TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Michigan wildlife regulators say they’ll have to reconsider their policy on gray wolves now that the predator has federal protection once again.
A federal judge on Friday overturned the Obama administration’s decision three years ago to drop wolves in the Great Lakes region from the endangered species list.
That means it’s no longer legal to kill wolves preying on farm animals or pets, and there will be no more wolf hunting seasons unless the decision is reversed on appeal.
Spokesman Ed Golder says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the state attorney general’s office are analyzing the 111-page ruling to determine its immediate effects and what long-term options remain for wolf management.
The department supports hunting as a means of limiting conflicts between people and wolves in certain areas of the Upper Peninsula, where the latest population estimate was 636.
During the November election, Michigan voters rejected two pro-hunting laws passed by the Legislature. But a third is still in effect. A group called Keep Michigan Wolves Protected says it’s considering a legal challenge against the remaining law.