Last week, Wolf Patrol’s cause for focus on the unregulated killing of coyotes in the Great Lakes states was illustrated when a wolf killed by a legal snare was found near Duluth, Minnesota not far from where WP documented wolf hunting in October and December. We are continuing to cooperate with U.S Fish & Wildlife agents investigating wolf poaching and will continue our patrols in the area for future illegal hunting and wolf poaching. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Rod Coronado/Great Lakes Wolf Patrol teamwolfpatrol@gmail.org MINNESOTA WOLF KILLED BY LEGAL SNARE INTENDED FOR COYOTES Great Lakes Wolf Patrol, a citizen’s monitoring group with chapters in both Minnesota and Wisconsin is calling for the banning of snares and other legal hunting practices that inadvertently contribute to federally protected gray wolves being illegally killed. Last week near Duluth, Minnesota, a local resident found a dead gray wolf that had been dumped on a frozen river with a legal wire snare around its neck. Federal and state authorities were called in to investigate the incident. In addition to calling on Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) to ban the use of wire snares, Great Lakes Wolf Patrol is also offering a $1,500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for illegally killing gray wolves in Minnesota or the Great Lakes region. Last year during Wisconsin’s 2014 wolf hunt, Great Lakes Wolf Patrol monitored the activities of wolf trappers, including documenting and reporting to Wisconsin DNR law enforcement authorities illegal wolf trapping activity. In December 2014, GLWP also monitored the hound hunting of wolves along the northwestern border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. GLWP citizen monitors were also instrumental in the early close of Wisconsin’s hound hunt for wolves. The use of snares to kill coyotes year-around with no limit is not the only activity MN DNR allows that also endangers wolves in Minnesota. The state wildlife agency also allows the year-round killing of coyotes using trained radio-collared hunting hounds which also has resulted in numerous hunting hounds being killed by wolves. Great Lakes Wolf Patrol is requesting that MN DNR regulate coyote hunting, and prohibit take methods that also impact federally protected species’ such as gray wolves and Canada lynx.

Neck wound caused by wire snare strangulation

More information and evidence from Wolf Patrol field campaigns is available online @: wolf patrol.org and on Facebook: Wolf Patrol