Wolves a hot topic from the woods to the courts

[Lee Borgersen]

Wolves a hot topic from the woods to the courts

Ely Echo Editorial 

Putting together a meeting to talk about the management of wolves is coming at just the right time here in the North Country. We thank Gerald Tyler for taking the initiative and bringing together various government officials in Ely on Friday at 10 a.m. at Grand Ely Lodge.

Talk of wolves has reached a fever level, especially among deer hunters but also among dog owners who fear for their pet's safety. We've had reports of wolves roaming the downtown area of Ely and hunters seeing more wolves than deer.

The problem isn't with the wolves, the problem is with the way our government is being run. The people running it aren't elected, they aren't professional biologists and they aren't necessarily looking out for the best interest of wolves. The people running the show are the attorneys.

The reason the federal government has been unable to transfer the management of wolves to the states is not for lack of trying. The reason is because the issue is being handled by attorneys in courtrooms, not biologists in the field.

Here's a portion of a news release from the Humane Society that demonstrates our point:

"This is the sixth time in the last five years that a federal government decision to strip wolves of Endangered Species Act protection has been stopped through legal action, but the settlement does not prevent the administration from making another attempt to de-list wolves and turn their fate over to state killing plans."

Or how about this quote from Born Free USA: "The court's decision is great news for wolves and for the integrity of science in government decision-making."

Six times in five years the attorneys were able to use the justice system to manage the wolf population. Got wolves trying to eat your dog for lunch? Frustrated by a local wolf population going up and a deer population going down? Don't blame the DNR, don't blame the Fish and Wildlife Service, blame Faegre & Benson.

One of the largest legal firms in the country, Faegre & Benson knows how to sue the federal government. The Humane Society news release even includes this statement, "The plaintiffs are represented pro bono by the law firm Faegre & Benson."

Pro bono means you don't get paid right? But time and time again we have seen Faegre & Benson get paid by the federal government after they have successfully sued on an issue. That's right, the Humane Society won't have to pay the bill but the taxpayers will.

As long as we keep electing attorneys to run the federal government, attorneys will keep suing the federal government and make money doing so. It's an endless cycle that benefits attorneys, not the people.

And the wolves? Just a pawn in many instances, like the spotted owl or the lynx or the Sprague's pipit, a bird that weighs less than an ounce and has been known to frequent northwest Minnesota and is likely to be next on the list of endangered species.

We have pointed out in the past that the return of the wolf population in northeast Minnesota should be heralded and celebrated. In the 1960s and early 1970s wolves were nearly wiped out in Minnesota. But since then we have returned the wolves to numbers that now have reached a point where management is now viable.

How many wolves are there? Good question. The DNR has tried to determine a population figure but admits the best guess they have is around 3,000 - or the same number since 1998. Is there pressure to make sure that number doesn't go up and increase the chances of the state being able to manage the wolf population? You be the judge on that one.

Attend the meeting on Friday and thank Gerald for bringing this issue to the forefront. But don't expect miracles. There are still going to be endless legal challenges to delisting the wolf and letting the states manage the population.

Don't believe it? The same news release includes this quote, "Wolf recovery has made tremendous strides, but with wolves occupying roughly five percent of their historic range, the job is not yet finished."

Maybe when the wolves invade Minneapolis and Edina and eat the pets of the lawyers at Faegre and Benson things will change. But we wouldn't bet on it.

[Mayfly]

What a great article and so true.

I love this: The DNR has tried to determine a population figure but admits the best guess they have is around 3,000 - or the same number since 1998.

[mnnate]

^^^ What he said..They are getting further and further south. Runnning into more and more people..Somethings gona/gota give soon

[Big E]

The DNR officer and the Dept of AG trapper I talked too BOTH said they have no clue what the wolf population is at in the state. The DNR officer said they had no more money for paying the feds to come trap or pay people for the lost cattle or pets. The number of wolf complaints rises every yr so how can they say it's the same as 1998? SHOOT SHOVEL SHUT UP

[Go Big Red!]

What a great article and so true.

I love this: The DNR has tried to determine a population figure but admits the best guess they have is around 3,000 - or the same number since 1998.

Very true.  The DNR enforces what the politicians put into law.   And 3000 wolves, really?  Time to take a hard look at who we elect.

[MTCOMMER]

What a great article and so true.

I love this: The DNR has tried to determine a population figure but admits the best guess they have is around 3,000 - or the same number since 1998.

