MN Governor Candidates' Respond to Wolf Questions

Erin Murphy

Do you support an automatic wolf trophy hunt in in Minnesota? A wolf hunting and trapping season remains in Minnesota state law and would automatically go into effect if federal Endangered Species Act protections are removed.

I don’t support an automatic wolf trophy hunt in MN. I would support working with the legislature to delay or repeal a hunt if federal law changes and impacts state regulations.

Do you support trapping reforms to eliminate snaring - a type of trapping that uses cheap wire nooses to catch animals? Snares kill non-targeted animals, including dogs, pheasants, wolves, moose, lynx, and songbirds. They’re meant to choke the animal to death, but often grab other body parts creating amputations, disembowelment, and fatal disabilities. Twenty (20) states have effectively eliminated the recreational use of snares because it is a non-targeted and cruel method of killing wild animals.

I would support eliminating snaring as currently practiced, yes. When I’ve discussed this issue with Minnesotans it is usually in the context of someone having a rightful concern about the potential impact on their pet, and it isn’t something I’ve heard advocated for, we should follow other states’ leads.

Do you support requiring written permission to trap on private property? Howling For Wolves seeks to have Minnesota join 22 other states that support private property owners and stronger requirements to obtain clear, written permission from a landowner to set traps on someone’s private property. Current Minnesota law allows trappers to set traps on private property without the landowner’s permission, unless it is agricultural land or adequately posted that trespass is prohibited. Wisconsin has required landowner permission to hunt/trap since 1995.

I do. I don’t believe hunting or trapping should be allowed on private land without the landowner’s permission. Doing so is dangerous to both humans and pets, and in my opinion violates people’s privacy and should be considered to be trespassing.

Do you support renewing state funding to help farmers, wolves, and communities coexist by supporting smart and nonlethal strategies that prevent conflicts? Reducing predation on livestock and supporting farmers/ranchers is a shared goal of Howling For Wolves with the agriculture community. Nonlethal methods are currently funded by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture — such as the use of guard animals, fences, lights, & carcass removal — and reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.

I do support renewing funding for this, yes.