Not crying Wolf

[Ferg]

This from the DNR web site today:

More wolves detected in Northern Lower Peninsula
Contact: Glen Mathews 989-732-3541
Agency: Natural Resources




December 3, 2004

Following the accidental killing of a wolf in Presque Isle County in October, state wildlife officials today announced at least two more gray wolves have been detected in the Northern Lower Peninsula, and reminded hunters and trappers to be especially careful when taking game.

Wildlife biologists and conservation officers in Presque Isle County this week responded to a resident report of wolf sightings and confirmed that tracks in the area appear to be from a pair of wolves. Wildlife specialists will continue to monitor the area to learn more.

Trappers and hunters in the region are advised to ensure that they do not inadvertently harm or kill a wolf. Wolves remain protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and the Michigan Endangered Species Protection law. Because the population of wolves in the Great Lakes region has expanded and continues to grow, both the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Michigan DNR are planning to remove the wolf from the Endangered Species list.

Wolves began naturally returning to the U.P. via Canada and Wisconsin in the early 1990s. Today, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to at least 360 wolves.

The 70-pound female wolf mistakenly killed by a coyote trapper Oct. 23 was from a pack in the central Upper Peninsula. The wolf was wearing with a DNR tracking collar. Prior to that, the last recorded wolf in the Lower Peninsula was in 1910.

Department of Natural Resources officials urge the public to report wolf sightings in the Northern Lower Peninsula by contacting local DNR field offices. Reports of wolves in the Northern Lower Peninsula have been increasing in recent years, yet none of the observations of animals or sign were confirmed until recently.

The DNR will coordinate winter track surveys this season in the NLP, similar to those conducted in the UP for the past 20 years, along with USDA Wildlife Services, Central Michigan University, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and other groups.


ferg....

[Bwana]

Outstanding!

[multibeard]

Surprizing -------NO

They couldn't sluff off the tracks this time. I knew it would take a trappers mistake to PROVE they were down here. I am just glad he didn't get prosecuted for killing what the DNR said wasn't here.

Do we need them down here--------NO

[wyle_e_coyote]

see how easy that was. See it, report it, dnr confrims it!!
Noowww, about those Couger sightings ! ?

[plugger]

Should our goal be to establish a healthy population in all areas of the state?

[Bwana]

Should our goal be to establish a healthy population in all areas of the state?
It might be better if the wolves stayed out of the cities and towns;) . Other than that I see no problems as I believe they once roamed the whole state.

[Ogre]

Wolves are wonderful in someone else's back yard. Now, when their in your backyard and you have no deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds, or wildlife of any sort you will realize that they are not so wonderful. When your little dog or pet rabbit turns up missing you won't be singing a lot of hosannas They are voracious killers so be careful about what you wish for and think is neat. I say let them roam the tundra and the remote mountains but touch my cattle, sheep, or domestic animals and it's the three "S's": shoot, shovel, and shut up. The tree huggers and PETA have made this critter their poster child but the truth is this killing machine does not mix well with in populated areas. This in my mind includes all of the lower and much of the upper peninsulas.

[SR-Mechead]

What good are they and what do they do that they are protected, Im not being a smart a!!,but if the deer herd is down and wolves are the killing machine that people make them out to be ,Then why protect them. Just a question?

[Skibum]

Anti's love them because if wolves and other predators can reduce big game herds enough the argument for hunters to manage game populations goes out the window. Look at the data on elk calf production in the Yellowstone area since the reintroduction of wolves.

Jeff

[Buddy Lee]

Wolves are wonderful in someone else's back yard. Now, when their in your backyard and you have no deer, squirrels, rabbits, birds, or wildlife of any sort you will realize that they are not so wonderful. When your little dog or pet rabbit turns up missing you won't be singing a lot of hosannas They are voracious killers so be careful about what you wish for and think is neat. I say let them roam the tundra and the remote mountains but touch my cattle, sheep, or domestic animals and it's the three "S's": shoot, shovel, and shut up. The tree huggers and PETA have made this critter their poster child but the truth is this killing machine does not mix well with in populated areas. This in my mind includes all of the lower and much of the upper peninsulas.

There is more misinformation and fear mongering about the wolf than any other animal on earth. Most of it is outlandish, and borderline ridiculous. Go ahead and label me an "anti" or "tree-hugger" or whatever you will, but this hatred of the wolf is stupid.

[Alibi]

There is more misinformation and fear mongering about the wolf than any other animal on earth. Most of it is outlandish, and borderline ridiculous. Go ahead and label me an "anti" or "tree-hugger" or whatever you will, but this hatred of the wolf is stupid.I'll agree with you on this one!

[Skibum]

I have no hatred for wolves. Like any species though their effect on an ecosystem needs to be taken into account. For the sake of argument let's say their population reaches a level where they are seriously impacting the number of deer in parts of the state? Think getting a season on them would be politically feasible?

Jeff

[plugger]

Wolves are realy cool, some where else, like the yukon. I wonder if the wolves are going to adapt to humans like the moutain lions in california, they now have city lions.

[SR-Mechead]

In the beginning of this tread it was said that the UP has 360 wolves. Hell I say lets protect the deer herd from White Cloud to the Lake county line for a couple of years. Eight points or better and no doe hunting. I know a lot of people that eat deer,but I do not know anyone who eats wolf. Yotes take out the weak deer in the lower (SO my question is what good are they.)

