The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that the statewide quota for the fall 2021 wolf season has been set at 130 wolves even though earlier this year the state natural resources board gave the green light for a limit of 300 wolves.
One reason the limit was set lower than approved is due to the over-harvest during the February 2021 hunt where 218 gray wolves were killed within 24 hours of the hunt beginning. To put that in perspective, that was 82% more than the set limit.
For the coming hunt, state-licensed hunters and trappers will be authorized to harvest 74 wolves within the six zones established in the department’s regulations. The department will also honor the Ojibwe Tribes’ treaty right within the Ceded Territory of 56. On October 25th the department plans to notify 370 successful applicants that they’re eligible to purchase a state wolf hunting license for this season.
There is currently a hearing scheduled for October 29th where six Chippewa tribes are trying to stop any future wolf hunts from happening because of how many were harvested during the previous season.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the federal endangered species list on January 4th, 2021, returning management authority to state agencies. As required by state statute, the DNR will continue to plan for a wolf harvest season to open on November 6th, 2021.
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