Warning: Most Controversial Post to Date

I’m talking about wolves – and wolf hunting, folks.

I knew of the reintroduction of wolves in Montana and Yellowstone National Park, more specifically. But since it was there, and I’m in Minnesota, I didn’t really think anything of it.

Then, one of Sportsman Channel’s shows, On Your Own Adventures with Randy Newberg, said they are airing a two-part wolf hunt episode in August. Well, I better get busy and learn more about this.

And what I found is really fascinating. This is so controversial, so emotional, so “one side of the fence or the other” that its hard to see the forest for the trees.

I’m gathering as much intel as possible. Next week, I’m visiting the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn. in hopes they will shed more light as to why people are so against wolf hunting and so emotionally involved with wolves. They are a non-activist group, but I imagine if you are around cute pups all day long, you tend to be a protector of their kind.

I’m also speaking with one of IWC’s board members and long-time wolf expert, Dr. L David Mech from the University of Minnesota.

But if you just Google keywords on wolf hunting, man, the articles you will find. Some of the articles in local papers like Wisconsin State Journal or Star Tribune (Minneapolis) have upwards of 150 comments on their very brief articles on wolf hunting in their respective states. I’ve found blogs completely devoted to “wolf justice.” In one of those blogs, a commenter used the word “anti-wildlife” to explain, what I’m guessing, are hunters.

So now, as a hunter, I’m anti-wildlife? My fees on hunting license and excise taxes on my gear go to pay for the management of state parks and wildlife, but yet, I’m anti-wildlife.

Wolves were listed on the federal Endangered Species Act in 1967. Since then, they were the “poster child” for the Act – used on billboards, posters and t-shirts in shops. No wonder we have this emotional tie to wolves.

But they are the predator and we are the prey – and so are our dogs, cattle and elk.

I love this line by Dr. Mech in his article, “Is Science in Danger of Sanctifying the Wolf?” He says, “The wolf is neither a saint nor a sinner except to those who want to make it so.”

My interpretation of that is if you think of the wolf as a cute, cuddly creature who can’t get by without human interaction, then you make him a saint. But, if you think he’s the top of the food chain, who can learn your moves faster than you know what your moves are, then he’s Satan in disguise. Dr. Mech wants us to be in the middle on wolves. But, are on the middle of any hot topic? I mean, is there a middle ground to abortion?

This is survivial of the fittest in 2012. There are no winners and losers in this game. If we don’t hunt wolves, we all lose. But if we can learn to manage them to the 150 animals and 10 breeding pairs originally agreed upon in Montana in 2003, then maybe we’ll win. In my state of Minnesota, we have 3,000 wolves. (They weren’t reintroduced in Minnesota, they’ve always been here.) You could say that’s quite a bit, but they are mostly in the northern part of the state. And this fall, we have our first hunting season. This discussion is only going to get hotter as the summer wears on.

My plea to anyone who’s learning more about this as I am is to read articles from both sides. Understand why one group thinks this way and what their motivations are. But you have to dig deep to learn the facts. Don’t skim articles, find the experts like Dr. Mech and others and reach out to someone who thinks opposite of you to learn their thoughts.

If you want to see the first wolf hunt on TV, tune in to Randy’s show, On Your Own Adventures, on Sportsman Channel August 16 at 9 pm ET/PT and again August 23 at 9 pm ET/PT.