Find the Silver Lining: Ask Governor Dayton to Veto the Wolf Hunt

Today the MN State Senate debated and ultimately passed off the floor and into conference the Game and Fish Bill.  Senator Hann offered the amendment that we asked for and requested the original five year wait period on the hunting and trapping of MN's wolves.  The amendment got about as many votes as we could have hoped for but not enough to carry the day.  We lost 26 to 40 votes. While a lot of people were thunderstruck by the very real and even crazier possibility that we will soon be trapping wolves, we believe that we still have a bit of momentum going forward and that there is a possible silver lining to this bill.

First, let's give credit where credit is due.  Thank you to everyone who made an act to move the legislature toward accepting the need to show restraint and not immediately kill wolves.  Thank you to Senators Hann, Dibble, Bonoff, and Eaton. 

Senator Dibble, your observation about the glee in the air over killing wolves was well-stated.  Too bad some individual legislators react to the excitement of fear and the risk one takes in wilderness, with the desire to instill fear and kill wolves. 

Thank you Senator Bonoff for your witty and perceptive response to the story about fearing wolves on our private property. Private citizens can already kill any wolf that becomes overly aggressive and impedes too close to homes.

Senator Hann's willingness to give the wolves a voice is to be celebrated and he is to be commended.  Senator Eaton's passion made me smile.  I only wish I had armed Senator Eaton with more numbers like the 200 depredating wolves plus the 400 trapped wolves, plus the many others that are likely to die from gunshot wounds and property-owner intolerance.  And if I may go on; have we even considered how our newly stressed population of wolves will be more vulnerable to illnesses like mange and other contagious diseases, given both the hunt stress and those rising temperatures and ticks.  But in the end, we got about as many votes as many thought was ever possible given the make up of the legislature and their dead aim toward our state's wolf population.

Now where is that silver lining?  The Game and Fish bill has fees contained in it.  According to Senator Hann, this type of bill can be "line item vetoed" by the Governor.  He does not have to veto the entire bill.  We have a meeting with the Governor's office tentatively set for Wed afternoon.  We need everyone to do their best to ask the Governor for the line item veto to get the wolf hunt out of the Game and Fish bill.  Basically we are back at the original ask.

Ask the Governor to veto the wolf hunt. While our form has made it easier for average citizens to get their voices heard, it's always more effective to reach out directly to the Governor's office through a personalized email or phone call. I've included all of the relevant contact information below.  Please help in continuing the fight for our state's gray wolves.

The Office of Governor Dayton
Telephone: 651-201-3400 
Toll Free: 800-657-3717 
Minnesota Relay: 800-627-3529 
Fax: 651-797-1850 
mark.dayton@state.mn.us