Michigan's wolves are under attack. The Michigan Legislature recently designated wolves as "game animals," opening the door for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to establish sport hunting and trapping.
In Minnesota and Wisconsin, hunters killed hundreds of wolves during hunting and trapping seasons last fall with the goal of drastic population declines. In Wisconsin alone, state managers want to reduce the population by more than half -- leaving as few as 350 wolves.
Tireless work over decades by the Center for Biological Diversity and others has helped bring Great Lakes wolves back from the brink of extinction. Reversing course and allowing wolves to be shot, snared and trapped for sport simply doesn't make sense.
Please, sign the petition today to help defend wolves in the Great Lakes region by demanding that state managers reject hunting and trapping of Michigan wolves.
A small but vocal minority used fear and misinformation to persuade the state legislature to designate Michigan wolves as game animals. I am writing to encourage Michigan's Natural Resources Commission to utilize scientifically sound wildlife management practices and recognize that it is too early to allow hunting and trapping of wolves in Michigan.
[Your comment will be added here]
Michigan supports a population of only about 700 wolves found in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan wolves lost federal protection just last year and the population is still recovering. Wolf hunting is premature and reckless given the decades spent on wolf recovery.
Wolf hunting is not needed to manage problem wolves. Over the last several years, nearly half of the livestock losses from Michigan wolves occurred at just one farm with questionable animal husbandry practices. Moreover, state managers can kill wolves responsible for livestock losses or issue kill permits to landowners. Plus, livestock owners are compensated for their losses.
Michigan's wolf management plan says that sport hunting would be considered only if other methods of controlling problem wolves were ineffective. Yet the Michigan DNR has acknowledged that nonlethal measures and targeted lethal control have been effective in reducing wolf conflicts. Plus, sport hunting and trapping may actually increase conflicts by disrupting pack dynamics and creating more lone, dispersing wolves that are more apt to target livestock or pets out of desperation.
Please do not allow the hunting and trapping of Michigan's wolves. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
