Six different wolves on trail cameras. Seven different dead deer killed by wolves.
That’s the report from Jeff Stonerock after returning from a week-long deer hunting trip to his family’s 550 acres in Iron County in the Upper Peninsula’s western region. For the past 20 years Stonerock and his family have made the 11 hour, 500 mile trek from their home in Goodrich to the remote wilderness area near the northern Wisconsin border.
‘I’m hearing wolves howl all the time,? said Stonerock. ‘The wolves are devastating our deer hunting, not to mention we just don’t see any turkey around, either. The deer just don’t move around anymore, it really changes the whole hunt. I really don’t want to see the numbers get out of control up there. There’s no longer a season (on wolves) and they are very difficult to hunt and while they are protected their numbers are a concern. We need to harvest some wolves to keep a balance.?
A Michigan wolf hunt became a possibility in 2012 when they came off the endangered species list and were placed in state control. The state House and Sen-ate passed legislation listing wolves as a game species in Michigan. After Gov. Rick Snyder signed the law, the door was opened to a future wolf hunt. As a result, the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Commission began establishing the framework for the season. The season was from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, 2013 and limited to 1,200 licenses costing $100 each for residents and $500 for non-residents. The total number of wolves harvested was limited to three management areas in the Upper Peninsula. According to the DNR, about 21 of 43 wolves were harvested in the hunt.
However, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell then reinstated federal protections for wolves in Michigan and other Great Lakes states that had been removed in 2012, effectively blocking local control efforts.
Gray wolves are a federally endangered species and are protected in Michigan. Wolves cannot legally be killed except in the defense of human life. The maximum penalty for poaching a wolf is 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, plus reimbursement of $1,500 to the state for the animal. Poaching convictions also usually include a suspension of hunting privileges for a period of four years.
However, while hunters like Stonerock support wolves as the cause of fewer deer in Upper Peninsula communities, Ashley Autenrieth, Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer program biologist from the Gaylord office which includes the Upper Peninsula and northern lower Michigan says wolves are not the major factor that impacts deer herds.
‘When we look at the Upper Peninsula deer herd they are at the northern range of its limit’the point at which deer can survive,? she said. ‘So when we have an unprecedented winter like that of 2013-2014 it’s going to impact the herd. The driving factor is winter, not predators. In a recent study of the low snowfall areas of the Upper Peninsula coyotes played a greater role on fawn kill than did wolves. Keep in mind that we did not bring the wolves back to Michigan, rather, they migrated from Wisconsin and Minnesota.?
Like any species in Michigan management is the key, added Autenrieth.
‘We’d like the ability to manage the wolves like we do with the coyotes or deer or other species,? she said. ‘They have seasons and we’d like to have season for wolves, too. Not to totally whip them out, but keep the numbers in balance.?
Food is also a big factor for deer.
‘The local impact on deer can also be influenced by people feeding deer,? she said. ‘For a lot of reasons it’s never a good idea to feed any deer, anywhere, anytime. The exchange of saliva and other transmitted diseases are enhanced by feeding.?
Don Kengerski, 85, a Brandon Township resident who has hunted deer in Ontonagon County, located in the Western Upper Peninsula, since the 1950s, says outdoorsman need to get back to ethical hunting.
‘We need to do away with all deer baiting altogether,? said Kengerski. ‘There needs to be just fair chase, no hunting from trees, too many early hunts and no more youth hunts. There’s no hunters anymore because there’s no deer. There’s continual deer hunts from September until January and Lansing is more interested in the money from deer licencses than more deer for hunters.?
ate passed legislation listing wolves as a game species in Michigan. After Gov. Rick Snyder signed the law, the door was opened to a future wolf hunt. As a result, the Department of Natural Resources and the Natural Resources Commission began establishing the framework for the season. The season was from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, 2013 and limited to 1,200 licenses costing $100 each for residents and $500 for non-residents. The total number of wolves harvested was limited to three management areas in the Upper Peninsula. According to the DNR, about 21 of 43 wolves were harvested in the hunt.
However, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell then reinstated federal protections for wolves in Michigan and other Great Lakes states that had been removed in 2012, effectively blocking local control efforts.
Gray wolves are a federally endangered species and are protected in Michigan. Wolves cannot legally be killed except in the defense of human life. The maximum penalty for poaching a wolf is 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, plus reimbursement of $1,500 to the state for the animal. Poaching convictions also usually include a suspension of hunting privileges for a period of four years.
However, while hunters like Stonerock support wolves as the cause of fewer deer in Upper Peninsula communities, Ashley Autenrieth, Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer program biologist from the Gaylord office which includes the Upper Peninsula and northern lower Michigan says wolves are not the major factor that impacts deer herds.
‘When we look at the Upper Peninsula deer herd they are at the northern range of its limit’the point at which deer can survive,? she said. ‘So when we have an unprecedented winter like that of 2013-2014 it’s going to impact the herd. The driving factor is winter, not predators. In a recent study of the low snowfall areas of the Upper Peninsula coyotes played a greater role on fawn kill than did wolves. Keep in mind that we did not bring the wolves back to Michigan, rather, they migrated from Wisconsin and Minnesota.?
Like any species in Michigan management is the key, added Autenrieth.
‘We’d like the ability to manage the wolves like we do with the coyotes or deer or other species,? she said. ‘They have seasons and we’d like to have season for wolves, too. Not to totally whip them out, but keep the numbers in balance.?
Food is also a big factor for deer.
‘The local impact on deer can also be influenced by people feeding deer,? she said. ‘For a lot of reasons it’s never a good idea to feed any deer, anywhere, anytime. The exchange of saliva and other transmitted diseases are enhanced by feeding.?
Don Kengerski, 85, a Brandon Township resident who has hunted deer in Ontonagon County, located in the Western Upper Peninsula, since the 1950s, says outdoorsman need to get back to ethical hunting.
‘We need to do away with all deer baiting altogether,? said Kengerski. ‘There needs to be just fair chase, no hunting from trees, too many early hunts and no more youth hunts. There’s no hunters anymore because there’s no deer. There’s continual deer hunts from September until January and Lansing is more interested in the money from deer licencses than more deer for hunters.?