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AP file
This image provided by the National Park Service shows a gray wolf in the wild.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Humane Society of the United States and other animal welfare groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday to restore federal protections for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region that were lifted last year.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the District of Columbia against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its parent agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, said the decision to take wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan off the endangered list threatens the animals' recovery throughout most of their historic range. At one time, the animals roamed nearly all of North America.
The Humane Society of the United States provided a copy of the lawsuit to The Associated Press before its public announcement. The other plaintiffs include Born Free USA, Help Our Wolves Live and Friends of Animals and Their Environment.
Hunters and trappers in Minnesota and Wisconsin killed 530 wolves combined during those states' recently concluded seasons — 413 in Minnesota and 117 in Wisconsin. The Michigan Legislature voted in December to authorize wolf hunting, which could resume as early as this fall if the state's Natural Resources Commission approves.
"In the short time since federal protections have been removed, trophy hunters and trappers have killed hundreds of Great Lakes wolves under hostile state management programs that encourage dramatic reductions in wolf populations," Jonathan Lovvorn, chief counsel for animal protection litigation at the HSUS, said in a statement. "This decision rolls back the only line of defense for wolf populations, and paves the way for the same state-sponsored eradication policies that pushed this species to the brink of extinction in the first place."
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswomen did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment, nor did officials with the Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan Departments of Natural Resources.
It's been more than 40 years since the federal government imposed protections to prevent wolves from going extinct in the lower 48 states. Gray wolves recovered to more than 4,000 combined in the western Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountain states by the time the government took them off the list in those areas in January 2012. That action followed several years of court battles and turned responsibility for managing their populations back to the states.
The latest lawsuit calls the Fish and Wildlife Service's 2011 decision to take wolves off the list "biologically reckless" and contrary to the Endangered Species Act. It says "the existing regulatory mechanisms in the Great Lakes region are anything but adequate," and that allowing hunting and trapping in the western Great Lakes when wolves don't exist in 95 percent of their former range runs counter to the goals of the act.
Minnesota had an estimated 3,000 wolves before they came of the endangered list, while Wisconsin and Michigan had about 850 and 700. The three states' management plans would allow a 50 percent decline in the region's population if hunting and trapping took it down to the minimum levels allowed under their plans, the lawsuit says.
"This drastic population decline would not only threaten the Great Lakes population, but it would prevent this population from serving as a source of dispersing wolves that could repopulate unoccupied portions of the wolf's range," the lawsuit says.
Environmentalists also have gone to court to try to restore federal protections to wolves in Wyoming.
Wildlife managers predicted before the inaugural seasons in Minnesota and Wisconsin that hunters would face stiff challenges in bagging the wary predators. It turned out not to be quite as difficult as expected. Minnesota and Wisconsin slightly exceeded their hunting-and-trapping targets of 400 and 116, respectively, but officials said those were just goals, not firm quotas, so exceeding them was not cause for concern.
Jayne Belsky / AP file
In this photo provided by Jayne Belsky via the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a gray wolf is seen roaming a wooded area near Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
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These wolves eat livestock of hard working farmers, until they stop doing that, they need to be hunted. I do not feel sorry for animals that do this kind of damage to the economy. They should be classed as a pest, and dispatched... We have dogs, we don't need wolves.
your theory is flawed because there's not a whole lot of ranching going on in the great lakes region
too many people raising livestock where they dont belong how about open season on people
Livestock losses a just a cost of business. Buy some great pyr dogs and get over it.
There are a lot of farmers in the Midwest raising cattle, hogs, sheep, and other livestock. There is no reason to put wolves on the endangered list, there are more of them than there should be and they need to be managed like everything else.
Ignorant groups with agendas and their frivilous lawsuits should be completely ignored on this issue.
You're a sick bastard, you know that? I wish it was legal to hunt idiots like you. Humanity encroached on their population and tried to wipe them out. Humans are the pests, not the other way around.
