Letter: MLIVE series on Michigan Wolf Hunt exposes violations, asks questions

Letter received Nov. 5, 2013. Reprinted with permission.

Author's Note: The message below was sent to Ontonagon County Prosecutor Jim Jessup and the Ontonagon County Sheriff:

MLIVE reporter John Barnes, has exposed several issues in his series about the Michigan Wolf Hunt.*  There are also several sidebar articles at www.mlive.com.  The series has been picked up by at least 9 papers and illustrates many violations that should/must be investigated. 

1.  Violations of dead cattle not being buried (reporter said he saw one in October). This has been an ongoing problem, pictures werepublished in May. Photos that appear in these articles show bones across the field.
2. Possible animal neglect (I have called about this at least 10 times going back to last year when the donkeys were still alive but in poor condition).** Now, two of the donkeys are dead and one was removed in poor condition. I am once again attaching the DNR report from earlier this year.
3. Using deer parts to bait wolves (Koski admitted to the reporter).

Also exposed is the cozy relationship Judge Tingstad has with Koski and Tom Casperson.  I know personally that Andy was one of the shooters at the Koski farm and therefore, would have had first hand knowledge of the violations at the farm.  Could this be the reason nothing is being done to enforce the law? Are you being told by Casperson, the judge or the DNR not to enforce the law? The public demands answers.

Nancy Warren**
Ewen, Michigan

* (UPDATED) Click on each of these links for the series of MLIVE articles on the Michigan Wolf Hunt by John Barnes:

"The Michigan myth: How lawmakers turned this true wolf story into fiction."

"Michigan's wolf hunt: How half truths, falsehoods and one farmer distorted reasons for historic hunt."

"John Koski, Part 1: Tour the farm with more wolf attacks than anyone in Michigan's Upper Peninsula."

"John Koski, Part 2: See how Michigan is cracking down on the cattle farmer with the most wolf attacks."

"Crying wolf: Michigan's first hunt heavily influenced by outside interests; follow the money."

"Michigan wolf hunt: Rolf Peterson, globally known wolf expert, argues a hunt is ill conceived."

** Editor's Notes: Nancy Warren, author of this letter, is National Wolfwatcher Coalition Great Lakes Regional director.

See also our June 27, 2013, article by Nancy Warren: "Opinion: Nearly half of wolf depredations attributed to one farm with poor animal husbandry practices."