Judge’s wolf hunt decision ignores basic biology

Coming off of one of my best weeks of the year – grouse camp — I get hit with the question of what I think of the most recent political IED called the wolf hunt.

Camp had several days that were unseasonably warm this year. I would venture to utter another political IED known as climate change, but this is about wolves. Now, one wouldn’t be able to dispute the whole climate change thingy since last year on the same week we had a snow storm on Oct. 20 that dropped several inches of snow and effectively sent the woodcock winging on their merry way to points south that didn’t have six inches of snow cover.

This year, on Tuesday we sat on the deck of the cabin getting a sunburn while discussing the controversial points of bird dogs, grouse hunting and such. If that’s your greatest source of contention, you’ve already won.

Butyouknowtheclimatechangethingy has some skeletons in its closet. Like these things called dinosaur skeletons. I saw a few — skeletons in museums, I’m not that old — they’re kind of big, really. But it got too cold, glaciers formed and theydied.Thesenewandanimalsthrived while the dinosaurs died. Animals like wooly mammoths and lions far larger than the African lions of today — that would be something that could create some depredation complaints. But all those creatures died because it got to warm again and the glaciers melted. You know, the climate changed. And fossil fuel engines wouldn’t even exist for like another 10,000 years.

So, while sitting at the bar after dinner at our end of grouse camp, the guy next to me nudges me to point out a late news story that a judge put a stop to the wolf hunt. It’s been a circus leading up to this. For instance, one side is mad because the other side won’t approve their pick for Natural Resources Board appointee. But the side that’s mad actually once did this first and now is mad. So they had the DNR ignore the wolf harvest quotas approved by the NRB as a response to the citizenry.

The thing is, the side that is mad pulled this trigger first once again, and all the experts agree this is unconstitutional (the big reason given on why this judge gave for staying the wolf hunt was that it might be unconstitutional). Then again the side that is doing the blocking of the NRB appointee really wants to do two things which would require altering of the Wisconsin constitution. They want to eliminate and usurp the power of the citizens through the Conservation Congress and they want to usurp the power of the NRB.

The side that is mad doesn’t want this at all. They just want to control the NRB with their appointees – to promote their agenda. If this move stands — and it very well might— it gives the other side exactly what they’ve wanted for years. All to reduce the quota of wolves. Neither side took into account the biology of wolves when they picked a number.

The entities that file lawsuits requesting a stay of the wolf season don’t consider the biology of the species either. And what about guys like me who believe bird dogs are sacred, a kindred spirit? What about those sacred animals when a wolf kills one in their owner’s yard when they go out to take a pee? In fact, there are more wolves in the Great Lakes States then Gordon Setters nationally. Why don’t they care about Gordon Setters? What a wonderful world it would be if there were more Gordon Setters than wolves.

They try to hide their politics by claiming biological stability. Only a couple Animal Planet armchair biologists drink that Kool aide. It kind of reminds me of the Eddie Murphy standup from the 80’s – I know that you know that I know that you know that I know. I’m just waiting from someone to blurt out “hey there Ralphie boy!”

We covered their BS about the so-called egregious overharvest with the screwed up 30 second wolf hunt in February of this year. Whenever they say it’s not about the politics, it’s about the politics.

In the end, politics disguised as biology means we, the citizens, loose the pets in their yards, loose cattle in pastures, loose the deer loose, and the wolves certainly loose.

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CHUCK K OLAR LOCAL OUTDOORSMAN