outdoors

“Greenwald said that when hunters kill the top male and female wolves in a pack, that reduces the survival of pups and often breaks up the group. As a result, the number of wolves that die, he said, is greater than the number killed by hunters.” Removing the Alpha male and female from the pack will split the pack there will always be a beta pair to succeed the alpha pair. When the wolf pack gets too large it splits, the other barren females will raise the pups; Statements like this are full of disinformation. An average wolf litter is 4-7 pups and of that mortality rates can get close to 50%. Wolves hunt in territories up to 600 square miles, the range and size of the pack is dependant on prey, in Minnesota we have a huge populating of deer and small game, this would indicate a larger pack structure that will eventually split, due to pack size. The wolf will not have to hunt a large range with a dense food supply. So you will end up with smaller wolf territories and larger packs until they split. Minnesota might have the highest wolf population next to Alaska, the last number I read for Alaska’s wolf hunt it a limit of 6 per year, I haven’t hear of any dwindling wolf population issues in Alaska.

Leave the wolves alone. Any 10-year-old with a high-powered rifle can kill a beautiful wild animal. A pathetic way to get your kicks.

follow the money ..... MDHA needs a big deer kill to appease its membership or the banquet season is a bust, so you need to kill more wolves ... has nothing to do with livestock which are reimbursed by the USDA - although we'll still subsidize the hell out of the "ranchers" so they can make a living trying to grow a square peg (cattle) in a round hole (the northland).

What does state budget have to do with killing wolves? What, is Sarah Palin now a lobbyist here?

Mark Dayton and over-the-hill Republican legislator are idiots,culturally and morally bankrupt as well as being ignorant savages.

Let's kill wolves, so we can feel like real men.

I think a regulatd hunt is just fine. The reason the wolves are here is because the high deer population not because the MDHA wants a big deer kill. If anything the MDHA should be credited for the high wolf population.

Can't wait to start hunting em! :) We have way too many wolves in this state!

The reason wolves are here is because thier natural territories are being taken form them! I have no problem with hunting, I hunt but this has got to be the most lame excuse to hunt these wolves! Minnesota DNR really needs to re-read thier mission statement and remove thier heads from that big black hole they have them in! What a bunch of political idiots!

The DNR just administers the hunt. They are basically told what to do. If it wasnt for the high deer numbers there would be a lot less wolves. Yes, habitat makes a difference. Naturally there is less habitat then even forty years ago. Does anyone remember when the deer season was closed forty years ago? No deer, small population of wolves.