DNR Investigating Wolf Poaching Case

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating two separate wolf poaching cases in the Upper Peninsula. One occured near the Mackinac-Luce county line close to M-117 southwest of Newberry. The dead wolf was found in Mackinac County’s Lakefield Township November 26. Conservation officers say the wolf had been killed at another location and transported to where it was dumped. The second poaching occurred in Schoolcraft County near Gulliver in Doyle Township. A wolf that was part of a wildlife study was killed and the tracking collar was removed and disposed of. Evidence of this poaching was also located November 26. Rewards are being offered in both cases. Anyone with information can call the DNR’s poaching hotline 24 hours a day and callers may remain anonymous. The maximum penalty for poaching a wolf is 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, plus reimbursement of $1,500 to the state for the animal. Poaching convictions also usually include a suspension of hunting privileges for four years. Wolves are a protected species in Michigan and cannot legally be killed except in defense of life.