a handful of cash, like the hunting and gun organizations do. All that’s left is to try to defeat these politicians in the next election.
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If the wolf hunt becomes law in Michigan, we need to do 2 things:
1. Organize people who oppose the hunt to boycott vacationing in the Upper Peninsula (as my wife and I have done for nearly 40 years). If the politicians think their districts will make money from a wolf hunt, we have to show them they will actually lose money.
2. Assuming a limited number of wolf hunting licenses will be available, as many of us who can afford it should buy a license, and then sit at home. That will limit the number of trophy hunters actually out in the woods trying to kill a wolf.
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Awesome! Love the monkeywrenching! How much are the tags for in-state – out of state? please post
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What is their to do, I gave ti Western Watershed Foundation,but the states are ganging up,to kill wolves,it’s coming from all sides.
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Gary Engberg has an outdoors website on which he called for people to contact their state senators to demand a “yes” vote on the wolf hunt. I had the following email exchange with him, which I thought would interest you.
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leave them alone – don’t disturb the “circle of life”.it amazes me how many people LOVE LOVE shooting animals! sickening!
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Wolves are “Game animals”? I don’t think so – just another reason for the killing of wolves. Very sad every day wolf hunts occur.
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I don’t understand why this is so important to states. It’s the 21st century! It’s like the entire country has gone blood simple. I cannot understand why our government has allowed this. Do they think that a killing spree will satisfy those who have no jobs in a bad economy?
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ida-The corporations wanting access to federal lands wanted any endangered species to be delisted. Obomba has stated access is allowed to energy companies (note UT Tar Sands, for example). Big Beef wants MORE subsidies and access beyond the 1934 Taylor grazing Act ( wikipedia for more info ). If you go to NCBA or beef.org their legislative agenda lists bills they wrote for their lapdogs in government. See for yourself. Look deeper: it s all sleight of hand corporatocracy. The rednecks in the woods are clueless idiots. They should stop marrying their sisters.
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Go to PACIFICWILD.ORG, & see what Canada’s gov wants to
do to their wolves. This has got to be stopped.
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Watch the documentary “Food Inc.” and it will give you an idea on what’s going on in this country. There are only 4 companies controlling the meat market in this country. When i was in high school in economics class – my teacher said if conglomerates take over and there is no competition say good -bye to a healthy economy.. the wolf slaughtering bill was passed the same time as the grazing bill, hmmm go figure, our PUBLIC SERVANTS are not for the public majority they are in bed with these greedy money grubbing companies. Unless there is a mass public outcry – this is going to be critical and deadly time for wildlife.
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P>S if you have Netflix Food Inc is on there.
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America is a bad influence on BC, I see. They see what a piece of cake passing wolf slaughter legislation in our country has been. Why? BC I would think would have a thriving eco-tourist economy? Why would they want to ruin it?
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Pledge to stop kill the wolves.. and rest of the animals count the days getting more kill, kill, kill.. Please stop it! Why Can’t you see it, Obama!? We the human are more the animals than the real animals.
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Contact: Adam Bump, 517-373-1263, or Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352
Agency: Natural Resources
Nov. 27, 2012
The Department of Natural Resources will host a Michigan Wolf Forum meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Little Bear Arena, located at 275 Marquette St., in St. Ignace.
DNR staff will provide an update on current wolf management activity in Michigan and will gather input from forum members regarding future management activities.
The Michigan Wolf Forum members represent a diverse group of organizations with an interest in wolves and wolf management. The 2008 Wolf Management Plan, which guides wolf management in Michigan, created the Wolf Forum to serve as a direct link between stakeholders and the DNR to discuss implementation of the Wolf Management Plan and current or future activities related to wolves and wolf management.
Members of the public are welcome to observe the meeting and will have the opportunity to provide written comments. For more information about the meeting, contact Adam Bump at 517-373-1263.
This is their next step ,and its all going under the radar,Debbies phone # is bogus and Adams phone puts you to automation ,This is a railroad from the start and people should get real mad,its a wisconsin infection from the UP because its 80 to 20 against in the lower-Rick
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Consider organizing complaints to the state and fed DOJ, as there are consistent conflicts of interest in the assignment of officials.
