Minnesota Wolf/Witch Hunt Ends, Over 400 Wolves Slaughtered

Minnesota’s wolf hunt ended January 3rd. Over 400 wolves are dead. They died for the price of a wolf tag. They died for trophy hunters insatiable desire to kill innocent animals for sport. They died for nothing.

The irony is Minnesota was supposed to be different. Their original wolf plan called for a five-year moratorium on wolf hunts.  But the Minnesota legislature changed that in 2011, when it was clear wolves would be delisted in the Great Lakes.

“Minnesota statutes were amended in 2011 to change the state status of wolves to a small game species and provide the ability to authorize a season without a five-year waiting period.“….Minnesota voters for Animal Protection

The Minnesota DNR turned out to be no different from the rest of the fish and game agencies in the wolf states. They went forward with an unpopular wolf hunt in spite of what Minnesotans wanted.

“When the DNR announced the potential of a wolf hunt they didn’t have overwhelming support, at least not on their website. An online survey on the DNR’s website found nearly 75 percent of people who voiced an opinion, opposed it….valleynewslive.com

Dr. Maureen Hackett, wolf advocate and founder of Howling for Wolves, summed up the situation.

“Dr. Hackett says before the hunt even started nearly 300 were killed by farmers, legally, and likely another couple hundred by poachers. Add that up on top of the 400 plus killed in this years hunt, that’s what concerns Dr. Hackett, “now you have nearly 1000 wolves killed out of maybe 3000 wolves total. That’s 30% of the population.”

Which isn’t that far off from the 1,600 mark that could likely put wolves back on the endangered species list in Minnesota. A problem magnified during the course of one, quick season proposed by the DNR.

Dr. Hackett says without folks expressing their opinions to legislature, the DNR will likely not listen to the publics concerns, “they have not gotten public comment on nearly every hunting rule since 1995. I think the public and legislature need to understand that the public has been kept out….valleynewslive.com

So there you have it,  30% of Minnesota’s wolves wiped out, including  over 400 killed in the hunts. That’s what “wolf management” looks like.

Let’s work to ensure this is Minnesota’s last wolf hunt.

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Opponents of MN Wolf Hunt Speak Out

Posted: Jan 03, 2013 8:02 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 03, 2013 8:02 PM EST

Minnesota’s controversial wolf hunt comes to a close Thursday. Last count by the DNR estimates 403 were tagged during the hunt and numbers are still coming in. But that’s already slightly over their target quota of 400. Numbers aside, not everyone is pleased with the states decision to hunt an animal just off of the endangered species list. Valley News Live shares one opponent to the hunt’s concerns.

READ MORE

http://www.valleynewslive.com/story/20499364/opponents-of-mn-wolf-hunt-speak-out

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Humane Society of the United States Intent To Sue USFWS and Ken Salazar Over Great Lakes Wolf Delisting

October 15, 2012

Sixty-Day Notice of Intent to Sue Over Violations of the 

Endangered Species Act in Designating and Delisting the 

Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment of the 

Gray Wolf

http://hsus.typepad.com/files/great-lakes-wolf-delisting-noi-10.15.12.pdf

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Top Photo: Gray wolf photo CNN

Bottom Photo:  MPR File Photo/Derek Montgomery

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Minnesota wolves

Tags: 0ver 400 dead in hunts, wolf trapping torture, Minnesota DNR, Dr. Maureen Hackett, wolf persecution, Humane Society of the United States

Center For Biological Diversity Goes To Court Over Minnesota Wolf Hunt…

For Immediate Release, September 18, 2012

Lawsuit Filed Challenging Hunting and Trapping of Minnesota Wolves

State Reneges on Promise of No Hunting for Five Years

MINNEAPOLIS— The Center for Biological Diversity and Howling for Wolves filed a lawsuit today against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources challenging the agency’s failure to provide a formal opportunity for public comment on recently approved rules establishing wolf hunting and trapping. The conservation groups are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the opening of hunting and trapping seasons this fall.

“The state rushed to issue wolf hunting and trapping rules without giving people a real chance to voice their opinions,” said Collette Adkins Giese, a Minneapolis-based attorney with the Center. “Especially considering the tremendous controversy around hunting and trapping of Minnesota’s wolves, state officials should have followed the law carefully to make sure they fully understood how the public felt about their decision.”

Minnesota’s 2001 wolf-management plan provided that wolves would not be hunted or trapped for five years after any removal of their Endangered Species Act protection, but the state legislature eliminated those safeguards last year by passing a budget bill that included a rider authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to open wolf hunting if the agency first provided an opportunity for public comment. In January 2012, the wolves’ federal protection was stripped away; but instead of opening a formal comment period, the department offered only an online survey. (More than 75 percent of respondents opposed the wolf hunt: Of 7,351 responses, only 1,542 people supported a wolf season.)

“Wolves already die at high rates from many causes, including human intolerance and persecution,” said Maureen Hackett, founder and president of Howling for Wolves. “Minnesotans benefit economically, culturally and ecologically by having wolves in the wild. As a state, we have so much to gain by keeping wolves undisturbed.”

Wolf hunting is scheduled to begin Nov. 3 with the opening of the deer firearms season; the state’s rules provide that 6,000 licenses will be sold to kill 400 wolves. The lawsuit filed today asks the Minnesota Court of Appeals to prevent implementation of wolf hunting and trapping rules until the court can issue its decision in the case.

Background
Livestock producers have pushed for hunting and trapping to reduce the state’s population of approximately 3,000 wolves. But hunting and trapping may actually increase conflicts between wolves and domestic animals by disrupting pack dynamics and creating more lone wolves that are more likely to target livestock out of desperation.

There are tested, nonlethal options to safeguard livestock from wolves, including guard dogs, flagging and fencing. Hunting and trapping is premature until state managers can gauge the impacts of a state management plan that allows the killing of wolves to protect domestic animals.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 375,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

Howling for Wolves was created to be a voice for wild wolves. It aims to educate the public about Minnesota’s wolf population and let people know how they can take action to keep wild wolves in a self-sustaining existence. For more information: www.howlingforwolves.org.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2012/wolves-09-18-2012.html

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Challenge to DNR over wolf seasons raises serious issues of policymaking

By Ron Meador | 10:45 am

http://www.minnpost.com/earth-journal/2012/09/challenge-dnr-over-wolf-seasons-raises-serious-issues-policymaking

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Photo: Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Posted in: Wolf Wars, Minnesota gray wolves

Tags: Minnesota DNR,  5 year moratorium, Center for Biological Diversity, Howling For Wolves, stop killing wolves