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Summary Q10 Comments for Q1 = "No" ID Do you have any additional comments? Open-Ended Response 1 I believe the Wolf population should be monitored and protected with no hunting and trapping season. 2 dont hunt the wolves 3 This is in violation of the 5 year waiting period in the original plan. Return to the original plan. Dogs are going to be killed by idiots who will mistake them, or even people for Wolves. And odds are some of the wolf hunters will be killed by dog owners by mistake, or in defending thier dogs. The Wolf population was impacted by the Boundary Waters Blow Down, ruining habitat and disrupting Wolf Pack populations. The only sane thing would to kill problem Wolves in the area close by depradation/problem areas, rather than to drive wolves into new conflict by going into Non-conflict areas! Many problems attributed to Wolves arise from Dog-Wolf hybrids, which in turn arise from feral, or abandoned dogs. This is a RACIST affront to Ojibwa people. Wolves and Dogs are the same animal. If we allow hunting of Wolves, we will break down the cultural barriers that have kept "Mans Best Friend" protected from blood sport killing! The old hunters motto is "eat what you kill" DO WE REALLY WANT TO PROMOTE KILLING OF THE ANIMAL THAT PROTECTED US AND BECAME OUR FIRST COMPANION, PROTECTOR, AND PARTNER OVER 100,000 YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!! 4 I am not in favor of a wolf hunt. Do not allow a wolf hunt. Let them be. 5 I believe that farmers and pet owners who have sustained losses should be allowed to deal with nuisance wolves on an individual basis. I do not believe that wolves should be hunted and trapped for sport and for license fees. Trapping is cruel and inhumane. 6 After having spent millions of taxpayer's dollars, over the course of decades, to reestablish the Wolves existence in the state and region, why do we need to back-track to such primitive, fear-based activities and attitudes of decades ago, and re- decimate the population of a unique and vital species from our ecosystem? Are farmers and ranchers not suitably compensated for livestock losses due to natural predation? Are wolves really such a serious threat to the safety of Minnesota's citizens or their "pets?" Are wolves really taking too many of "our deer?" Or do we simply need more things to kill? The DNRs "Management Plan" had a crucial 5 year wait period "removed thru legislation" in 2011. Of all the legislative issues to be considered by our elected officials, why was it so crucial to fast-track the wolf kill-off? After the effort extended and the $$s spent to re-establish the population, why then is the "management consensus" to kill off nearly half of that accomplishment before reexamining the "Management Plan?" If Registration Compliance of wolf kills is considered crucial to appropriately address the decisions of season closure dates, quota #s, etc., what are the mitigations or penalties for non- compliance? If compliance is voluntary, that's seems to be a huge loop-hole in the Management Policy. Why, in any modern age, why would trapping and snaring even be considered as a viable method of "Management?" This level of outright cruelty only seems to serve the "hate factor" of the most outspoken wolf opponents. If the current state-wide population is approximately 3,000, how did the DNR come to a figure of 1,600 as being a "suitable winter minimum target goal," or 400 as a first year's "harvest quota." What precedence or past management experience is the DNR using to arrive at these numbers? Was any public feedback sought or taken into consideration with regards to these numbers? Finally, if my questions or comments seem to be far to "leftist" or "liberal-leaning," I apologize, but just know that they also come from an avid outdoor sportsman, fisherman, hunter and self-admitted "gun guy!" And one who also greatly appreciates, and benefits from, the efforts of our MN DNR! It just seems that we, as Minnesotans, can be smarter than this. Thanks for listening! 7 Hunting and trapping of wolves is just wrong! The added removal of the 5 year waiting period after the wolves were removed from the Endangerlist just shows that this is really poor management of our wildlife than the claim of " wise and careful management by the DNR and our legislature.Please do not let this happen to our wildlife. Do not place the death of the wolves to create revenue for the state of Minnesota.I consider this to be extremly disapointing that this has become a issue that has fallen on deaf ears. Let the Minnesota wolves continue to be our Wild LIFE!!! I again say NO to a wolf hunt in Minnesota. 8 I am a frequent user of public lands and natural resources in the parts of the state affected by the wolf hunt. I engage in a number of outdoor activities in every season, including, but not limited to: hiking, camping, boating, and snowshoeing. I value wilderness for a number of reasons, including, its aesthetic, ecological, and moral/ethical/spiritual qualities, and frequently seek out wilderness experiences. I see the wolf trapping activities as a specific and unreasonable affront to my wilderness / outdoor recreation experience. Moreover, the DNR, and all other proper authorities should be honoring the original plan to wait five years to properly asses and plan wolf hunting actives. It would seem that due diligence would afford more research to wolf population health and stability, including perhaps a wolf-hunt-beta-test for a first season instead of a full fledged season. It also seems like an unfortunate mis-management of our natural resources to so capriciously open a wolf hunt, as such an undertaking will undoubtedly affect ecology in these parts of the state. Two examples I'm aware of are the indirect affects on tree types and distribution (thus, effecting an important revenue source in this state) and their predation of other Northwoods animals, specifically, the moderation of white-tailed deer numbers. This predation, critically, helps preserve a (potential) place in the northwoods for animals such as Moose, and perhaps even the extirpated Woodland Caribou, species whose presence in our state are increasingly at-risk due to climate change related stresses. Finally, as I do snowshoe and engage in other winter activities during the potential trapping season, I feel that having big-game traps on public land imposes an undue risk / safety concern / burden on me as a co-user of these resources. Wolf Season 2012 Public Comment 1 6/25/12 Summary Q10 Comments for Q1 = "No" 9 It is too soon to begin hunting of wolves 10 Yes, I think their should not be any hunting of wolves, that man does not need to manage the population of wolves or any animals for the fact, because of man their is alot of animals on the extinction list because of over hunting and management. The wolves were extinct out west and were brought back only to be a sport for the hunters to kill again and the wolves will be gone again thanks to MAN. The wolves don't need man to manage their numbers they do that on their own, so please use the brains God gave you and cancel the law allowing shooting of the wolves and quit trying to manage everything it ends up as a diastor in the end. 11 I do not support the wolf hunt that is to begin in the fall of 2012. We fought so hard to keep the wolves off of the endangered species list. Why would we allow hunting of this animal now, even if there's a quota? It just doesn't make sense to me. 12 Are we going back to 1974 where hunting and trapping wolfs was done without any management. I understand now this will be allowed with certain rules and conditions. What I don't understand is why would the DNR allow the cruel practice of trapping? We should have learned a lot more about trapping and should know that this practice is cruel and should have been banned a long time ago. That brings me to my second point. If the DNR says that the wolf population is relatively stable for more than a decade, then why is it necessary to hunt wolfs again? Wolfs are wild animals who mostly live outside human population, they don't need to be managed and certainly not hunted. We humans need to learn to respect wolfs in their natural habitat and if necessary scare them away with other methods than killing them. Live stock farmers know some of these methods and have used them succesfully during the wolf protection period so why not keep going. Hunting deer at least has a reason, they can be processed and be eaten; not so wolfs. Are we senseless hunting & trapping wolfs just for the fun of it without any purpose just to "Manage" them and for "Safe" public relation? 13 It seems that Minnesota has had a relatively stable wolf population for many years, and does not have huge problems with predation. What is the scientific backing for a wolf season at all? It seems nature has reached a nice balance. Don't wolf experts advise that hunting destabilizes packs and could lead to increased predation as hunting wild game becomes more dfficult for smaller/broken packs? Leave a good thing alone. Wolves could be a wonderful assett as a tourist attraction...alive! 14 I don't see any good reason to have a wolf hunting season at all.

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