Howling For Wolves

Please consider a donation to Howling For Wolves as we aim to #BanWolfHunting in Minnesota once and for all in 2024! Here’s how we use your donation: Support Nonlethal Coexistence with Ranchers: In addition to a government-funded reimbursement for predator-related loss of livestock, Howling For Wolves compensates ranchers through our Wolf Forgiveness Bonus Program in exchange for the promise that the suspected wolf or wolves will not be tracked down and harmed in any way. Holding Agencies Accountable: We track state and federal agencies like Minnesota DNR and USFWS, ensuring they follow policy and advocate for these agencies to prioritize wolf protection. We create platforms for constituents to easily get in touch with their legislators and government agencies to howl for wolves. Spreading Awareness: Our billboard and radio campaign highlights the positive impact of wolves on biodiversity and our wild places. We work to inform folks of wolves’ important role in ecosystems and to drive action to protect wolves. Donate now to help safeguard our wolves for generations to come at HowlingForWolves.org/

With the decrease in deer sightings and harvests, the new group Hunters for Hunters has sparked controversy falsely blaming wolf predation for the impact on the deer population. An article in Pine Knot News (linked below), interviews Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' wildlife section manager Kelly Straka. Straka, a hunter, expresses concern about the spread of misinformation and animosity fueling the current uproar. She points out that factors like severe winters and habitat issues are negatively affecting deer populations— an argument supported by biologists. Straka debunks claims made by Hunters for Hunters including the idea that the DNR does not support delisting wolves— it does. While the DNR may take a more tempered approach to wildlife management, we cannot forget that wolf hunting will be back on the table as soon as Minnesota wolves lose federal protections. Minnesota wolf advocates, we need your voice now more than ever. Join us in our efforts to #BanWolfHunting for good. https://lnkd.in/gwjPU-ZN

In a recent blog, Howling For Wolves founder, Dr. Maureen Hackett, points out that the data does not support the argument that more wolves equal less deer. In the last ten years, 2017 saw the highest deer harvest with 197,778 deer harvested; this same year, was the highest wolf numbers have been estimated in the past ten years (2,856). And while the pendulum of the deer harvest has swung nearly 60,000 deer in the last 10 years, the wolf population has remained relatively flat if not declining by comparison. In fact, the worst deer harvest in this time was in 2014, a year where wolf hunting was legal and saw a significant number of wolf deaths at the hands of humans.

Wolves may not be allowed to be hunted now, but that does not mean that they are safe indefinitely. When wolves were first delisted from the Endangered Species List in Minnesota in 2012, over 700 wolves were killed in one year by hunters and wildlife services. Our chance to ensure that this never happens again is now.

Minnesotan wolf advocates: join us for Wolf Day 2023 on April 17 and tell your legislators that the time is now to ban wolf hunting and trapping for good. Register today— we will be providing a light lunch, talking points and prep materials. https://lnkd.in/gaNknF8D

In a new blog, Howling For Wolves' founder Maureen Hackett, addresses claims made by the new, self-proclaimed “hunting advocacy” group, “Hunters For Hunters.” The data and science don’t support their position. Did you know that in the last ten years, the year with the highest deer harvest in Minnesota (2017, 197,778 deer harvested) was also the year with the largest wolf population in the same time period? Wolves are known to keep ungulate herds healthy and they help to control the spread of disease like Chronic Wasting Disease. Yes, the deer harvest was lackluster but biologists and state agencies say that weather, not wolves, are to blame. Read more below! https://lnkd.in/gw4JA2Ev

For too long, hunting has been the default method of wolf ‘management’ in Minnesota and across the country. Studies have shown that not only can wolf hunting not be controlled but it is ineffective at reducing conflict with livestock. It is time that the state of Minnesota set the example for the rest of the country by adopting a nonlethal first approach to the stewardship of wolves and other predators.

https://lnkd.in/gddjCJVC

Due to federal protections being restored by a federal judge in February 2022, Minnesota wolves cannot currently be hunted. However, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources intends to hold a wolf hunt once our state’s wolves lose those protections. A recent peer reviewed paper showed that wolves continued to be killed illegally long after the legal wolf hunts ended. In other words, wolf hunts simply cannot be controlled. Right now, wolves in our region are under attack in Congress. We need to let our lawmakers know that federal protections need to be strengthened, not eliminated. Take action at https://lnkd.in/gZ89hhrG and raise your voice to #BanWolfHunting.

Sign up now for the 2024 Wolf Day at the Capitol on April 17th. #WolfDay is our chance to tell our lawmakers to #BanWolfHunting and trapping in Minnesota. Together, we will advocate to remove wolf hunting from state law to prevent wolf hunts when wolves eventually lose federal protections. The time is now to #KeepThePacksIntact. Register now at https://lnkd.in/gpef_KMA