MDHA's Mark Johnson NOT a proper candidate for LSOHC Executive

Post date: Aug 31, 2014 6:00:42 PM

Update 9/10/2014

They hired him!

The Minnesota Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC) is interviewing candidates for its next Executive Director (Orrick 2014, Anderson 2014).

Mark Johnson, Executive Director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, is not a proper candidate.

For example, take a look at his partisan proposal for an "enhanced wolf-harvest" (Albert 2014), described below.

First, the scientific background. In briefings preceding this article, and in this article itself, MN DNR officials were careful to point out that the increased estimate of moose numbers was "likely related to ideal survey conditions rather than any actual increase in the population." And further (for those who chose to ignore the first statement about ideal survey conditions) that Minnesota's two recent wolf hunting and trapping seasons were not likely to be related.

Despite the science, Mr. Johnson obviously felt confident enough in his own interpretation of the numbers to propose an "enhanced wolf-harvest"--as an "interesting" way to see how it would affect the moose population.

In other words, all evidence to the contrary, Mr. Johnson was eager to seize the opportunity to take more wolves.

In Mr. Johnson's words: "With the mortality of adult and calf moose being so high from a wolf standpoint, and now it seems like the moose population is more stable than we thought it would be, it would be interesting to see what enhanced wolf harvest within moose range would do to moose populations. It should be a viable alternative."

Sources

  • Albert, Joe. 2014. “Northeast Moose Population Estimate Increases.” Outdoor News MN, February 21.
  • Anderson, Dennis. 2014. “Lessard-Sams Council Clamor Is Predictable; Was It Avoidable?” Star Tribune, August 31. http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/273326721.html.
  • Orrick, Dave. 2014. “Dispute Erupts over next Lessard-Sams Director.” Pioneer Press, August 7. http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_26296168/dispute-erupts-over-next-lessard-sams-director.
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