Wolf killed near Grand Marais on first day of Minnesota hunt
November 3, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
Lyle Wilson of Pine Island, Minn., became one of the first hunters in Minnesota to register a wolf on Saturday, opening day of Minnesota’s first managed wolf hunt. Wilson registered his wolf at Buck’s Hardware Hank in Grand Marais late Saturday afternoon.
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Wait until our best and brightest show up on Youtube taunting a live wolf caught in their foot trap. That’ll sure put Minnesota on the map.
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If you don’t like trapping wolves, you should be in favor of the hunt. What happens with no hunt is the animal control guy comes in and traps the problem ones. The hunt should result in fewer problem wolves and thus, less trapping.
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So you think this wolf taken “25 miles northwest of Grand Marais” is a problem wolf? Not a lot of livestock up there I don’t think. This is exactly the kind of wolf hunting that serves no purpose other than blood lust.
If you want to reduce depredation, removing wolves has to be done in the immediate area the depredation took place, b y removing the problem animals. Removing animals that are not problems does nothing to reduce problems, and it could increase problems by disrupting the pack’s ability to hunt wild prey successfully.
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Such a news worthy item. I just wonder how people get off hunting an animal that the states almost eradicated. Deer hunting I can understand but wolf hunting I cant. Just for the pleasure I guess. Oh to be so proud.
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The decision to trophy hunt wolves is not based on science nor were the previously agreed to regulations followed after the wolf was delisted. People agree that when hunters and environmentalists work together that the best outcome is achieved for both parties. Fracturing the alliance between responsible hunters and responsible environmentalists is a huge mistake, and this politically driven decision to hunt wolves is straining relations and jeopardizing the future working relationship.
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Nice article, it’s about time we quit talking about the tree huggin yuppies that should move to California and do the people that actually know what we’re talking about a favor.
Good luck everyone in the woods
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You’re the one who is scared of the wolves sniffing around your basement windows, aren’t you?
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When the rest of the state, from a line east to west, from Duluth down, have to follow the same
“wolf protection” laws, that were put on the people up here north of that line….then there is room for talking about how nasty a hunt on them is. When south of that line, the communities, towns and cities, restore and protect their own wolf packs within their own areas….there will be better understanding between everyone involved, hunter and protectors alike.
The natural range of the wolf in Minnesota is the WHOLE state of Minnesota, which includes the entire twin cities area. If people truely want to protect the wolves, they need to look at the aspect of restoring them to their own areas of the state first. IT CAN BE DONE. Places like Bloomington along the river bottoms are overpopulated with deer, as well as places like Woodbury and Stillwater. There are vast areas of open space, parkland, and all interconnected with trailways. The packs could travel easily between all of them, not bothering a soul while they naturally hunt in the range they used to always have. It`s a very simple solution, that will allow the wolf protectors and lovers of this majestic animal to do it right, where they themselves live. It`s time to restore the wolf back into it`s full and natural range within the entire state of Minnesota my friends….It`s time!
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32 on the first day proves to me that there is a fair size number of wolves running loose.
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This is redneck biology, like “My buddies and I say there are a lot more than 3000 wolves in the state”. It sounds good to people whose minds can’t be swayed by scientific research and facts.
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I don’t have the credentials to manage the wolf population in the state. I leave it to the DNR and let them do their job. I’m sure they don’t take the hunting of wolves lightly.
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“baiting” to me is not “hunting”- in any sport- call it harvesting. Hunting to me is looking for trails, signs, and stalking the prey. Shooting an animal at a bait takes no “hunting” skills.
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You are correct, it should be called killing, not hunting. When you lead a steer to slaughter, you are not hunting it. Baiting is about the same as leading ……….
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Judas Goat = Bait
“A Judas goat is a trained goat used at a slaughterhouse and in general animal herding.”
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On the edge of town in Ely, I see, awake darn near everynight to wolves.
When they attack, and kill pets close to town, they should be controlled.
I see them almost daily cruising their routes, great, there is a day-care near me.
One of these day’s, there will be an incident with an innocent child.
Same with black bears, nothing but dangerous pests near town.