The Supreme Court sold the US to corporations in 2011, an act of treason to the American republic, followed by Obama’s Corporatocracy. Our democracy is dead as these posts attest. Do what you can everyone. We need mass rallies and Americans seem reluctant to march.
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Wisconsin Alert: If Walker goes down, it seems an op to file an injunction of anti-wolf legislation from the obvious corruption. Below are some links. Please let us know as in-state activists find out more?
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article30620.htmAS TOP AIDE IS SENTENCED TO JAIL TIME, SCOTT WALKER LANDS IN THE HOT SEAT
Just a few days after a triumphal speech at the Reagan library, where Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker laid out his vision of a state without taxes and a privatized school system, Walker’s name came up in a different context. In the sentencing hearing of top aide Kelly Rindfleisch.
READ MORE: http://WWW.PRWATCH.ORG/NODE/11874
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Reblogged this on Exposing the Big Game.
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If the Legislature approves the bill, opponents may seek a statewide ballot initiative to overturn it,” an opponent said.
To the house bill analysis not saying the hunt will even break even on all fees, the cost of an election and probably other court action is added. So basically State Senator Casperson is passing a Wolf Hunt Tax.
That’s right, he is committing Michigan’s taxpayers to subsidize the wolf hunt he wants. Everyone: call, email, fax, visit your Michigan state representative before the bill hits the floor next Tuesday! You know how to protest taxes. Tell your representative, in whatever way you think best:
“I don’t want to pay Senator Casperson’s Wolf Hunt Tax!”
And pass the word along so everyone else does too!
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Unbelievable. The taxpayers shouldn’t have to take part in fund a practice they don’t believe in or want.
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I am so disappointed in the state of MI. right down disgusted! Our God given right is to hunt for food, clothing,tools.. It is our God given right to love and defend our family and fold supply. The wolves were given that same right by the breath they take. We are crossing a line.
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And I truly thought that Michigan would manage its wolves through science rather than catering to the anti-wolf, pro-hunting people, but I guess that I was wrong. I just hope that this bill does not pass.
Here in America, wolf-hunting is spreading, yet on the other side of the world, in Africa, Botswana is banning sport-hunting. Why can’t America treat its wildlife with respect, like Botswana (and other countries) are?
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why cant they leave the wolves alone what did they ever do to deserve this treatment
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PARA MIM CONTINUAM A MATAR SEJA QUAL FOR O TIPO DE LOBO.MATAM POR PRAZER, POR ESPORTE.OLHE QUE ESPORTE!!!.DEIXEM-OS LIVRES EM SEU HABITAT QUE TUDO DARÁ CERTO E MUITA FELICIDADE AOS LOBOS.ELES PERTENCEM À NATUREZA.
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How low the esteem of man when defenceless animals are a threat to him. How ignorant the man when all is gone forever mounted on his wall, and like his memory begins to fall apart. How lonely the silence when all her children are gone, where is the bright future for man was all wrong.
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on a recent roundup protest one woman said if we don’t do it there will be herds of wild horses charging down the streets!!! They really believe this. The fear of other species may finally destroy the human race, which may be a good thing for the planet
.
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I sure as hell hope there aren’t wolves in Vermont, where I’m going for the Holidays. I feel like I’m boycotting half of America,even my state. Watch for who Obama nominates for the next DOI. Some say Wash. State Gov. Gregorie. Yikes!
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I thought some movement was underway to remove that animal killer Salazar? I live in Ca. but there is no end to the stupidity exhibited here – Sen. Feinstein took up the “cause of non-native oysters ” while allowing Wolves to be slaughtered in all of these states – go figure
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It has been observed that creating legislation is like the making of sausage, the end product more savory than the manufacture.
But, like sausage, if someone wants to rush the process or hide the details of what is in it from me, I deeply suspect the end product.
