Proposed legislation would make it illegal for law enforcement to enforce state or federal law relating to management of wolves in Wisconsin. 

This legislation will be difficult to enforce, but that’s not stopping Representaive Adam Jarchow from employing the latest “smoke and mirrors” political rhetoric.  Rep. Jarchow’s fueling the anti-wolf fires again spreading hate and fear for Wisconsin’s wild wolf.  Wisconsin’s citizens can distinguish fact from fiction. The following are the facts. Wolves take 6% of Wisconsin’s White-tailed deer population in a year.  Livestock depredations are down in 2017, just click here for the 2017 wolf depredations report. 

Wisconsin’s wild wolf is a federally protected endangered species. 

Here’s the latest political ploy…

In an email dated Wednesday, November 8, 2017 to Legislative Colleagues from Rep. Adam Jarchow, Rep. Mary Felzkowski,  Rep. Romaine Quinn  and Sen. Tom Tiffany regarding Co-sponsorship of LRB 3737/1 – Managing Wisconsin’s wolf population

The following is Rep. Adam Jarchow’s email:

In 2011, Idaho Governor Butch Otter issued an executive order stating that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) would no longer monitor wolf populations, investigate illegal wolf killings, or reimburse farmers whose livestock have been killed by wolves. As a result of this executive order, the federal government de-listed the wolf in Idaho. Since then, Idaho has been able to manage its wolf population without interference from the federal government.

Wolves have taken over northern Wisconsin. They are depredating our deer population, killing livestock and attacking family pets. The gray wolf has been placed on the federal Endangered Species List by a federal judge in Washington D.C. thus leaving Wisconsin unable to manage our own wolf population.

Currently, there is a bill at the federal level to de-list the wolf from the Endangered Species List, but has not yet made its way to the President’s desk. Congress has proven to be unable to pass this simple bill to save Wisconsinites from wolves running rampant throughout our state. Something must be done.

If Congress won’t act – we will!

Today, we are circulating for co-sponsorship, LRB 3737/1 which would make it illegal for law enforcement to enforce state or federal law relating to management of wolves in Wisconsin. It also does not allow the Department of Natural Resources to expend any funds relating to wolf management other than paying claims under the endangered resources program for damage caused by wolves.

Please stand with the citizens of northern Wisconsin and co-sponsor LRB 3737/1 by calling Senator Tiffany’s office at 266-2509 or Rep. Jarchow’s office at 267-2365 by Friday, November 17th at 5:00 p.m.  (End of Jarchow’s email)

The following is the proposed legislation…

AN ACT to create 29.603 of the statutes; relating to: enforcement of federal and state laws relating to the management of the wolf population and to the killing of wolves and expenditure of funds for wolf management purposes.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill makes changes to the laws regulating wolf hunting and the laws authorizing funding for wolf management activities.
Under current law, the Department of Natural Resources is required to allow the hunting and trapping of wolves if the wolf is not listed on the U.S. list of endangered and threatened species and is not listed on the state endangered list.
This bill prohibits a law enforcement officer from enforcing a federal or state law that relates to the management of the wolf population in this state or that prohibits the killing of wolf in this state. The bill prohibits DNR from expending any funds for the purpose of managing the wolf population in this state other than for the purpose of making payments under the endangered resources program to persons who apply for reimbursement for certain damage caused by wolves or protecting private property, including domestic cattle, from wolf depredation. The bill also prohibits DNR from taking any action to inform or support federal law enforcement officers regarding the enforcement of any federal or state law relating to wolves. The bill specifies that these prohibitions apply only if wolves are listed on the U.S. list of endangered and threatened species. Under the bill, if wolves are removed from that list, the prohibitions in the bill will no longer apply.

The following is how Wisconsin manages its wild wolf population when it’s not on the ESL. 

The public is unaware that dogs are used to hunt wolves in Wisconsin when they are not listed on the federal or state endangered species list. Wisconsin’s state legislature sanctions the barbaric sport known as Wolf-Hounding. 

Wolves are currently protected under the ESA, but there are several bills in congress that call for delisting wolves. When wolves are not listed Wisconsin wolf hunters will use dogs to hunt them under the guise of sport. To read more about this click here.

Join Wolves of Douglas County Wisconsin’s campaign to end Wolf Hounding. Contact us: wolvesdouglasco@gmail.com 

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Featured images by Ian McAllister

“There has never been a more important time for the people of Wisconsin to show they are not going to give in to a small group of people that want to torture animals for fun under the guise of “sport.” ~Rachel Tilseth