Minn. DNR: Fewer Wolves Shot For Predator Control

[BuckSutherland]

Quote:

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota wildlife managers say fewer wolves are being shot or trapped for predator control.

Department of Natural Resources wolf specialist Dan Stark told a legislative hearing Tuesday the number of wolves killed because they were preying on livestock fell from 295 in 2012 to 127 last year.

Stark attributed the decline to the mild winter of 2011-12. He says wolf depredation on livestock tends to increase during mild winters that make it harder for wolves to hunt deer.

The hearing room was packed with opponents who want the state to suspend wolf hunting and trapping, which resumed in 2012. Opponents questioned the accuracy of the state’s estimate of the wolf population of 2,211 as of last winter.

Minnesota hunters and trappers killed 413 wolves in 2012 and 237 last year.

Does this mean they think the wolves are doing a great job of killing deer this year with the deeper snow and harsh winter?

[Todd Caswell]

Sounds like there most likely feeding on what they should be feeding on, rather than creating problems with livestock.

[Musky Buck]

Many livestock people I know sold a heck of a lot of their herd this fall knowing what feed prices were looking like so many pastures/places that were easier for a wolf to check out aren't there like my neighbors only have a herd right up by their buildings anymore, few years ago they had 3-4 herds spread out making it easier for wolves to do their thing. Now if we can no quota south of US HWY 10 my wish would be granted. What is the wolf goal ? To establish packs in the non-wolf range or expand their range or what ? They've already done that to an extent Why is there a bear no quota ? I don't get how they don't seem to care about deer or moose meaning the wolf lovers, in this economy and propane over 5 a gallon I think deer in our stomachs is better than deer in a wolf's.

[Todd Caswell]

Many livestock people I know sold a heck of a lot of their herd this fall knowing what feed prices were looking like so many pastures/places that were easier for a wolf to check out aren't there like my neighbors only have a herd right up by their buildings anymore, few years ago they had 3-4 herds spread out making it easier for wolves to do their thing. Now if we can no quota south of US HWY 10 my wish would be granted. What is the wolf goal ? To establish packs in the non-wolf range or expand their range or what ? They've already done that to an extent Why is there a bear no quota ? I don't get how they don't seem to care about deer or moose meaning the wolf lovers, in this economy and propane over 5 a gallon I think deer in our stomachs is better than deer in a wolf's.

Man you are all over the place on this one, from wolves to deer to bears to propane, and the economy

[BuckSutherland]

Sounds like there most likely feeding on what they should be feeding on, rather than creating problems with livestock.

They should be takin dirt naps and not feeding on anything.

[tfran123]

Yes - waaayyy too many wolves in this state. They are out there making a huge dent now, no doubt.

[Ufatz]

I believe Todd C. is correct; the wolves are feeding on their natural prey and thus not creating a problem with domestic stock.

Things are in balance.

The wolf is the pack;the pack is the wolf.

[walleye18]

Yeah...they are feeding on animals all right.

Talk to the wife's relatives west of Pequot Lakes and west of Pine River who have cattle.

Its easy picking for the wolves. They have been wreaking havoc on the cattle/calves in that area for the last 10 plus years. Nothing has changed. Wolves, wolves and wolves...oh yeah, forgot...there was a horse that got a little chewed up from a mountain lion (confirmed from the local CO - but we dont have those in Minnesota - right?

Not saying they all have to go...but the wolves need to be put in a balance.

Wolves like all predators will go for the easiest prey.

[BuckSutherland]

oh yeah, forgot...there was a horse that got a little chewed up from a mountain lion (confirmed from the local CO - but we dont have those in Minnesota - right?

Not saying they all have to go...but the wolves need to be put in a balance.

When i was up north for deer hunting I was talking to a fella and he told me there was a mountain lion captured on a trail camera just north of Remer by Little Sand lake.

[mntatonka]

there's mountain lions all over the state, the DNR just won't admit it. They've been seen near Winona multiple times, and there have been multiple deer over the last few years that were dragged into a tree and eaten.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

there's mountain lions all over the state, the DNR just won't admit it.

Where does this fallacy spawn from?

I've read multiple quotes from various DNR reps confirming we have lions in the state, they just don't believe there is a breeding population of them. They say they are mostly males migrating in from the Dakotas looking for food and love (in all the wrong places).

Whether or not there are breeding pairs in MN is something there has been no proof of yet. Anyone see or capture pics of a female with kittens, yet? Neither has the State.....

[Todd Caswell]

there's mountain lions all over the state, the DNR just won't admit it. They've been seen near Winona multiple times, and there have been multiple deer over the last few years that were dragged into a tree and eaten.

No that was Bigfoot

[Todd Caswell]

Quote:

When i was up north for deer hunting I was talking to a fella and he told me there was a mountain lion captured on a trail camera just north of Remer by Little Sand lake.

And on the wolves, you are wrong. They all need to go. SSS.

Could you elaborate as to why they all need to go? Can't wait to hear your in depth response.

Do they need to be regulated in some areas? Sure if there causing problems with livestock they should be dealt with, I do believe farmers get reimbursed for damages to stock. Should they be eliminated, no that thought process is very shallow and narrow minded.

Last Spring I was out shooting waterfowl images on the Mississippi near my home town of Brainerd, there was a Bay on the far side that I couldn't see the back corner of but knew there were a bunch of geese sitting on the ice back there, the geese started making a fuss and I figured a fox or coyote was trying to put the sneak on them, ( seen a fox cross the bay the day befor) nope 2 female wolves came around the corner and down the shoreline towards me but on the far bank, about the time they got even with me I heard a howl from a different bay to the right of me, both females stopped in there tracks and headed back the way they had come, they wolf on the ice was a big male and was howling the entire way, he continued to work in the direction of the two females that now were sitting and waiting on the back side of an island, took me a bit to figure out what they were doing but they were hunting, he was making a drive for them. This all took about 15 minutes, it was a very neat experience, it's a shame there are people out there like yourself that feel they should be eliminated and rob me of the experience.