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Very profound Norm!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Pat…Feinstein is just another Democrat betrayer who voted for the wolf delisting rider, to help get Tester re-elected. She and her buddy Boxer and the rest of the Dems threw wolves under the bus. And yet all were re-elected, so I guess they played their cards right. Most people have no idea what they did or how they’ve turned their backs on the wild horses under Salazar’s reign. If Salazar leaves apparently Gregoire of Washington state is his first choice for the Interior. This is the same Governor that allowed the Wedge Pack to be slaughtered and didn’t lift one finger to stop it.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Just when I think things can’t get worse they seem to. Soon all the wolves will be gone and another species wiped off the map. It is a senseless and violent war against these beautiful animals. I never will understand it.
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They won’t be exterminated, but they won’t be allowed to be wolves either. After decades of building their packs and maintaining their own societies and establishing roles and relationships in the packs, no wolves are going to be allowed to be a social animal any more.
The old, young, healthy, sick, yet untaught, too old to hunt but wise will all be scythed a quarter or a third of a time out of all the packs at random, They will suddenly become an animal with predators they, unlike deer and other animals, are not evolved to live with.
This does deliberately, and drastically, increase the reproduction rate by simple arithmetic. Nearly as many litters of pups will be born to 1/4 or 1/3 the adults, and new places will be opened for new packs, and yet more litters. All of the wolves will have to hunt more and range further to feed the pups, so they will probably run into people and resort to hunting livestock more, especially when packs lose the 2-3 year old wolves in their prime condition years the others need to hunt for them.
Oddly, the game agencies and hunters do not seem to realize how much food it takes to raise a canine to full size as replacements for the “harvested” ones, be able to do simple arithmetic, or care that they are adding all these new pups to be fed just when fawns are growing up too. Wolves taking some young deer in spring is natural, these numbskulls want to maximize it.
Which the wolves can and will do if necessary to try and maintain their population at natural levels.
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Correction: same number of litters will be born to 3/4 or 2/3 the number of adults.
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I am not very hopeful. This is the same administration that OK’d the planting of GE crops in national wildlife refuges! How out of touch can they be? Wiping out wolves and wild horses, and replacing them with what Salazar calls “The New West” is unacceptable. I guess he meant a phalanx of wind turbines. It is inexcusable and unforgivable what the Democrats have done. I never will vote Democratic ever again, I swear.
As far as wolf hunting, what about next year’s hunt? I think they need to take a year off at least in between hunts so that the young can at least mature, unless they want to kill off they young too (and we know they do), which amounts to extermination, no matter what kind of euphemism the gubmint tries to palm off on the clueless public. Same for sterilizing wild horses too. All for meaningless reasons, and human problems that will never change.
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Very well put ida. I’m as upset with the Dems as you are because they are hypocrites. We already knew where the Republicans stood but the Dems were supposed to care about the environment and our wolves and wild horses but instead they were more interested in holding onto power and allowed this travesty to take place. The wolf rider would NEVER have become reality if the Senate had stopped it. They hold the majority but lo and behold Harry Reid let it through and the President signed it into law. The wolves were betrayed by the so called liberal party. I have to laugh when the far right goes on a rant about Obama being an environmental President. He and his Interior Secretary have done more damage to wolves and wild horses than George Bush ever did and I’m no fan of Bush.
Let’s face it, we have fair weather friends in Washington. The only way we can influence opinion is if wildlife advocates make some real noise. That hasn’t happened so far. We can’t even get a hundred people to show up at a demonstration.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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I just signed a We the People petition to President Obama to appoint Rep. Raul Grijalva as Secretary of the Interior to replace Ken Salazar. Rep. Grijalva is an environmentalist and progressive who will not be in thrall to ranchers or oil companies. He would make an excellent Interior Secretary. The petition was sent to me by Nancy Warren of the National Wolfwatchers Coalition and was on the Wolfwatchers newsletter website. It needs 25,000 signatures by Dec. 31 to be considered by the Obama Administration and currently has only 760. I urge everybody here to sign this and tell your friends to do this also.
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I am just wondering when is the next time I can take action and get involved in a protest? I would really like to
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