Most farmers/ranchers has insurance on their livestock and crops. If a wolf kills a cow, they can file an insurance claim.
chris150 your theory is not only flawed it is wrong. ranchers are 100% re-imbursed when proven that a wolf killed livestock. dogs kill more livestock then wolves. ignorance and lies are being spread by the wolf-haters and hunters and trappers. trappers make their living off of killing and skinning wild animals that should be left alone to live their lives. trappers and trophy hunters are repulsive.
irrert, 100% correct. When I lived for a few years in NM, the Ranchers there, a politically powerful group since before it became a State, were (and are still) well known for putting in a Federal claim for every cattle death as a "wolf kill". They make huge amounts of money, and brag about it. Now that there are almost no wolves left in NM (in AZ, where the recovery attempt is also going on, lacking a powerful ranching lobby has had much more success w/o as much graft), they are desperate to find some way to get money for natural deaths, since too few wolves remain to blame them. Sad that invasive species like cattle (and the ranchers themselves) take precedence over natural animals that keep the local ecosystems working properly. In the 8 years I was out there, it disgusted me no end. To see people repeating the myths and out right lies here disgusts me even more. Wolves are noble animals, while cattle are simply raised to be killed and eaten, which in turn leads to heart disease, cancer and strokes in humans. Which is the animal that should be protected and which should be removed? Any answer that favors cattle over wolves for protection is an uninformed and ignorant one.
Wolves are predators. Hunting is big business in these states & good for the economy. In northern Wisconsin, where deer herds are declining due to these animals, recent lack of snow for sledders, it makes a tough living for these people up North. What the DNR of the upper Midwest states are doing is just checks & balances. Without them the wolves will starve. So which is the worst of two evils?
who cares, rancher's livestock is a non native species and I aM GLAD when the wolves kill off non native species. I hope more rancher's non native livestock is killed by wolves. About a harvest season on welfare ranchers and hunters?
We don't need non native livestock and lazy welfare ranchers. May the wolves kill more of your livestock.
Any rancher that is bellowing about their "losses by wolves" need to tell the truth, they lose more animals to lightning strikes a year than wolves. Shut your holes.
The way they can protect their stock animals is easy, get a few flock guardian dogs. A good Anatolian Shepherd, or Kuvasz will keep the stock animals safe and the wolves can rightly return as one of our apex predators to keep the deer/elk populations in check. Even better than hunters as hunters take trophy animals, which only WEAKENS genetic strength and diversity whereas wolves take the least fit to survive.
All ranchers are payed more than what there cow is worth if killed by a wolf. When a wolf kills , livestock it makes the news but when livestock dies from Digestive. Respiratory problems, Metabolic problem, Mastitis, Lameness/injury, diseases, Weather, Calving problems, You hear nothing of that.. Dogs kill more livestock than wolves do. As far as the deer, elk, moose that are declining maybe you should keep up on what else they are dying of. EHD killed alot of deer last year. there are diseases, ticks, parisites, brain worm, hunters, poachers, car collision, do alittle more research on what they are really dying of instead of blaming the wolves. Just to justified the killing of wolves.. The hunt is more like a serial killer. Kill for fun, recreational, thrill kill, just to kill i don't see the difference between hunting wolfs--serial killers. I would like to know how hunting is good for the ecomony.
the wolves get blamed for the livestock being killed by them , more live stock die because the farmers are not taking care of the livestock . maybe the wolves should shoot the farmers just leave nature alone .
i do not fell sorry for humans that do this kind of damage to the environment. they should be classified as pests;and dispatched
Hello Crazy. Can you please post your name and address so we can send the authorities to come pick you up and tuck you away in an institution where you belong?
Jeffersonian3... the only crazy one here is you.
I agree with irrert and chad234 on this one.
these humans have no concerns for anything but themselves, until they stop doing that, they need to be hunted. I do not fell sorry for humans that do this kind of damage to the environment. they should be classified as pests;and dispatched
I'm from Michigan
I want to vote NO but cannot.. I love wolves, but they must be hunted and trapped to control their population. Without population control they will kill every other animal.
