A group hoping to stop Minnesota's first regulated hunting and trapping season for wolves this fall took its case to Gov. Mark Dayton's house Thursday, Aug. 16.

Fewer than two dozen members of the group, Howling for Wolves, demonstrated in front of the governor's residence on Summit Avenue in St. Paul. Founder and president Maureen Hackett said her group isn't anti-hunting. The group opposes the wolf hunt on several grounds, including a contention that wildlife officials don't have enough data on wolves since they were removed from federal protection to know how a hunt might affect the population.

The wolf hunt of up to 400 animals has been supported by the legislature, Dayton and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr.

After a little over an hour, Thursday's demonstration came to an abrupt end following a three-car crash in front of the governor's mansion and the demonstrators, who were not standing in the street. No one was injured.

It was unclear if the demonstration could have played a factor in the crash, which started when a driver failed to stop in time to avoid rear-ending a car that was stopped from traffic unrelated to the demonstration.

-- Dave Orrick

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