West End News: December 24

Sandi Furlow of Lutsen had a big week last week. 
 
On December 19th she retired from her job as a bus driver for the Cook County School Distict and on December 22nd she celebrated her birthday. 
 
I wasn’t able to find out how many years Sandi drove the school bus, but it was certainly more than 30 years. She was beloved by her young riders and had a perfect safety record.  Sandi knows almost everybody’s car by sight and is by far the most cheerful and enthusiastic waver in the West End.
 
I’m also not sure which birthday Sandi celebrated, but given her retirement, we can easily make a good guess.  That said, if someone were meeting Sandi for the first time, they would invariably guess her to be much younger than she is.
 
Congratulations to Sandi and from the bottom or our hearts the West End thanks you for taking such good care of our children over the years.
 
A federal court ruling last week put our West End timber wolves back on the endangered species list.  This means that recreational hunting and trapping of wolves will no longer be allowed, probably for at least two years and maybe for much longer.
 
The history of interaction between wolves and humans is ancient and often fraught with emotion.  From experienced wolf biologists to people who have never seen one, most people seem to have strong opinions about wolves.
 
With all due respect to people who enjoy hunting and trapping wolves, I am happy that our West End wolves will no longer be hunted or trapped. 
 
I have nothing against hunting or trapping in itself. However, from my perspective as a person who makes a living in wilderness tourism, my hunch is that wolves contribute much more to the West End economy when they are alive and roaming the woods.
 
I can personally attest that visitors and locals alike are thrilled when the see or hear a wolf.  For many people it occupies an important spot on their bucket list.  I often meet people who have traveled here from all over the world with the hope of seeing a wolf or even a sign of a wolf.
 
The wildlife biologists correctly point out that new pups born each spring easily replace the wolves killed during the hunting season.  However, for the six months in between, the wolf numbers are reduced. 
 
Even more important is the fact that hunting and trapping plays havoc with the complex social structure within a wolf pack.  It is a hard thing to quantify, but some recent studies have indicated that killing wolves may create more problems than it solves when it comes to wolves preying on pets and livestock.  It is at the least an interesting theory that deserves further study.
 
The whole subject of wolves is complicated and nuanced, so it behooves all of us to keep an open mind and consider all the arguments.  Everyone has a legitimate claim to their own relationship with wolves no matter what the circumstances.  Public policy should try to strike a balance that best serves the wishes of the whole society.
 
All of this reminds me of a conversation I had many years ago with a Tofte native who absolutely hated wolves.  He must have known that I liked wolves because he confronted me one day, out of the blue, and demanded that I give him a single good reason why wolves shouldn’t be wiped off the face of the earth. 
 
I drew a breath to answer, but before I could say a word he interrupted, saying: “Don’t give me any of that BS about predator/prey relationships providing balance in nature.”  All I could do was shrug and lamely say that I kind of liked having the wolves around.  I’m pretty sure he went to his grave without changing his mind.
 
Trails are opening all over the West End just in time for the big holiday tourist season.  I notice that the state snowmobile trail has been groomed and ski trails over the hill are also being groomed.  Lutsen Mountains is fully open with truly excellent downhill skiing.  The lakes are safe for foot and snowmobile travel and ice fishing has been good, by all reports.
 
The snowy woods in the hills above the big lake are just like a classic Norman Rockwell painting at the moment, so get out and enjoy the wonderful West End when you have the time.