The numbers above for their population in Michigan, Must be wrong, we have been seeing them for years now. They always say spay & nueter your pets because the population is out of control, Imagine the sheer number of pups these wolves are having every 6 months to put them back onto the endangered species list would be pure ignorance of wolves. ALL other animals would soon need protection because they would be next up for the endangered species list, why because of people who see beautiful pictures of wolves, but are totally uneducated as to what these animals actually are and do.
spay and neuter humans
The animal that is out of control is not the wolf.....the out of control is the deer. They are extreme pests. They eat crops and gardens and cause auto accident. Wolves will control the deer population. Nature will then be in balance and i will sleep well at night.
Only the dominant female and male are allowed to breed in any pack. I'm from Michigan and I hear story after story from hunters how hunting helps keep the deer population down. I've heard stories of deer climbing trees and getting hung up and starving to death because there isn't enough food for them in winter. Wolves help control the deer population, that's natures way. I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Deer populations are kept in check by wildlife biologists who set season dates and bag limits, they do this to keep the deer herd and environment at healthy levels. There is no need for expensive wolf introduction programs and frivolous lawsuits.
Any benefit the wolf would bring to an area is offset tenfold by the problems they cause. It's foolish to want to pay millions of dollars to bring in wolves to areas they don't belong that would in turn cost millions of dollars in lost revenue from hunting each year.
Not to mention the fact that deer killed by hunters feed themselves and needy families all over the country. It's crazy that a few fringe wolf lovers make so much noise with their emotionalistic shrieking and wailing over a non-issue. The only thing wolves are good for is giving hunters something else to hunt and generating additional hunting license revenue, otherwise they'd be completely worthless in areas such as the Midwest and most Western states.
Hunting keeps deer in check? That is a joke. Deer are like rats. Totally out of control.
What kind of human being promotes abusive trapping? Google how hunters and trappers are torturing these animals before you make such an ignorant comment.
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A TRAPPER -- an unapologetic confession...
“We trappers do cause pain and suffering to animals and apologize to no one”
Dennis “Foothold” Schutz, Vice-President West of the Montana Trappers Association
the human race has become a virus the sport of hunting is a joke it use to be about survivale eat what you take use to survive now its kill everything
Wolves should never have been reintrduced, as some say they were. They are a nuisance to the Mid-west and something that should be eraticated once again. Dinosours once ruled this area, but if they could bring them back, would that be a good idea? There is a reason things disappear!
Wolves are nowhere nearly as big a nuisance as people like you, Charlie. Humans are the only species that have caused others to go extinct. If the wolves had caused their food sources to go extinct, they would've gone extinct, too. Ranchers, trappers, and trophy hunters are as low as sub-human can go. It's only a matter of time before they and their way of life are consigned to the dustbin of history.
Wolves populate at Geometric Rates. They have NO preditors except man. Wolves can devastate Ranchers/Farmers entire profits for an entire year.
Wolves kill Commerical Live Stocka and run the fat off others. Ranchers lose over $100,000 per year from Cattle spooked into excessive running and stress from Wolves. At $1.00 per pound a average Steer loses over 100 pounds due to Wolves. Average Cattle Rancher has to have at least 1000 Cattle to make a Profit and the Wolves destroy that Profit.
Next time you or your Parents are at the Super Market and complain about the price of beef you will think differently about the damage wolves do.
When chad234 and wolfmasterwasp cry because their parents can't afford the increased costs of happy meals, then blame it on the wolves.
Also, Wolves have NO fear of eating humans. Wolves know humans are on the Menu. Coyotes are already attacking people in the New England area and Foxs are attacking babies in their homes in London. Google it.
Meat is at an all time high due to the cost of Animals of prey like Wolves which are protected.
Protection for Wolves was the Law of the Land. It DID NOT WORK. That's why the LAW was changed. Danger to humans and destruction of raising Cattle, sheep, and other livestock.
A pack of hungry Wolves would not think twice about tearing you apart. YOU are on their menu.
Danger to people from wolves is minimal Check the number of confirmed wolf attacks over the last couple of hundred years...as you say..Google it.
Jimmy Fox...............Wolves populate at Geometric Rates. ??? Substitute the word deer for wolves. Deer cause huge economic losses to farmers and economic loss and injury due to auto accidents. The lack of predators is a huge problem due to out of control populations of deer and feral hogs as well.
