Why is Tammy Baldwin Blocking Hunters from Managing Wisconsin’s Out-of-Control Wolf Population?
The out-of-touch Senator for Madison is doing everything to sic the wolves on northern Wisconsin hunters—literally
Northern Wisconsin’s hunters and ranchers are fighting a losing war with the state’s dangerous and rapidly growing gray wolf population, costing them livestock and livelihoods. But Democrat politicians seem bent on backing the predators over their own constituents.
In 1979, legislators reintroduced gray wolves to Wisconsin as protected wildlife under the Endangered Species Act, a measure that was only supposed to last until the population returned to 350 animals. Fast forward 45 years, and gray wolf populations are now estimated between 1,000 and 4,000 predators—far beyond the original goal of re-population—yet the predators remain “temporarily” protected by federal law.
That’s bad news for farmers, ranchers, hunters, and other rural residents who’ve seen their animals and pets eaten by wolves. Northern Wisconsinites have sought to have the gray wolf removed from the Endangered Species list so they can properly and scientifically manage the population through state and local agencies, which could regulate gray wolf hunting.
But Madison Democrats—most notably Sen. Tammy Baldwin—are choosing the wolves over the wolves’ victims.
“If we don't get to a position where we can manage wolves with science, then wolves will eat every deer in the state of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and then they're going to turn on the dogs, the livestock, and eventually the children,” Hunter Nation founder and CEO Keith Mark told Restoration News.
When Democrats Stop “Trusting the Science”
Lawmakers have undertaken numerous efforts to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act, but it has all been political gamesmanship, as they all fail to address one key aspect known as “judicial Review,” Mark told Restoration News.
In May 2024, H.R. 764, known as the Gray Wolf Delisting Bill, passed the U.S. House. The legislation now sits in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The legislation, also known as the “Trust the Science Act,” adds the necessary language of “no Judicial review” which gives each state and the state wildlife agencies the ability to manage the gray wolf population as they currently manage all wildlife within its state’s border.
“The science is clear, the gray wolf has met and exceeded recovery goals,” said Wisconsin Rep. and bill sponsor Tom Tiffany (R). “Today's House passage represents an important first step towards restoring local control over the skyrocketing gray wolf population in Wisconsin. I will continue to fight to get this legislation through the U.S. Senate to protect livestock and pets from brutal wolf attacks.”
It seems like a commonsense measure that is backed by science, but it is clear leftist politicians resent relinquishing any form of federal power—even when it is necessary to protect wildlife, livestock, and children.
“Animosity toward wolves is understandable. Think Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs and more. Wolves are predators,” Environment America, a group that donates to almost exclusively Democrats, said about H.R. 764. “But here’s the counter vision. Our lives are better in a world filled with beauty and nature. Howling wolves are a rich, important part of this vision. So let’s help the species continue to recover and rewild our planet.”
The group is focused on gray wolf population recovery, but Wisconsin gray wolves, by the smallest estimates, are already 185 percent past their recovery goal.
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What’s Next for Hunters and Farmers?
In 2000, Wisconsin had a gray wolf population of just 248, while the deer hunting harvest for that season reached 618,000. By 2023, the gray wolf population had surged to an estimated 1,000–4,000, causing the annual deer hunting harvest to fall to less than 300,000.
The unchecked growth of the gray wolf population has made it increasingly difficult for hunters to secure a sustainable food source, yet “progressive” politicians remain indifferent. Despite the passage of H.R. 764 in the House, two senators, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin, declined to endorse the legislation.
While Baldwin claims to support delisting the gray wolf, her actions suggest otherwise, revealing political maneuvering rather than genuine advocacy.
In 2021, Baldwin introduced the Northern Great Lakes Wolf Recovery Act, which she claimed would take efforts to delist the gray wolf. The only issue, the legislation did not have a “no judicial review” clause.
“The Northern Great Lakes Wolf Recovery Act is a deliberate approach that follows the science and gives impacted communities a seat at the table as we work together to be responsible stewards of Wisconsin’s gray wolf population,” Baldwin said at the time.
It was merely a tactic to persuade hunters that she was concerned about the deer population, but the legislation achieved nothing.
“Legislators playing political gamesmanship support bills that delist the wolf. It’s not worth the paper it’s written on. We would be exactly where we are. If a bill was passed in Congress today that says delist the grey wolf, the anti-hunting groups would go back to California and have a judge put it back on the list,” Mark told Restoration News.
Baldwin has supported and introduced delisting bills, but she refuses to back any legislation that includes the phrase “without judicial review.” Simply because that provision would ensure the gray wolf is fully delisted—something she obviously is against.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin does not stand for the interests of Wisconsin hunters. If left to her own devices, she would seemingly allow wolves to decimate the state's deer population, ultimately undermining hunting altogether.
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