Gray Wolfs, Michigan and Hunting
Well today could be the first step in which the gray wolf in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin would be removed from the federal endangered species list.
The Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on that very issue today. The Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act (SHARE) would basically in part return wolf management and conservation to the states. That bill would then be followed by the Gray Wolf State Management Act of 2017, which would remove the gray wolf from endangered species list and thus put them on the path to be hunted to further manage the population.
That SHARE legislation is co-sponsored by several Michigan Republican members of the House including Congressmen: Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, Bill Huizenga of Zeeland, John Moolenaar of Midland, Fred Upton of St. Joseph and Tim Walberg of Tipton.
According to state and federal regulators, there an estimated 610 wolves in the Upper Peninsula and they believe this is evidence that the gray wolf population has recovered.
You may not remember but Michigan voters approved two referenda proposals to ban wolf hunting in 2014. Our state wildlife officials have advocated, at certain times when needed, for a controlled hunt, as well as giving livestock owners the right to kill a wolf to defend their animals.
Is it time for the gray wolf to be controlled? I guess that depends if you live in an area where the gray wolf is prevalent and killing your livestock or pets.