Not too many cattle ranches in Michigan.
show me a proven wolf atack on humans not wild dog or coyote again cattle being raized where they naturally cannot survive another ranch idiot they were here before us for a reason mother nature
wolf and chad, I bet you live nowhere near where we and the wolves are... your comments are stupid and show no real thought capacity. I'd love to see you two out in the woods with your families and a pack of wolves nearby. You would be too easy of a meal. Please, take the challenge. If you're suggesting spaying and neutering humans, start with yourselves and spare my kids from your moronic offspring.
wylie........please provide sources for the huge danger presented by wolves. Provide some stats regarding wolf attacks over the last couple of centuries. Your comment is laughable. You sound very afraid...maybe you should stay in the house.
wylie you must be uneducated about wildlife or watch too many horror movies.
i raize wolves
Where I am from in the northern rockies, wolves have decimated deer and elk populations that provide food many people around here need to survive. It has gotten to the point that if we didn't start hunting and trapping wolves other species populations were in danger.
I keep hearing people say how great the wolves are. Do they live where you live?
Deer populations in the US have increased from estimates of about a million a hundred years ago to 25 million currently. The reason? No predators. They cause huge damage to crops and terrific damage to forests. They eat the new young trees. There are many forests now that only have old growth trees with no new trees to replace them. Huge damage. We need predators on the land to restore the natural balance.
No because they have been killed off but we have an overpopulation of coyotes that are killing every animal, domestic and otherwise, that they can. The only natural predator of a coyote is a wolf, and the coyotes are coming back into the cities and towns to claim their land and whatever cat or dog they can find. Developers and people wanting to build a house THEIR way are taking the land leaving coyotes with little choice and there are way too many of those. Man is the pestilence.
Wolves and Elk
State elk and deer populations have been relatively unaffected by wolves.
According to Wyoming Game and Fish Department statistics, hunter harvest numbers for elk rise and fall from year to year, but the overall success rate has remained relatively consistent since wolves were reintroduced. "Elk are probably at an all-time high historically, "Bill Rudd reported in 2007; Bill is the assistant chief of the wildlife division for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Cheyenne. Furthermore, Northwest Wyoming is seeing good numbers of deer and antelope, Rudd said. [Source 1]
Many ecologists believe that, rather than affecting elk population counts, the restoration of wolves to the northern Rockies may have affected elk behavior. Alert to a new predator on the landscape, elk may be more wary than in recent years. This may cause them to linger less frequently in open meadow and riparian zones, as well as altering traditional migration routes to avoid wolf packs. In essence, elk appear to be returning to a more "wild" behavior pattern from a time before wolves were eradicated from the northern Rockies. [Source 2]
Researchers have confirmed that wolves tend to prey on the most vulnerable deer and elk, which includes weak, diseased, injured, very young calves (that appears to be largely compensatory as overall elk calf survival has remained steady), and older adult cow elk that are beyond their reproductive prime. Hunters, on the other hand, tend to kill cow elk that are in their reproductive prime. [Source 3]
As for the effects of wolves on Wyoming's largest elk herd in Jackson: the cow-to-calf ratio in the Jackson herd has fluctuated over the years, but has been holding steady since the return of wolves. In 1995, before the reintroduction of wolves to the region, wildlife managers recorded a low of 19 calves per 100 cows, whereas in 2007 the ratio was 25 calves per 100 cows. The annual winter classification for the Jackson herd was recently completed. The number of elk in February, 2008, increased by a thousand to 12,795, compared with 11,790 in 2007.
At the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, the annual count totaled 7,950 elk in February, 2008. This is the ninth consecutive year that wildlife managers have met or exceeded the refuge population objective. At the end of 2007, of the seven elk hunting units overlapping the Wolf Trophy Game Area, only two are below herd objectives, and one of these is by 48 animals while the other is about 500 below desired levels. The seven units in total are 7,151 animals, which is almost 20% above the desired herd objectives. [Source 4]
I was only commenting on what it's like where I live. Not the entire U.S.
Should we introduce wolves everywhere there are deer? New York City? Los Angeles? To protect the trees I mean.
