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State Senator Tom Casperson says he was shocked with the recent federal court ruling that threw out the decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. The move bans wolf hunting and trapping in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Escanaba Republican says it will cause problems in the Upper Peninsula where more than an estimated 630 wolves live.
He adds that he was disappointed with the results of the two November ballot proposals as well, but did mention that those who opposed the wolf hunt made every effort to get votes from those in the urban areas of the Lower Peninsula.
He says the ruling ties the hands of the state in managing the wolf population by prohibiting them from taking action against wolves that kill cattle or pets, which means the federal government has to step in. Casperson expects there will be some type of action taken by the state legislature in response to the ruling.
