Preliminary Wolf Hunting Harvest Quota Set for Wisconsin

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials have announced a preliminary quota of between 142 and 233 wolves for the state’s first wolf hunting and trapping season.

Officials called the quota conservative and said the goals of the first season are simply to provide wolf hunting and trapping opportunities within the state, to begin to move the wolf population toward the established goal of 350 and to monitor, learn and adapt for future seasons. There were an estimated 815 to 880 wolves in Wisconsin this winter.

“The department is committed to managing the wolf as a sustainable native species in Wisconsin. Our wolf management will be guided by the management plan, science and social considerations,” DNR Wildlife Ecologist Bill Vander Zouwen said in a release. “Wolves are very important to many people both because of their values and concerns for their impacts. The DNR will continue to involve a wide diversity of stakeholders in management discussions as we move forward.”

The proposed quota includes seven wolf harvest zones with quotas for each zone. The map included above illustrates the proposed zones and quotas. Harvest zones would be closed to hunting and trapping when the quota is approached in each zone. License holders would be allowed to hunt in any zone.

Hunters and trappers will be able to apply for wolf licenses from Aug. 1 to 31. The DNR is expecting to offer five times as many tags as the final wolf quota number, which has not yet been determined. There will be a $10 application fee. Those who draw tags will receive notice in early September. Licenses will cost $100 for resident hunters and trappers and $500 for non-residents. The wolf hunting and trapping season begins Oct. 15 and runs through February.

The Wisconsin DNR is looking for feedback on the quota, zones and other aspects of the wolf hunting and trapping season now. For more information on providing feedback, read the full release on the Wisconsin DNR website. Final DNR recommendations are expected to be made by early July.

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4 thoughts on “Preliminary Wolf Hunting Harvest Quota Set for Wisconsin

  1. Applicatins Should only be open for residents who have had a trapping or small game tag within the last five years …that would limit the amount of anti people applying for tags

    • What a brilliant idea!If the required trapping exam, over priced licenses, over regulation and low quotas on special furbearers aren’t enough to discourage non-resident trappers,let’s only sell wolf licenses to residents and pretend it is to stop anti’s.It is getting hard for non-residents to tell where Minnesota stops and Wisconsin begins.Paranoia is ignorance in the twenty-first century,we are all trappers.When will the insanity end?Wake up!

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