For the third year in a row, Wisconsin hunters killed more wolves than allowed by law.
Wolf hunting season runs from October 15th until the end of February…or until hunters reach a set limit of kills. This year’s limit was exceeded last week, with a total of 154 wolves trapped, shot, or corralled by dogs.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says 80% of the wolves killed were trapped. Six wolves were killed by hunters assisted by dogs: under the DNR’s rules, dogs aren’t allowed to actually attack the wolves. Wolf hunt protestors say fights are inevitable, so the DNR asked hunters to allow federal scientists to check their wolf carcasses for bites. It appears the only wolves examined in the study didn’t have dog bites…because they weren’t taken with dogs.
The DNR sets limits on the number that can be killed based on the estimated wolf population: the goal is to keep it around 350 at this point. The DNR is revisiting its wolf kill limits: it’s taking public input now on four different wolf population goal plans, and hunting limits would be determined from there.