GB
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And how are the pets being controlled by their owners? Leaving them tied up or running loose all day/night in known wolf country? Most pet kills are owner problems, not wolf problems. I love dogs. I won’t leave my dog to run free, and I won’t leave him tied up for a long time when I Ieave because that would leave him vulnerable. But it’s much easier to blame it on wolves, instead of taking simple, proven steps to protect pets.
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Some have been taken right from leashes in their owners hands, some are taken because the pet is on a chain to keep it restrained [get targets and easy pray for a wolf], and some are taken right out of the yards they are in. some are taken because they wander beyond their yards. On of my neighbors lost one that was next to his open garage door where he was sanding wood for a cabnet..the dog snatched within 4 feet of whwere he was standing.
Not everything is as simple as you people make it out to be.
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What do you mean “you people”? I’m a long time rural northern MN resident. You act as if only people who are frightened by wolves are “true residents”. I live with wolves just like many of you. I’ve lived on the outskirts of Ely. I’ve had wolves in my driveway where I live now. I’ve had them walk down the street 20 feet from my dog, so I live with these animals too. I’m just not paranoid about them. And thats not to say they wont kill dogs, they will. Some of my neighbors have had dogs killed, not only by wolves but by cars, buses, plows angry hunters…because they don’t care for them. 8 of 10 dog owners where I live leave their dogs out to roam 90% of the time. This is pretty similar to other places I’ve lived in MN, including Ely.
But frankly, I don’t believe some of these anecdotes. Taken from leashes in their owner’s hands? I do hope they reported this and had it investigated so we can see proof of this rather incredulous claim. I suspect this is pure nonsense.
How would I explain a pet loss to a child? I’d say wolves can be dangerous to pets and daddy didn’t keep an eye on Fluffy so wolves killed it, and daddy’s real sorry and will try to do better next time. And if there was a wolf between my child and the bus stop I would supervise them and teach them how to behave and how not to behave around a wolf,-or a bear, or a raccoon, or a skunk, a strange dog. But I’m not opposed to removing wolves that are habituated to humans. That is what we should be doing. But we cant be letting frantic misinformed individuals decide which ones are habituated, and hunting outside problem areas does nothing to address problem animals.
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Does the playground in Winton have a fence around it? NO- those kids are as vulnerable as the pets.
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Might as well save you breath GB. Because those that do not live with the problems we do, and do not have wolf packs anywhere in their neighborhoods, AND do not have the same rules and regulations put on them like the northern 1/4 of this state, and yet will not support returning the wolf to is full and natural range….will never get it. All one has to do is read these postings, to know how lost in the fog they are on the subject.
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I understand hunting for food — deer, ducks, turkeys, etc. but hunting wolves is nothing but killing for the sake of killing. Taking out the wolves will probably bring a huge amount of rabbits in a couple of years. Nature will balance things very well if she is allowed to do so.
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I saw a rabbit the other day on Spruce Road- haven’t see a rabbit for years. Maybe they are anticipating their safety now and are starting to send observers to see how safe it is to come out of hiding.
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Did you ever stop to wonder why you haven’t seen a rabbit in a long while? Maybe…just maybe…the wolves ate them. Just sayin’.
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Kayak man, I”m just guessing, but I can think of 50 pets in the Ely area taken
out by wolves in the last decade.
I believe most owners of loveable household pets, don’t leave them for wolfbait and
vulnerable!
How can you explain to a child, I let poor Cassie out for a minute, and now she’s
a meal . How do explain to a child on the way to the bus, there’s a wolf between you and school?
I live/work outside everynight, and these critters near town are fearless, they just are looking for a dinner. I scare their sorry hides, but they come back!
I agree in the wilderness they ought be left alone, but in agriculture, populated area,
they ought to be controlled.
my thoughts,
GB
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And what do you define as “wilderness”? The BWCA, which was about the only place they occurred when they were listed? I often hear people say “I don’t want them exterminated” but what they really mean is “I don’t want to see any either” which is pretty much the same thing.
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This is a “Howling” conversation, and I predict no winner!
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