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To the Journal editor:
State representatives Dave Prestin and Greg Markkanen miss the mark by recommending the removal of wolves from the endangered species list and endorsing a wolf hunt here in Michigan.
Studies out west have conclusively shown that wolves are apex predators without which ecosystems suffer. We need them to keep the natural world in proper balance. We do not have an overabundance of wolves in northern Michigan, but we most certainly have too many deer causing about 150 human fatalities each year and $1 billion in vehicular damage, as reported in The Mining Journal recently.
My car was once hit by a deer who jumped out from the side of the road and almost crashed through my window. It was a frightening experience. How many wolves cause car crashes and human fatalities at anywhere near the rate of deer? Deer are also responsible for an extensive amount of crop damage, and they literally wipe out the underbrush and small trees wherever they roam. Deer are running rampant in my neighborhood in the middle of Marquette, but I have yet to see a wolf here. Then there is the issue of deer ticks and all the associated diseases related to them, which are on the increase in the U.P. None of this applies to wolves.
Where is the actual data on how many pets are eaten by wolves? Who is stupid enough to put their pet outside alone if there is such concern about their safety? How many pets are actually picked off by eagles, owls, bobcats, foxes, fishers, etc., rather than by wolves? There is a solution to the issue of livestock being eaten by wolves: get a Great Pyrenees dog or two. But, in actuality, wolves eat mostly small prey such as rabbits, voles, mice before picking off larger prey--often the weaker animals.
I have only seen one or two wolves in my entire life. The only one I came face to face with was after accidentally turning onto a dirt road in the woods and there stood a beautiful wolf. We made eye contact for a few wonderful moments before he/she turned and ran off. I cherish that encounter with a truly magnificent creature. How many wolves does a person see each year versus the number of deer one sees when traveling around in Michigan and Wisconsin?
What is it about Republicans that they seem to have so little regard for the natural world and biological ecosystems? Why do they always demonize wolves without regard for their inherent value? Why can't they look seriously at the scientific data before advocating for wolf hunts which would decimate the population and cause the deer population to soar to even greater levels creating a serious imbalance? It is one thing to kill an animal for food, but quite another to kill one just for the sake of killing, especially one as important as the wolf.
Do Republicans not understand that we humans are dependent on nature. We cannot live in a world where it is destroyed or our air/water/food is polluted. We could learn a great deal from Native Americans who understood how to live in harmony with all of nature.