State wildlife officials in January will start considering whether to establish a wolf hunt in Michigan. Governor Rick Snyder signed a bill last week that recognizes the gray wolf as a game species in the state.
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission is set to explore the possibility of a hunt at their next meeting. But a final decision is likely to take several months.
“There will be a lot of opportunity for public comment, for consultation with tribal governments, and for all kinds of interaction before any decisions are made,” says DNR spokesperson Ed Golder.
If the commission establishes a wolf hunt, it will likely be limited to an area of the western Upper Peninsula. Some locals have complained about wolves attacking livestock and coming into populated areas.
“It will be the Natural Resources Commission’s responsibility to evaluate populations, to look at impacts on other species in the state, to look at social impacts - a whole host of things. And that’s the process that will start now,” Golder says.
The gray wolf was recently removed from the endangered species list. Opponents of the hunt say the population is still fragile.