[Adam Waszak]

I think it is hard to comment on this issue because it is not in my backyard(yet) and I must say I would like to be able to see one someday but this population is growing and at some point it will need to be thinned a little. If the Dnr says there are 360 you better try again remember they said there were 1.75 million deer this year too byt that is another story. The fact is nobody knows how many there are but we better figure it out and keep them in check population wise. I know I wouldn't really want them on my property so I can't get mad at people in the UP who don't want them either.

AW

[Dave Lyons]

More to come:

Check out the links

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/news/1997/04/ADCMT.HTM
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/news/1997/04/ADCID.HTM
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/news/1997/04/ADCID.HTM

[Rudi's Dad]

If you think a population of wolves are cute, its one thing in the remote wildness of the U.P. but quite a different thing with big hungry flesh eaters roaming in the lower. I say if there are critters here that dont belong here they shouldnt be protected. Including cougars, assuming they really exist. FWIW, if there were any cougars here I beleive one would be shot (protected or not) or road killed by now.

[mondrella]

I have a hard time understanding why some think that the wolves are so great. Here is a animal that covers huge areas of ground and very territorial. The LP is to populated of an area to have them. You do not have to go far down the road in any direction to come across someones home or farm. Who is going to pay for the damage to personnel property be it some farmers cow or the Neighbors bird dog they let out in the morning. Like it or not wolves and any big carnivore is going to figure out in a short time what is easy meal. That time it takes for them to figure that out gets shorter and shorter as they move into more populated areas. You take a look at how many ranchers out west report damage now and I would bet it is a small percentage of the damage done. Many would just handle the problem themselves and no one is the wiser. The ones I have met are very self-reliant to fix any problems they have. I have seen many times on this site already where people have referenced how the locals in the UP are handling the wolves up there. Just how many of those folks know to keep thier mouth shut and are already doing thier own damage control? It is much higher than what people think.
If you want to see wolves take a trip to northern Alberta to the big bush. I guess there was a reason why they were eradicated from the lower 48 as it was settled. In fact they have suffered the same fate around the world since the beginning of modern civilization. They have thier place in the world. I just don't think this part of the country is truely conducive with a wolves natural habits.

[Bwana]

There is more misinformation and fear mongering about the wolf than any other animal on earth. Most of it is outlandish, and borderline ridiculous. Go ahead and label me an "anti" or "tree-hugger" or whatever you will, but this hatred of the wolf is stupid.
I agree with Buddy on this. And if you check our posting history in the political section you will see that buddy and I do not agree on much :evil:.

[Bwana]

I say if there are critters here that dont belong here they shouldnt be protected. Including cougars, assuming they really exist.
Wolves don't belong here? You have got to be kidding right. There territory was the U.P. and L.P. in regards to Michigan, long before we got here.

The wolf is a legimate game animal and should eventually be treated as such.

[AceMcbanon]

Great program on pbc here tonight about the grey wolf, Hopefully you can see it downstate too eventually, it was filmed here in the UP.

Sent a strong message that this is a natural animal and that we were responsible for exterminating it as well as michigans once great forests, and now that through conservation the wolves and forests have rebounded. And that down the line hunters can help control the population and make wolves as prized as bears are now through a lottery. Takes a great example as how bears went from a nuisance species to prized species through a hunting lottery.

I have the greatest respect for the enviroment and wish for it to be as natural as possible since we have invaded and destroyed it.

[Skibum]

We have not destroyed the enviroment. Changed it certainly and that is the problem. It's fine to conjour up warm fuzzy feelings about what Michigan was like before settlement. Reality is that is no longer the case. Wildlife management needs to be looked at in the context of the present, not some romantized notion of the past. The changes have been good for some species, deer and turkeys for example, and detrimental to others such as wolves. I have nothing against wolves not do I want them eradicated from the face of the earth. We need to think long and hard though about the implications and potential conflicts that expanding wolf populations bring. People fit into the equation as well.

Jeff

[Bwana]

And that down the line hunters can help control the population and make wolves as prized as bears are now through a lottery. Takes a great example as how bears went from a nuisance species to prized species through a hunting lottery.
Exactly.

[gypsykb]

5 years ago I was in my tree stand bow hunting when I heard a noise of something running in from behind me. The noise I heard turned out to be a wolf on the run. It stopped directly under my stand for a very breif moment then took off on the run again. It stopped just long enough for me to get a very detailed look at it and a good judgement of is size. When I returned to camp nobody beleived what I had seen and all figured I was out of my mind. I will always maiintain what i had below me was a wolf and will never change my mind for any reason. I hunt in thge Hubbard Lake area, now years later others have indicated that they as well have seen wolf in this area. Thanks for somebody finally acknowledging that these animals do exist in the northern lower.

[hofstet]

I'm getting tired of reading how the wolves eat all the deer. Hell, in Michigan you can shoot what........5-6 deer legally during the season??
Add another 75,000 - 80,000 reported vehicle/deer fatalities(how many more are killed that are not reported, plus add to thsat the poaching) and we're worried about the sick and malnourished deer that the wolves eat!
Ridiculous!
I'm a hunter and not a tree hugging PETA member, but I respect ALL the animals in the woods, not just the ones that I want to hunt for food, or sport.
If we're so concerned about our deer herd then why is baiting still allowed? Even in small quantities, it's been proven that there's a direct correlation between the baiting and Bovine Tuberculosis.