Whitehorse Star on February 15, 2008
Re: Star letter, Feb. 8, "Wolves, wolves, wolves and wolf skulls".

Why do you want to kill more wolves?

The wolf skull mystery is finally solved!

Mr. Frank Johnstone, it took several letters to the editor and one news
article in which you were named (but you declined to comment in that
article) before you finally responded more than three weeks after your wolf
skull "gift" was delivered to me.

And you call me a coward, and yourself a victim.

Your letter seemed full of self-pity. What do you call a person who sets
traps without any regard for the suffering of target and non-target animals
that become victims of the traps?

It is the animals that are the victims. Not you, Sir.

And what do you call the people who are hiding behind you, who are afraid to
put their own names forward in support of your cause?

It looks like your letter was written by more people than just yourself. But
I commend you for putting your own name on it.

This mutual friend that you referred to in your letter is not a friend of
mine. A friend would have informed me right away of the reason he was asked
to deliver the wolf skull to me.

Mr. Johnstone, you appear to be implying that I was the person who
"plastered" your name on the Internet regarding you wanting to kill 2,000
wolves.

You might want to refer to Chuck Tobin's Star article on Dec. 20/07 on the
possible wolf hunt expansion.

Note: it appears a blogger in Colorado, U.S.A. picked up the story, probably
from the Star website, and skewed the story.

(Hello: it was not me.)

And did you not say in the public meeting on the proposed Wildlife Act
revisions that you have baited, trapped and shot many wolves?

You seemed to be very proud of this. It was you that identified yourself as
a trapper, and this information was also in Chuck Tobin's article of Dec.
20.

No wonder this got blogged on the Internet. When your name goes into the
paper, it is subject to people seeing it all over the world via the
Internet. That's life.

First, you sounded proud of being a trapper; then you were "shocked" that
your being a trapper who kills wolves was posted on the Internet.

Then you invited me to visit your murder line (excuse me, trapline), except
you don't want me to take a camera or computer along.

What are you afraid of?

I thought your occupation was a noble one. Don't you want the rest of the
world to see how wonderful life is on a trapline?

Wonderful for the animals, that is? And do you speak for all trappers?

So you want to educate me on trapping. You say you did this "poor wolf" a
favour. (You trappers are all legends, aren't you? Keeping nature healthy.)

I suppose you are doing a favour to all the healthy animals you kill, too.

Tell us: how does it feel when you kill a magnificent, healthy animal? How
about a pregnant female? How about adults who are nursing or raising pups?

Are you not concerned about pups perishing because other pack members do not
return to nurture them? Do you think these pups don't grieve or suffer?

I don't find anything more archaic and upsetting than the trapper out
enjoying his freedom, while knowing that animals have likely become victim
to his traps.

Traps, by their nature, are inhumane. Period.

Mr. Johnstone: as a representative of the Teslin Renewable Resource Council,
you have yet to explain or justify why you want permission from the
government to kill more wolves, which includes extending the wolf-killing
season to the end of April.

Again: why?

Praise the wolves!

Mike Grieco
Whitehorse