MIDNIGHT HOWL

IMAGE IN THE STARS by MAYA VALADEZ

STARRY NIGHT by MAYA

NEW ART BY MAYA

Art by Maya. Soon for Sale!

NATIVE WOLF

Why Wolves Have Become Endangered

Human population growth is one of the biggest threats to wolf preservation.   As the population grows we encroach on wolf territory, driving them further and further out, destroying their natural habitat and source of food, which results in loss of the species.  

Wolves by nature need a vast amount of territory to travel, raise their families and forage for food.  When humans encroach on their territory there is conflict which results in the slaughter of wolves.

The most common cause of conflict between wolves and people is livestock loss.  There are preventative measures that ranchers can take inorder to coexist with wolves such as fencing livestock, lighting, alarm systems, and/or removing dead livestock before they attract wolves, but most ranchers rather slaughter a wolf than invest time, energy and money in their own animals and help preserve the wolf.

Even though it is illegal to hunt wolves in the state of Minnesota there is evidence that wolves are still being slaughtered today.

What most people are not aware of is that ranchers in Minnesota are compensated up to 75% for the loss of cattle due to wolf attacks, a program set up by Defenders of Wildlife organization, and ranchers want this compensation to continue even if the wolves are removed from the endangered species act and hunting them becomes legal.

Art by Maya. Soon for Sale.

Minnesota to Allow Hunting of Wolves

It appears that Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican Legislature have agreed to a massive environmental bill that includes the hunting of gray wolves in Minnesota.  Hunting will be allowed once the wolves are removed from the endangered species list, which will happen later this year. 

A snippet of the bill:

Sec. 51. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 97B.645, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
114.10    Subd. 9. Open season. There shall be no open season for gray wolves for five years
114.11until after the gray wolf is delisted under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973.
114.12After that time, the commissioner may prescribe open seasons and restrictions for taking
114.13gray wolves but must provide opportunity for public comment.

If you don't want to see this portion of the bill accepted by the legislature then start writing to your representative now.  To find out who represents your district use the district finder by clicking HERE and scroll down to enter your address, city, zip.  The names of your representatives will appear.