Positions of Minnesota Candidates for State Offices On Wolf Hunt and Wildlife Issues

Howling For Wolves sent questionnaires to Minnesota candidates for State offices (incumbents and challengers). The questionnaire position summaries from the candidates who responded are presented in the table below. The original questions are presented after the table.
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District Name Position Party Body City Q1 - Have Wolf Hunt in MN Q2 - Eliminate Snaring Q3 - Require Written Permission to Trap Q4 - Support Non-Lethal Methods Q5 – Prohibit Selling Wolf Fur
01A George Bass Challenger - Dan Fabian DFL House Thief River Falls Oppose Yes Yes Yes Undecided
05B Dennis Barnsness Challenger - Tom Anzelc GREEN House Grand Rapids Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
07 Erik Simonson Open seat - replacing Roger Reinert DFL Senate Duluth Oppose Undecided Yes Yes Yes
07A Jennifer Schultz Incumbent DFL House Duluth Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
08 Bill Ingebrigtsen Incumbent GOP Senate Alexandria Support Undecided No Yes No
13 Micheal Willemsen Challenger - Michelle Fischbach DFL Senate Sauk Rapids Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
13B Matthew Crouse Challenger - Tim O-Driscoll DFL House Sauk Rapids Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
15 Chilah Brown Open seat - replacing David Brown DFL Senate Isle Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
18B Darrel Mosel Challenger - Glenn Gruenhagen DFL House Gaylord Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
22B Kirby Kruse Challenger - Rod Hamilton DFL House Windom Support Non-answer Yes Non-answer No
29B Steve Kilburn Challenger - Marion O'Neill DFL House Buffalo Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
31B Susan Larson Open seat - replacing Tom Hackbarth DFL House Ham Lake Support Yes Yes Non-answer Yes
35 Roger Johnson Challenger - Jim Abler DFL Senate Coon Rapids Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
37 Jerry Newton Open seat - replacing Alice Johnson DFL Senate Coon Rapids Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
38A Kevin Fogarty Challenger - Linda Runbeck DFL House Centerville Support Yes Yes Yes No
39B Alan Kantrud Challenger - Kathy Lohmer DFL House Stillwater Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
40 Chris Eaton Incumbent DFL Senate Brooklyn Center Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
43 Chuck Wiger Incumbent DFL Senate Maplewood Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
43 Chris Belflower Challenger - Chuck Wiger IND Senate Mahtomedi Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
43A Bob Cardinal Challenger - Peter Fischer GOP House Maplewood Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
44B Jon Applebaum Incumbent DFL House Minnetonka Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
45 Roxana Bruins Challenger - Ann Rest GOP Senate Crystal Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
48 Steve Cwodzinski Challenger - David Hann DFL Senate Eden Prairie Undecided Yes Yes Yes Yes
48A Laurie Pryor Open seat - replacing Yvonne Selcer (D) DFL House Minnetonka / Eden Prairie Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
50A Linda Slocum Incumbent DFL House Bloomington / Richfield Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
53A JoAnn Ward Incumbent DFL House Woodbury / Oakdale Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
54B Don Slaten Open seat - replacing Denny McNamara DFL House Hastings Oppose Yes Yes Yes Undecided
55B Cecilia Haakenson Challenger - Tony Albright DFL House Prior Lake Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
61B Tom Gallagher Challenger - Paul Thissen GOP House Minneapolis Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
63A Jim Davnie Incumbent DFL House Minneapolis Oppose Yes Yes Yes Undecided
65B Margaret Stokely Challenger - Carlos Mariani GOP House St. Paul Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes
66A Alice Hausman Incumbent DFL House St. Paul Oppose Yes Yes Yes Yes

 

2016 Legislative Candidate Survey Questions:

Q1: Do you support keeping the automatic wolf trophy hunt in Minnesota? Despite protections under the Endangered Species Act, a recreational wolf hunting and trapping season remains in state law and would automatically go into effect the moment federal protections are lifted.

Q2: Do you support trapping reforms to eliminate snaring - a type of trapping that uses cheap wire nooses to catch animals? Snares kill non-targeted animals, including dogs, pheasants, wolves, moose, lynx, and songbirds. They’re meant to choke the animal to death, but often grab other body parts creating amputations, disembowelment, and fatal disabilities. Twenty (20) states have effectively eliminated the recreational use of snares because it is a non-targeted and cruel method of killing wild animals.

Q3: Do you support requiring written permission to trap on private property? Howling For Wolves seeks to have Minnesota join 22 other states that support private property owners and stronger requirements to obtain clear, written permission from a landowner to set traps on someone’s private property. Current Minnesota law allows trappers to set traps on private property without the landowner’s permission, unless it is agricultural land or adequately posted that trespass is prohibited. Wisconsin has required landowner permission to hunt/trap since 1995.

Q4: Do you support helping farmers, wolves, and communities coexist by supporting smart and nonlethal strategies that prevent conflicts? Reducing predation on livestock and supporting farmers/ranchers is a shared goal of Howling For Wolves with the agriculture community. Nonlethal methods — such as the use of guard animals, fences, lights, & carcass removal — reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.

Q5: Do you support prohibiting captive wolf exhibits, “petting zoos,” and other wildlife sanctuaries from selling wolf furs for profit?

See also:
Select MN and WI Federal Candidates' Stance on Wolf Issues
Minnesota's Wolf Champions
Game and Fish Bill Amendments Voting Records - May 16, 2016