Michigan puts bounty on wolf killers
OUTDOORS
By LOUIE STOUT
Tribune Correspondent
Two more Michigan wolves were found dead from gunshot wounds recently and rewards are being posted for information in the Iron County killings.
Officers responded Nov. 16 to a mortality signal from a tracking collar and found the dead wolf in the Black River, north of Powder Horn Mountain. This is the sixth known wolf killing so far this year, and the second wolf found in the same area of Gogebic County in the last several days. The other wolf was found Nov. 6, eight miles north of Ironwood.
A $1,500 reward is offered in each of two Iron County cases where wolves were found dead last month. Both animals died as the result of gunshot wounds.
The gray wolf is listed as a threatened species in Michigan and protected as an endangered species under federal law. The Department of Natural Resources says wolves play an important role in the ecosystem, and the wolf recovery is a strong indicator of Michigan’s environmental health.
There is no evidence that healthy wolves pose a threat to humans. Each year, people occupying the same areas as wolves rarely see the animals, yet humans were known to have shot and killed six wolves in Michigan last year. Five of those cases resulted in convictions.
“This year, we are reminding people who see wolves in the woods that they do not need to fear them, and shooting them is both a serious crime and a blow to wildlife conservation,” said Lt. Thomas Courchaine, DNR District Law Supervisor. “It is an offense we take seriously, and plan to prosecute to the fullest extent possible.”