MICHIGAN’s BATTLE
Last December Michigan’s legislature made the wolf a game animal and during the winter our Natural Resource Commission opened a management season of 43 wolves in three small areas of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. These three areas have been having ongoing problems with depredation of livestock and dogs being killed by wolves. Nonlethal means have been used to attempt stopping the wolves but problems continue. Midwinter Keep Michigan Wolves Protected a front organization for the HSUS collected enough signatures to bring this up for a ballot referendum vote in November of 2014. This put a stop to the hunt.
Late winter the legislature gave the Natural Resource Commission the authority to name a game animal. The NRC made the wolf a game animal and approved a season. However, this season, unlike the one previously stopped, excluded trapping. It is suspected that pressure was put upon the MDNR and NRC which bowed to pressure applied by the Governor’s office which was heavily leaned on by countless supporters of HSUS. This action is not subject to a Referendum vote so KMWP started collecting signatures to remove the law that gave the NRC this authority. We expect that they will collect enough signatures to get this on the ballot in November of 2014 also as the HSUS has never failed to do this. The wolf hunt will go on this year because they can’t get signatures collected and certified in time to stop it.
The sporting groups have banded together to fight both Referendums and we are in the process of raising money to do this. History tells us that we need between three and five million dollars to make a difference at the ballot box. The trappers are doing a fur and hide fund raiser to help beat the anti’s back. We are collecting deer hides within the state which will be sold and that money will go to fight the anti’s. We are also doing a fur fund raiser. We have set up NAFA and FHA accounts that any trapper that ships to either organization can donate one or two hides. When you ship a hide you can donate by designating that they go to the Defend the Hunt program through the Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association accounts.. Trappers from anywhere in Michigan or from across the nation can help us with this and help is needed. We will also be taking donations at all six of our association fur sales. Here is a link to the web site set up for all groups collecting money right now our deer hide fundraiser is up on it.
http://www.defendthehunt.com/ By December we should have the fur aspect up on the web site.
Thanks for your help with this and be careful out there. May your traps and memories be full.
Dale Hendershot
President MTPCA
