Canis lupus 101: A Special Message from #Howling for Wolves

Monday, November 10, 2014

A Special Message from #Howling for Wolves

Until Give to the Max Day

Howling for Wolves

Photography thanks to National Geographic (Jim Dutcher)

HELP US PROTECT MINNESOTA WOLVES. #LIVE AND LET HOWL

Howling For Wolves (HFW) is a Minnesota 501c3 wolf advocacy organization that aims to educate the public about wolves to foster tolerance, and to ensure their survival in Minnesota. Wolves are a vital and irreplaceable part of the ecosystem, and deserve respect for their social bonds. HFW seeks non-lethal solutions for conflict prevention and coexistence with wolves. We oppose killing wolves for sport and the cruel methods utilized. Our efforts focus on Minnesota’s wolves, the largest and only original wolf population remaining in the lower 48 states, and one that was recently removed from the endangered species list in 2012.
We work towards the following:

To inspire and engage the public to protect wolves in the wild.
To assess the public’s attitudes and understanding of the wolf and to direct educational efforts to include understanding the wolf's strong social bonds.
To accomplish research on non-lethal methods to control wolf/livestock conflicts.
To monitor the actions of state agencies and their effects on wolves, including whether a wolf hunt causes more wolf killing year round.

The state of Minnesota skipped their own wolf management plan and implemented a sport wolf hunt which includes trapping, snaring and baiting. The wolf hunt began the same year (2012) that Minnesota’s wolves (and the Great Lakes wolf population) lost federal protection by their removal from the endangered species list. Through Howling for Wolves Action Fund (501c4), we submitted a petition for a rule-making change, ran TV and radio ads and placed billboards. We introduced bills and had hearings in 2013 and 2014 at the Minnesota Legislature to suspend the wolf hunt and to implement the Minnesota Wolf Management Plan 2001)

Howling for Wolves (501c3 charity) aims to inspire and inform the general public about our majestic Minnesota wolves through consistent community outreach, event activism, traditional media (i.e. radio, billboards, print) and social media activation (i.e. blogging, Facebook posts). HFW has more than 52,000 Facebook likes and garnered over 70,000 signatures which were presented to the Governor's office. HFW had a major presence at the following events: The annual Twin Cities Pride Festival, The Minnesota State Fair (a 12-day event), May Day Parades, rural Minnesota county fairs (Carlton, South St. Louis and Beltrami), universities and colleges (St. Cloud State Sustainability Conference 2013, Hamline University, Augsburg College and University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus). Our communication encourages tolerance and respect for the wolf. Our goals include developing and implementing programs of non-lethal methods to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts.

In 2013, HFW organized hundreds of people to comment in person at public hearings throughout the state regarding the removal of the wolf from Minnesota’s list of protected species. We conducted a professional poll (Lake Research Partners) to assess the public's knowledge and attitudes about wolves and wolf hunting. Finally, we filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for not obtaining official public comment that was required by law before implementing the wolf hunting and trapping season.

Current and Future Goals:

Educate Minnesotans on the plight of MN wolves, specifically wolves’ history; the only original wolf population in lower 48 states and their ongoing status.
Inspire Minnesotans to want to protect wolves.
Eliminate cruel methods of hunting wolves.
Increase public awareness on the severe environmental impact that losing wolves would have on habitat for wildlife and humans.
Increase near-term survival of wolves in MN by making killing wolves very unpopular and even shameful.
Gain support from agriculture interests for non-lethal methods of managing wolf-livestock conflicts.
Monitor for wolf-related information obtained by The MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Information can include the sources of all known wolf deaths, illness prevalence, wolf-livestock conflicts and the details of any wolf-human conflicts as well as the DNR’s wolf population monitoring.
Seek policies that protect wolves in all the areas where their existence is at risk such as recreational hunting and trapping, illegal poaching and in conflicts with farmers.