I would be very happy if wolves were reintroduced into the southeast U.S. where i live. No problem with that at all. Deer are an absolute pestilence.
wylie19: I don't know about wolf and chad, but I would love to be in the woods, with my family, and have the opportunity to see a pack of these majestic animals. Unfortunately this is not likely to happen, given that wolves avoid contact with humans whenever possible.
KayKayDickerson: ALL other animals would soon need protection because they would be next up for the endangered species list. No predator, including wolves, have ever caused an animal species to become endangered. except man. Natural predators function as natures means of controlling other animal populations. Natural predators keep the population of other animals in balance, thereby creating healthy populations that can be supported by their habitat.
Jimmyfox, et al: Are you by chance related to the brothers Grimm? Your perception of the threat from wolves, is the product of fairy tales.
A reasonable source for information is the world-wide study of wolf attacks on humans done by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) in 2002. The finding of the report was that during the 100 years of the 20th century there were between twenty and thirty attacks in North America (including Alaska and Canada, which have relatively high populations of wolves). Of these, three were fatal, all because of rabies. No attacks have been recorded in Yellowstone since the reintroduction of wolves more than a decade ago. For comparison, during the 20th century there have been 71 fatal grizzly (brown) bear attacks in North America. Each year in the United States, 16-18 people die from dog attacks.
Wild wolves seldom pose a threat to people, she [Madonna Luers, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman] said, noting that only two human deaths from wolf attacks have been documented in North America over the past 60 years.
BTW, I live in northern Michigan.
Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites
You would love to be in the woods with your family and come across a pack of wolves?
You seem to assume they are gentle because of a lack of human fatalities. Wolves are one of the few animals that will hunt for sport and they will kill anything they come in contact with. Just because they avoid humans doesn't mean they wouldn't gladly kill one.
BTW, I live in NW Montana.
Evidence of their killing humans? Only in extraordinary circumstances? How about bears? Should we eliminate them too.
I don't assume they are gentle. No wild animal is gentle. There are only two types of animals in nature, predators and prey. If you don't eat, you are eaten.
To keep everybody happy (except the wolves that get shot), they should just reduce the percentage of population allowed to be hunted. Letting the wolf pop. go all the way down to 50% of current numbers is way too big a head count. Alpha pairs are gonna get wasted, and their gene pools will shrink again. All farmers have predation insurance as part of their overall farm business insurance, so calm down, 'K? Wolves are the consummate, cautious "cowards" of the pack predators of the world. They do NOT actively hunt humans - Polar Bears do, and are about the only predator (other than rare, rougue lions, etc) that DO naturally stalk humans as prey. So again, calm down, K?
I really enjoy a good laugh, and want to thank some people for their comments. Thanks, wolf for your comment, "how about a season on people" Oooh Boy ! and "too many people raising livestock where they don't belong" Wow ! Thanks, I needed that !
Also, I wish to thank 11madness for the comment, "There are many forests that only have old growth trees with no new trees to replace them" (because of deer). That's a good one ! Laugh my b*** off !
Here in Wisconsin, the deer population is down, substantially. Just ask any hunter. And the WI DNR lies about the population. (yes, they have been caught). Then, they re-introduced the wolves. Pretty easy to figure out what effect that had on the deer population. Also, they have tried to re-introduce elk into northern Wisconsin, trouble is the wolf population is jeopardizing this effort, dramatically.
So, where's the balance ? The wolves are here. They will need to be managed, just like any other species. If the regulating authorities determine that last years harvest of wolves was too many, then they will reduce the number of permits for this year. The lawsuit should probably be dropped, as it would not achieve a lasting solution. Managed populations are the best we can hope for, now that they are established. They will spread to other states, just give them a little time.
Anyway, thanks for a good laugh this morning ! "When the wolves live 'in your back yard', then you can speak with better understanding."