[Slabasaurus]

Where does this fallacy spawn from?

There's a very large population of DNR haters here on HSO due to the fact they are a government entity and therefore are inherently evil, and lie to us all the time.

I'll save the issues on lack of logic because that's more a problem with the USA as a whole, not isolated to HSO by any means. But that's were you get a statement of "No breeding pairs" in mn to mean "There ain't no cougars here the dnr says, but I saw one last week! LIARS!"

Now back onto wolves... Makes sense to me that if during a heavy snow year a predator's natural prey (deer) had issues fleeing that wolves would likely be taking less prey that's not typical for them (grandmas cattle).

[Recon]

+1

Cool pics and story!

[brittman]

Professional wolf trappers should have less work with two DNR seasons now completed. Why pay for wolve control when hunters will pay for the chance ?

One would expect hunters to take wolves along the edges of their habitat and not deep in their home range. Typically hunters take the isolated, the young and the weak because they make themselves more visible/vulnerable. Should help the ranchers.

Delisting wolves probably also means that a rancher can now shoot the problem wolf themselves without much risk of prosecution. Maybe not so true when endangered or threatened.

The lion population is stable in Western NE, SD Black Hills and ND badlands. All three states have a season. Plenty of young male lions are moving through Minnesota. A healthy adult male lion will not tolerate young male lions in their territory.

The literature I have read also states or claims a pack of wolves do not tolerate lions in their home range. Lions in the Yellowstone region are changing their behavior patterns. Just think of that part of the country. Grizz, lions, and wolves.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Just think of that part of the country. Grizz, lions, and wolves.

O....M....G!!!! Maybe we should nuke it? Afterall they'z eatin' allz my cattle and eklz!

[tacklejunkie]

The literature I have read also states or claims a pack of wolves do not tolerate lions in their home range. Lions in the Yellowstone region are changing their behavior patterns.

Really? Do the wolves kill the lions? It seems a Mt Lion wouldn't go down too easy even against a pack. How are the lions changing their behavior patterns?

[upnorthozzy]

Hey Todd no one is trying to take the experience from you , I used to live in Brainerd too. I have been living in Beltrami county now for 20 plus years and have seen ups and downs in our deer herd mainly weather related. The truth is though that I know a number of fairly observant hunters that hunt from Bemidji and north and the one thing they all have in common is that wolf sightings have gone way up and deer sightings are getting to be less every year. I consider my self a sportsman as well as an outdoorsman. The truth is however that deer and deer hunters are a huge financial boom for our state while wolves do not contribute nearly as much. I have an 8 year old daughter who loves to go out in the woods with me and has seen more wolves than I did in my first 35 years of life. I also know old timers up here who have tried there best to eradicate the wolf all there lives and yet they could not do it. I myself this year had wolves move in to the area I hunt and did not see a deer in there for 7 days. I am trying to get my daughter involved in hunting as hunter numbers are decreasing. It is very hard to get my kid out there when you sit for 6 days to see a deer, less than 5 years ago in the same area it was a bad day if you did not see at least a deer. I have other friends thathunt in the Northhome area with very similar problems. Here in Bemidji most people are in favor of reducing there numbers especially when they are being seen with regularity within 5 miles of town. I had a friend that lost his 5 year old lab to them 4 miles north of Bemidji. The problem is that those that want to stop wolf hunting are much more vocal than those of us who would like to see there numbers controlled.

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Ozzy,

I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone on this site that doesn't feel the wolf population should be trimmed back a bit and managed. It's the knucklehead's out there that want them eradicated that some of the posters here have the issue with.

[upnorthozzy]

Hey Drifter thx for the response I hope i did not come off as a wolf hater I am 100% for control, not total eradication.

[Todd Caswell]

Hey Drifter thx for the response I hope i did not come off as a wolf hater I am 100% for control, not total eradication.

Thats how I took you as well, like "most" of us, what people like the original poster don't realise is they are as much of the problem for finding a sensible sulution as the people on the other end of the spectrum. When they come on hunting and fishing site like this and make comments like

They should be takin dirt naps and not feeding on anything.

OR

And on the wolves, you are wrong. They all need to go. SSS.

Which I see he deleted from his post, it only feeds fuel to the fire, and makes the people in the middle look bad..

[tacklejunkie]

Delisting the timber wolf and allowing the state to mange them was the right thing to do. I, like others, believe they are an important part of the ecosystem here in N Minnesota but they will need to be managed from time to time. For those who believe they should be eradicated, keep in mind that the wolf is native to Minn. In fact, probably more so that White Tailed deer

I personally could never hunt a wolf but do not oppose a hunting season on them

[laker1]

Moderation is the best way to go,it seems like sometimes the extremes on both sides is all you hear jumping up and down,and the elements on the extremes know less about the truth than anybody.

Also I wonder if the wolf numbers is the reason why we have one of the most disease free whitetail herds in the nation. It doesn't hurt.

Yes have a wolf season like we are for maybe years,than with data present we may be able to up the quota than.

[brittman]

Really? Do the wolves kill the lions? It seems a Mt Lion wouldn't go down too easy even against a pack. How are the lions changing their behavior patterns?

I doubt it gets to that. The lion is outnumbered and knows it. Lion can go vertical more easily than the wolf.