EAST LANSING - Although the doors were shut for wolf hunting in Michigan on Election Day, doors were opened to explore the influence scientific knowledge has in managing wildlife after wolves were removed from the endangered species list back in 2012.

That's exactly what MSU researchers Meredith Gore and Michelle Lute did in their most recent study, which was published in the Journal of Wildlife Management.

Although decisions about wildlife management are largely guided by science, the report says, decisions about the grey wolf management are often guided by both science and varying levels of local knowledge of the issue. It said simply allowing a combination of local knowledge and scientific data guide decisions about grey wolf management may not lead to the desired outcomes and since local knowledge varies between regions, it can lead to conflicts causing delays in wildlife management.  

We saw conflicting ideas about wolf management manifest in the most recent election.

In case you didn't understand the proposal a yes vote would have given the Natural Resources Commission authority to decide which animals are game including wolves and a no vote let voters decide that wolves were not game and remove that authority from the Natural Resource Commission.  

The Michigan United Conservation Clubs campaigned for a yes vote which was ultimately defeated. Matt Evans, the group's legislative affairs manager told HOMTV why he thinks gaming decisions should be left in the hands of the Natural Resources Commission.

"We have the moose population in Michigan," he said, "but it's a very fragile population and the NRC knows that. The DNR biologists know that. So, there has never been a hunting season on the moose because one has never been recommended. So, they really do know what they are doing. They really do listen to the biologists and get a lot of professional input from folks who are in the 'know' on these subjects and make these decisions." 

The report was conducted by interviewing various stakeholders about research concepts such as science, knowledge, and power interactions between stakeholders and decision makers. Some of the key themes the study noted from the interviews was that political power overrides science in decision making and distrust exists among stakeholders. 

The report also said interviewees generally supported the use of scientific knowledge in wolf management but discussed prevalence of misinformation and lack of adequate information.