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Emboldened Michigan wolves spared from a hunt – for now 
 


By BEV BERENS
Michigan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. — Unlike the wolf population of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (U.P.), Michigan’s Ballot Proposal I had no teeth, in terms of the future of wolf hunting in the state.
“This vote does not affect farmers and ranchers in the Upper Peninsula,” said Drew YoungDyke, field and public relations manager for Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC).
Proposal I found its way onto Michigan’s November ballot through a petition campaign driven by Keep Michigan Wolves Protected. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and its affiliates dropped nearly $2.5 million into the petition drive and advertising campaigns that touted the wolf as a near-extinct victim of human civilization.
In reality, according to both the MUCC and state Rep. Ed McBroom, (R-108th District), the area’s wolf population of nearly 650 is more than three times the number necessary to maintain a healthy population.
In August, an initiative presented by Citizens for Professional Wildlife Management was passed into legislation that gives authority to the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to decide when, where and if wolves are to be hunted in the state and added to the list of Michigan game species. The use of sound science as the determining criteria for a hunt is a backbone of the legislation, which will take effect early in 2015.
Because of this legislation, MUCC and other groups declare they have already won the battle and that wolves can be hunted in the future as deemed necessary by the NRC. However, since the public vote decided not to include wolves as a game species, that decision will remain in effect for the next few months – until the new legislation takes over early next year.
Members of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected have threatened a lawsuit to overturn the Citizens initiative. While 45 percent of voters in the state favored Prop I establishing wolves as a game animal, 55 percent opposed any sort of wolf hunt.
A countywide breakdown of the vote showed 52 of Michigan’s 83 counties voted in favor to allow the hunt; however, the vote was carried by 31 urban counties with higher populations from Detroit to Lansing. Every U.P. county voted in favor of the species hunt.
“It comes down to if we are going to allow out-of-state people who think they know how wildlife and nature should look in our state determine how we control a predatory animal,” said McBroom, who is also a dairy farmer from the U.P.
“Farmers take all the precautions they can and we have been fortunate to not have a lot of urban pressure in our very rural part of the state. The wolf problem is impacting the whole economy and way of life.”
Farmers can be compensated at market value for livestock loss to wild animals, but there are costs incurred that can never be replaced, such as future generations from a heifer calf and the cost of developing the genetics in an animal destroyed by predators.
McBroom’s brother and father spotted a wolf on their Norway farm three consecutive days last week. As a result, the McBroom children are no longer allowed to play in nature’s playground on their farm – the woods across the road. “It’s becoming a very dangerous place,” he added.
Reported livestock encounters with wolves vary from year to year, according to Brian Roell, a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologist in Marquette. Factors such as deer numbers, winter severity and wolf population play a factor in damage caused by the predator.
To date this year there have been 23 reported livestock depredation cases. There were 13 cases in 2013 and 35 in 2012.
Since 2012, there have been 24 incidents of wolf/dog conflicts reported to the DNR in which domestic, hunting or sled dogs were killed or injured by wolves. Some incidents resulted in multiple dog injury or deaths.
The first recent-history wolf hunt in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was a targeted hunt in 2013. Twenty-two wolves from three separate areas concentrated around Mackinac, Ironwood and Ontonagon counties were taken. No hunt was scheduled for 2014.
Once the new legislation is enacted, the NRC will decide, based on current conditions and numbers, if another hunt will be opened during 2015. Roell reminds farmers affected by wolves there are grants available for predator exclusion fencing compensation and shooting permits for private land depredation incidents. Information is available at local DNR offices.
Comments sought for plan

The DNR is updating its 2008 Michigan Wolf Management Plan. During the last six years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the wolf population in the western Great Lakes region had recovered and the species no longer required the protection of the Federal Endangered Species Act.
The state plan was created using extensive public input to identify important issues and assess public attitudes towards wolves and their management, as well as a review of the biological and social science on wolves. The update will include reviewing scientific literature, evaluating implementation based on the action items in the plan and addressing outdated information.
Review will occur in two phases. The first will consist of a 30-day period in which interested parties can provide comment on implementation of the 2008 plan. The second will be a 30-day period to comment on the Draft Updated Plan before it goes to the NRC and DNR.
The Phase 1 electronic survey is now open at www.surveymonkey.com/s/ wolfplanupdate and comments will be accepted until Dec. 11. Those unable to do the survey online are asked to contact the DNR at 517-284-9453 to receive a paper survey.
The DNR hopes to have the update completed by spring of 2015.
11/20/2014