Concerned
Do just a little research. Deer eat almost everything that is below 6 feet in height. It is a major issue. Many forests have no undergrowth because of the 25-30 million deer we have in this country. No predators=too many deer. You seem to be ignorant of facts but rely on what "any hunter" says. Laughable.
i have wolves in my back yard humans are jeopardizing wild life we wiped them all out then want to bring them back
Wolves are not destroying the deer or moose populations in the Midwest - that is just a rumor used by the hunters so that they can kill the wolves (they like to shoot anything - they should have to eat them if they shoot them). Wolves are excellent for our natural systems and that is why they were reintroduced. They keep the overall health of deer and moose populations healthier by hunting the weak, injured and old. It is also a wise tale about wolves devastating cattle populations - those attacks are rare. I can't wait for the day that I see a wolf here in Michigan, but if they allow hunting that day will probably never come unless I see one that was shot or hit by a car. Wolves are magnificent animals that should still be protected in the Midwest until they regain their historic populations. I am thankful that these groups have sued the government and I totally support their efforts to ban wolf hunting!
Please do not broadly cast all hunters as "liking to shoot anything". Those are not hunter, they are shooters and poachers. A true hunter, sportsmen and sportswomen, respect the animals they hunt. A true hunter kills only that which he or she will eat, or otherwise use. Killing is the natural end of the hunt, not the reason for the hunt. A wolf is a hunter, it eats what it kills (sometimes not all of it, it sometimes leave a portion for those carnivores that do not hunt and kill.
Since when can man be so arrogant that he believes that all prey is for his personal consumption, and any predator who competes with man should be eliminated.
I love wolves and I hope they stop hunting them! How a cold hearted idiot could kill such a beautiful animal is beyond me. Too many trigger happy killers out there, it's sick. I don't buy the ranchers argument that the wolves are killing the cows. Wild dogs and coyotes do it a great deal. And if the cows go missing, cattle rustling is still big business. I hope that here in Texas we can have a healthy wolf population, I would welcome them. They were hunted to extinction here long ago by the poor cattle ranchers. Now there are NONE. It's disgusting that people have hunted an animal to extinction in this huge state where there is plenty of room. Wolves are not dangerous to humans usually, they are wild animals who run in packs mostly and are afraid of people. I would love to see a wolf running in the wild. Looks like the mid west could go the way of Texas and hunt them until there are no more. I hope not, and I hope they will be brought back to Texas.
IF there's one place in this country that needs wolves it's the south, we are over run with deer to the point that deer are more dangerous to humans driving than drunk drivers.
Totally agree. I live in the south. 25 years ago it was fun to spot some deer along side the road. Now it is routine. We need some predators. They are out of control.
Hello, I am curious to know what happened to the LIVE POLL that was on this page?
Q: Should the federal government restore protections for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region?
I voted YES.
OK seeing it now, sorry for (my) confusion.
wolves yes we need more. people have destoryed the animals and just dont care, just as they force the indians down the trails of tears.
The big question is why we have the poll at this site showing 70% wanting protection of wolves restored and yet our elected officials are not representing the majority. The anwser as always is MONEY from cattle ranchers, NRA, and hunting groups. Somebody tell me what party the Governors of Wi. Mi. Mn belong to and what party gets the most money from the NRA. Then tell me what party votes most for what ever the NRA wants.
The people have spoken. A vast majority of those who responded say that we should restore federal protections. That's called democracy.
The question is: will the DNR and special interests actually listen this time...
And for those of you who cannot stop whining about the predatory nature of wolves, I very much doubt that you have any first-hand knowledge or scientific data. The threat to pets and livestock is rarer than farmers or special interest groups would have you believe, and are often vastly exaggerated. Furthermore, simple countermeasures such as fladry, fencing, auditory deterrents, and vigilance could be employed by these landowners but they choose not to do so, or let their cattle graze on public land. As for the threat to people, there are absolutely no documented cases of a healthy wolf ever attacking a human.
Most of the flack is coming lazy jackasses who don't want to take the time to fill out the very simple paperwork to get reimbursed for the livestock lost, the number of which are quite minimal.
Wolves aren't monsters, they're simply animals doing what they were put here to do. And killing off an apex predator has a negative effect on the entire environment. That includes a negative effect on deer, caribou, elk, fish, etc. (for those of us who actually paid attention in science classes)