Well, It’s not exactly a ban. It is a five-year moratorium on recreational wolf hunting and trapping. Sen. Chris Eaton of Brooklyn Center has authored a bill to reinstate the five-year wait. According to Ed Boggess of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, they did not do an actual count prior to the hunt. He said it would have been a better option; however, they plan to do a wolf count now. Mr. Boggess didn’t feel the wolf hunt threatened the population. The DNR’s management of the deer population was used as an example of their excellent management skills. Absolutely no mention was made regarding the moose population. In this case, the moose population has and is falling at a rapid rate. Now the DNR decided to cancel the moose hunt. Why wasn’t this done sooner? Why did they wait for the population to hit a fragile state before canceling the hunt?

The moratorium would not stop farmers and ranchers from killing wolves that threaten their livestock. That is separate altogether. We are talking recreational hunting and trapping.

Back to the bill. Once this bill is introduced, it will need to be heard by the Senate Environmental and Energy Committee. Please look up and contact members of the committee for their support. Please thank Sen. Chris Eaton and the co-authors of this bill for their leadership on this issue and encourage them to advocate for the passage of this bill into law.

Currently, there is no companion bill in the House of Representatives. Contact your representatives and ask them to author or co-author a House version. A companion bill is necessary. Your representatives need your encouragement and support. Also, contact your district senators. Let them know this issue matters. Ask them to support this bill.

Time is of the essence. Bills only have so much time to work through the legislative process. If they do not move, it’s like being in a massive traffic jam. You just don’t get anywhere — on time.

 

Shirley Taggart
Faribault