Letter of the Day (June 13): Wolves

Updated: June 12, 2012 - 8:28 PM

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Before long, a wolf hunting/trapping season that was quickly and quietly enacted by our Legislature will be a reality in Minnesota. Public comment on the issue is being taken through June 20, but only by computer.

Go to www.dnr.state.mn.us, then type "wolf management" into the search bar. A survey must be completed before a comment can be made. Publicity for the process has been sorely lacking. In southern Minnesota, we don't tend to encounter wolves, so we might be inclined to let the matter be decided without our input.

However, animal welfare is everybody's business. Regardless of our attitudes toward wolves, we can agree that there is no point in causing them excess fear, stress and pain. Wolves are usually trapped in steel jaws that painfully clamp the leg or foot until a trapper comes to kill the animal.

Trappers are only required to check traps once every 24 hours. The short comment period is our opportunity to advocate for the abolishment of this brutal practice.

The DNR is raising livestock predation as one of the issues driving the wolf season. But there are other good options for wolf control, including the use of guard dogs and llamas, both of which have been shown to be highly effective. Reimbursement programs have also been successful.

LYNNE FARMER, RUSHFORD, MINN.

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The Opinion section is produced by the Editorial Department to foster discussion about key issues. The Editorial Board represents the institutional voice of the Star Tribune and operates independently of the newsroom.
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