# DNR relocating wolves



## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Never mind TS, I found it. Just couldn't find the part where they said it was a secret. :lol:

Wolves are native to Michigan and were once present in all 83 counties. Persecution and active predator control programs throughout the 20th century virtually eliminated wolves from Michigan: by 1840, they could no longer be found in the southern portion of the Lower Peninsula; by 1935 they had completely disappeared from the Lower Peninsula; and by 1960, when the state-paid bounty on wolves was repealed, they had nearly vanished from the Upper Peninsula. The last known pups born during this era were documented in 1954-1956, in the area now known as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The species remained unprotected in Michigan until the state Legislature granted full legal protection in 1965. The federal government listed the gray wolf as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973, when the Michigan wolf population was estimated at only six animals in the UP, along with an isolated population on Isle Royale.

In the 1970s, biologists documented an increasing number of wolf reports and the occasional vehicle strike in the Upper Peninsula. An attempt at translocating four wolves from Minnesota to the Upper Peninsula was made in 1974, but all four animals were killed by humans within eight months, before any successful reproduction could occur. *The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) subsequently decided to let wolf recovery happen naturally without human intervention.*Natural emigration of wolves from Minnesota, Ontario and Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula was first documented in the 1980s, when a pair of wolves was discovered in the central UP. The pair had pups in 1990, and by 1992, when the population numbered an estimated 21 animals, it was clear wolves were starting to successfully rebound in the state.

The comeback of the wolf in Michigan is a remarkable wildlife success story. State and federal protection of wolves enabled successful recovery of the species throughout the western Great Lakes Region. Wolves also rebounded in the Upper Peninsula due to the availability of prey and timber harvesting practices that created prime deer habitat.

A large part of the recovery success story is also attributed to support from the public. Survey results from the mid-1990s, when wolves first began to rebound in the Upper Peninsula, indicated that 64 percent of Upper Peninsula respondents and 57 percent of Lower Peninsula respondents supported wolf recovery. Continued social acceptance of a self-sustaining wolf population is critical to maintaining the population's "recovered" status and retaining state management authority.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_12205-32569--,00.html#Michigan History


----------



## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

boehr said:


> It was public but Al Gore hadn't invented the internet at that time so news had to travel by word of mouth and people didn't consider it a big deal back then.
> 
> As for the 1974 info you posted could you please post a link, I'd like to read the rest that you didn't quote in the info.


The webpage was a little long to post the whole thing on here, but here's a link:

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12145_12205-32569--,00.html


----------



## Dead Bird (Oct 2, 2001)

The comeback of the wolf in Michigan is a remarkable wildlife success story. State and federal protection of wolves enabled successful recovery of the species throughout the western Great Lakes Region. Wolves also rebounded in the Upper Peninsula due to the availability of prey and timber harvesting practices that created prime deer habitat.

I would say this depends on who you ask.... not any of my hunting party is thinking this was such a great idea.... I have been to the yards and saw first hand how wonderful a job a pack of wolves can do on a deer herd....


----------



## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

DNR said:


> A large part of the recovery success story is also attributed to support from the public. Survey results from the mid-1990s, when wolves first began to rebound in the Upper Peninsula, indicated that 64 percent of Upper Peninsula respondents and 57 percent of Lower Peninsula respondents supported wolf recovery. Continued social acceptance of a self-sustaining wolf population is critical to maintaining the population's "recovered" status and retaining state management authority.


I wonder what their level of support would be now among U.P. residents. I bet it would be much lower now than it was in the mid-90s. I bet wolves would be lucky to have even a 25% support level there now and U.P. hunters support of wolves would likely be much lower yet. They can chalk up that lower support level to an overprotected wolf population that has increased to a level that is no longer socially acceptable there.

It's time for a wolf season in the U.P.


----------



## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I remember that now. I had forgotten about it, because it was not successful, so it doesn't count as a relocation, but I did know about it, and so did a lot of other people, 30 years ago, or rather, in 1974, when they did it. 

The DNR has never tried to suppress that information. 

But it was not successful, so it doesn't count...your original post made it sound as if the DNR introduced the wolves that led to our current population.


----------



## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

Linda G. said:


> I remember that now. I had forgotten about it, because it was not successful, so it doesn't count as a relocation, but I did know about it, and so did a lot of other people, 30 years ago, or rather, in 1974, when they did it.
> 
> The DNR has never tried to suppress that information.
> 
> But it was not successful, so it doesn't count...your original post made it sound as if the DNR introduced the wolves that led to our current population.