Very true.  The DNR enforces what the politicians put into law.   And 3000 wolves, really?  Time to take a hard look at who we elect.

Well, MN is full of idiot loons... (not the state bird)!  Even if a gun totin', wolve killing politician ran, I doubt he or she would win, the tree huggers have money and power in MN,  .  MN has a tencency to elect idiots (i.e Al Franken) 
But I digress!  According to the law im place right now, from my interpetation, there has to be a 5 year period where the population is managed in order to open a hunting season!  But im pretty sure that 5 years have been up for..... 6 years! We have had over the 1,600 mark since 1998! 
But in all reality, 1 wolf is too many, I enjoy my place at the top of the food chain! 

[22lex]

The sad fact about all of this is that nothing will get done in a speedy manner, until some big shot who is well connected gets his private pristeen land over-run with wolves that chase "his" deer out of the area.

I don't run into wolves ever, only seen a few tracks over the years, and can't relate to any deer hunting stories like everyone is talking about.

I do think an open season with limited tags on these animals would not only help "manage" the wolves in certain areas, but also help make them more weary of people and more reclusive during the hunting seasons. Hell, you could even run that season during deer season with a special tag for a predator. The deer will figure this out real quick and re-enter an area if the wolves leave an area due to hunters setting up stands a few weeks before season. Wolves aren't dumb, they are just like our smart buddies at our side just with not as much "puppy" left in them when they are adults. After seeing one of their pack shot, or being hunted themselves they will quickly figure out people=danger. I mean really, how long can you count before a coyote whom is legally hunted stands there out in an open field after seeing a truck or car stop to look at them? They throw on the after-burners and beat it out of that field ASAP 'cause they know a few bullets will be lobbed their way if they don't.

I do have to say that the old "keep your children, and carry a sidearm in the woods" quote is getting a tad bit old when trying to push for a hunting season, or management process for these animals. The fear factor shouldn't be the driving effort to manage. The factor of canine disease, healthy management, and deer numbers should be. Point of this is that deer hunting is an economic driver for alot of this state, and if a certain percentage of hunters are sick of not shooting anything everyone looses out in revenue from the ma and pa diner, to the little hotel that puts up 30 guys for a week in Malmo, to us the hunters whom benefit from the DNR through our fees from those hunters who are not going next year due to the low deer numbers.

From all the reports I have read in numerous websites and articles is that the deer numbers are way down from last year, and alot of the hunters "in the field", not "in the office" are proof that there is a problem.

[dakids]

I remember Uncle Ted Nugent once said that if you put a season on an animal they will never be extinct because they will be managed to the nth degree.

Think of all of the revenue that would be generated.  Wolf urine,  Wolf decoys,  Wolves actually being mounted instead of shot and buried.

IMO the forestry dept or DNR should trap a pack of wolves and relocate them to a few influential peoples neighborhoods or lake homes like they did to us.

[MTCOMMER]

I remember Uncle Ted Nugent once said that if you put a season on an animal they will never be extinct because they will be managed to the nth degree.

Think of all of the revenue that would be generated.  Wolf urine,  Wolf decoys,  Wolves actually being mounted instead of shot and buried.

IMO the forestry dept or DNR should trap a pack of wolves and relocate them to a few influential peoples neighborhoods or lake homes like they did to us.

Now that I think of it, a wolf mount would be pretty cool looking!  Have its teeth showing and make it look fierce!  That would make a good wall ornament.  There would definitely be a bigger market for calls, they wont just be for coyotes anymore!

I agree, the revenue to be made could be a hefty sum.  Its worth a shot (no pun intended).

[Big E]

Now that I think of it, a wolf mount would be pretty cool looking!  Have its teeth showing and make it look fierce!  That would make a good wall ornament.  There would definitely be a bigger market for calls, they wont just be for coyotes anymore!

I would love a Wolf mount! I would see if the Taxidermist could mount it with the brains and my bullet exiting the wolf's temple! That would be awesome wouldn't it? I would have the caption on the plaque say "And you always wondered what goes through a wolf's head when he sees me?

[MTCOMMER]

Now that I think of it, a wolf mount would be pretty cool looking!  Have its teeth showing and make it look fierce!  That would make a good wall ornament.  There would definitely be a bigger market for calls, they wont just be for coyotes anymore!

I would love a Wolf mount! I would see if the Taxidermist could mount it with the brains and my bullet exiting the wolf's temple! That would be awesome wouldn't it? I would have the caption on the plaque say "And you always wondered what goes through a wolf's head when he sees me?