Press Release: Coalition Urges Governor Dayton to Suspend 2013 Wolf Hunt, Launches Petition Drive

Coalition Urges Governor Dayton to Suspend 2013 Wolf Hunt, Launches Petition Drive

ST. PAUL (Aug. 14, 2013) – A broad group of wolf advocates, wildlife enthusiasts and hunters today launched a statewide petition asking Governor Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to suspend the 2013 wolf hunt set to open November 9. The coalition hopes to gather more than 50,000 signatures in the coming weeks and present the petition to Governor Dayton.

According to a May 2012 DNR survey, a majority of Minnesotans do not want wolves hunted and oppose the cruel measures used to hunt them. The survey found that 79 percent of respondents, including hunters, opposed shooting, trapping and snaring wolves.

The effort to suspend the hunt is also supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club North Star Chapter, The Humane Society of the United States, Minnesota Humane Society and Minnesota Voters for Animal Protection.

Following the first managed wolf hunting and trapping season in 2012 since the wolf was removed from the endangered species list, one in four wolves was killed by hunting and trapping. After a single hunting season, Minnesota’s wolf population is at the lowest level since 1988.

“The degree of uncertainty surrounding the exact population of the wolf is alarming which is why our coalition is urging a suspension of the planned wolf hunt,” said Maureen Hackett, M.D., founder and president of Howling for Wolves. “Even the DNR has stated that they do not yet know the full effects of last year’s wolf hunt. In fact, the DNR acknowledged the wolf population is well below survey estimates when it reduced the wolf harvest limit by nearly 50 percent.”

“The current wolf hunting and trapping season does not support the long-term survival of the wolf in Minnesota. Wolves are vital to the delicate balance of the ecosystem and are an important symbol of our state. We need to act as stewards of our state’s wildlife and protect our wolf population for future generations,” said Keith Blomstrom, a grouse hunter and volunteer with the National Wildlife Foundation.

“From 2008-2013, Minnesota’s wolf population experienced a 24 percent decline. If the state moves forward with a hunt that kills wolves, the wolf’s ability to reproduce might dramatically be reduced, further weakening population numbers,” said Howard Goldman, Minnesota senior state director of The Humane Society of the United States.

To sign the petition, visit http://www.howlingforwolves.org/letter. Howling for Wolves will also be collecting signatures at the Pet Center at the State Fair. Visitors are encouraged to show their support and gather more information at the booth. 

About Howling for Wolves
Howling for Wolves (HFW) is a wolf advocacy organization that aims to educate the public and policymakers about wolves to foster understanding and tolerance, and to ensure their long-term survival in Minnesota. HFW seeks innovative non-lethal solutions for conflict prevention and coexistence where wolves are perceived to be a threat. HFW current efforts are focused on Minnesota’s gray wolf population, which is the largest and only original wolf population remaining in the lower 48 states.

Contact: Maureen Hackett, M.D.
Howling for Wolves
(612) 250-5915
hackett@howlingforwolves.org

Elizabeth Kitt
Tunheim
(952) 851-7225
ekitt@tunheim.com