Wolves have become so unpopular in the U.P. now that I doubt that the DNR would never want "credit" for any successful wolf relocations. I'm skeptical that all the wolves miraculously died from that effort when other relocations in other states have been extremely successful. I am also skeptical that the DNR would only relocate four wolves too and if those had been killed, that they wouldn't have moved in some more. I don't know whether the DNR tried to "suppress" that information, but they didn't exactly publicize it much it either, which has the same effect. It wasn't even known of by the general public until recent years when it was dug up by people. I guess the DNR had "conveniently" forgotten about that project. Now that they are doing DNA analyses on the Great Lakes wolves, they are finding that they have roots from areas so far away from the Great that their "natural migration" theory is under increased scrutiny.


----------



## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

Liver and Onions said:


> I'm guessing around closing time at the bar last night. The truth always comes out just before "last call".
> 
> L & O


You should now better... Last call is all about the cougars not wolves:evil:


----------



## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

They can deny it all they want, but I found a picture of it actaully happening. The DNR was releasing them using magic.......:SHOCKED:


----------



## Dale87 (Dec 19, 2008)

2PawsRiver said:


> They can deny it all they want, but I found a picture of it actaully happening. The DNR was releasing them using magic.......:SHOCKED:


That's nothing, I got photographic proof of them releasing cougars under disguise of a fish stocking program!


----------



## Happy Jack (Jan 21, 2003)

Dale87 said:


> That's nothing, I got photographic proof of them releasing cougars under disguise of a fish stocking program!


If you read the offical report from 6/23/1989 that cat was NOT released from the truck but ran from the woods trying to grab the fish being released. On a more serious note How can I worry about the DNR trying to kill us all when I'm being over run with UFO's ?


----------



## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

My brother's cousin's barber knows the guy that drew this picture of the DNR relocating a Sasquatch.


----------



## jackbob42 (Nov 12, 2003)

Trophy Specialist said:


> ....... Now that they are doing DNA analyses on the Great Lakes wolves, they are finding that they have roots from areas so far away from the Great that their "natural migration" theory is under increased scrutiny.


A few years back , a collared wolf from Michigan was killed in Missouri. You suppose the DNR took him down there to throw the skeptics off their trail? :lol::lol::lol:

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/hunter-shoots-unusually-large-coyote-northwest-missouri


----------



## i missed again (Sep 7, 2008)

island Royal got its population of wolves from the lake freezing over it was a small start but with the population of moose the pack grew out of control but do to the limited gene pool and domestic dog diseases on the island they mostly died off. My point is that if the up got its population from stocking a few wolves and not migration from several gene pools in other states it would have not worked


----------



## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

Dale87 said:


> That's nothing, I got photographic proof of them releasing cougars under disguise of a fish stocking program!


Just catfish.


----------



## WMU001 (Dec 5, 2009)

Don't let the skeptics get you down my man, I heard the same thing. I also know for a fact that they are releasing Siberian Tigers into the UP to manage the wolf population. Saw it with my own two eyes!


----------



## omega58 (Sep 3, 2003)

I'm sure wolves are all over the LP....if a male wolf will travel over 100 miles in search of a mate, why would he stop? 

As for the dnr relocation......they don't need to.

Without looking, they had a tagged wolf out west go over 700 miles or something close to that.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


----------



## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

boehr said:


> It was public but _Al Gore hadn't invented the internet at that time _so news had to travel by word of mouth and people didn't consider it a big deal back then.
> 
> As for the 1974 info you posted could you please post a link, I'd like to read the rest that you didn't quote in the info.


I guess he hadnt invented global warming yet either:lol:....


----------



## 19rabbit52 (Jul 15, 2007)

I see some guys think there has always been coyotes in Southern Mich. I don't know about way back but I do know there was none in Jackson county in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's.


----------



## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

19rabbit52 said:


> I see some guys think there has always been coyotes in Southern Mich. I don't know about way back but I do know there was none in Jackson county in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's.




I was born and raised in Jackson and I killed a coyote in Jackson in each of those decades.........not sure where you got your info from.......


----------



## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

Just heard a rumor the DNR was moving all the deer 3 1/2 year old and up to the UP so the wolves don't get them. And all this while a cougar was crawling on my leg at the bar.

Now thats game management.


----------



## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

METTLEFISH said:


> She normally had Sasquatch as a back up, but the Wolves ate em all!...


Har har har :gaga:


----------



## north_of_mackinaw (Sep 2, 2003)

I almost wish this was true, I have a lot of relatives that live downstate that have never seen a wolf in the wild. Well unless you count Call of The Wild in Gaylord but those wolves don't look too healthy.


----------



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

M-O-N-R-O-E Monroe, Michigan that is where they are releasing all of the wolves close to home so Bear 50 can actually claim that he saw one. I was down there a couple of times and actually saw a couple of cougars. It is a pretty wild area, should be primo for the wolves.:lol::lol:


----------

