In the rushed run-up to the gray wolf slaughter
greenlit by a Jefferson County judge in an unappealable ruling, the state's official plan included quotas:
During the Natural Resources Board Special Meeting on Feb. 15, the board unanimously voted for a harvest quota of 200 wolves outside reservation lands. Of the approved quota, 119 wolves are allocated to the state, and 81 wolves are allocated to the Ojibwe Tribes in response to the Tribes’ declaration and in accordance with their treaty rights within the Ceded Territory.
The department's approved quota considered 2020 wolf population data, population response to previous harvest seasons, scientific literature, and population model projections. The quota's objective is to allow for a sustainable harvest that neither increases nor decreases the state's wolf population.
I see the word four times in those two summary paragraphs from the DNR website.
But now we read that the quota system - which connotes fixed quantities that can and should be enforced if the authorities care to do it - was more of a 'goal.'
So, what - oops? Our bad?
Heck. no - the quotas were allowed to grow - more than 80% to 216 - and morph into goals. Oh, how shocking!
Was that something we wanted to have happen? Absolutely not.' Gray wolf kill rises to 216, 82% above state-licensed goal
File that tactic away should you get pulled over by a state trooper for going far in excess of 100 per hour on I-94 where official signage says the speed limit is 70.
"Yes, officer, I know the posted limit is 70, but isn't that considered more of a goal?''
And the state-sanctioned shoulder shrug as its wolf-killing quotas were dying with the animals in the woods - just as the quotas did in all recent, state-sanctioned killings - looks like it will guide 'management' of future 'harvests' of this portion of Wisconsin's wildlife trust - allotted through special interest pressure for $49 bucks a shot to hounders newly-enabled to run dog packs through wolf dens at night during the breeding season:
"We have a robust, resilient wolf population," said Keith Warnke, DNR administrator of parks, land and wildlife. "I think we are very confident we will be able to manage (wolves) properly going forward."