Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Wisconsin Wolf hunt authorized

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/...340c8d9-ad18-5cb2-8eab-8ac699dc638c.html

Wisconsin DNR to issue 4,000 licenses for February wolf hunt; state appeals court order

Wisconsin's Natural Resources Board on Monday approved issuing up to 2,000 licenses to hunt the animal, which was removed last month from the endangered species list.

Acting on orders of a Jefferson County judge, the Natural Resources Board voted unanimously Monday to authorize a February hunting and trapping season for the gray wolf, which was removed last month from the federal endangered species list.

The DNR will issue up to 4,000 permits based on a recommended quota of 200 wolves.

That’s twice as many permits as recommended by staff, but board member Greg Kazmierski said given the shortened season having more hunters in the field would make it more likely to hit the quota. It would result in about one hunter per four square miles, about 2.5% the density of deer hunters.

“It’s not like there will be a wolf hunter behind every tree,” Kazmierski said.

The agency estimates there were 1,195 wolves in the state as of April 2020. The state wolf management plan goal is 350 wolves living outside of tribal reservations.

In a memo to the board, DNR Secretary Preston Cole said public and tribal input was “very limited” and that the Wolf Advisory Committee was unable to meet on the proposed quota, which is designed to ensure stability of the wolf population.

Natural Resources program supervisor Dave MacFarland said it’s hard to predict exactly how the wolf population will respond, especially given that the unusual timing of the hunt.

“Even with 1000 wolves on the landscape, every 10 wolves represents 1% of the population,” MacFarland said. “There’s going to be uncertainty.”

The application period opens at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday through gowild.wi.gov or through a license agent. The DNR will announce drawing results on Feb. 22, and winners can begin hunting and trapping once they purchase a license. The season ends on Feb. 28.

The DNR will then begin accepting license applications for the November season on March 1.

There was no public testimony at Monday’s meeting, but the board received nearly 2,000 written comments after posting a meeting notice Friday.

The wolf hunt has been a contentious issue for years. Those who favor hunting say the animals kill livestock and pets and terrorize rural residents, while wildlife supporters say the creatures are too beautiful to kill, and Native American tribes consider them sacred.

In January the board narrowly rejected a call from GOP lawmakers to hold a winter wolf hunt amid concerns that the department had not consulted tribal nations as required by treaties and did not have time to set quotas.

But Circuit Judge Bennett Brantmeier ordered the agency to hold a hunt this month after the head of Hunter Nation Inc. sued the DNR, claiming it had violated hunters’ constitutional rights.

The state on Monday asked the court of appeals to put a hold on Brantmeier's order, arguing he misunderstood the law and that holding a hunt in February will require the DNR to disregard steps in administering a hunting season that are outlined in state law or in tribal treaties.

The Department of Justice asked the court of appeals to rule by 5 p.m. Monday, saying it would avoid the certain confusion and frustration that would arise if the court were to block the hunt after the application period opens.

An appeals panel on Monday afternoon gave the Kansas-based hunting organization until noon Wednesday to respond.

NRB Chair Frederick Prehn said the DOJ did not consult with the Natural Resources Board before filing the appeal.

“Court stay or no court stay, our task remains the same,” Prehn said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the endangered species list on Jan. 4, returning management authority to the lower 48 states and tribes. State law requires the DNR to allow wolf trapping and hunting from November through February if wolves are not listed as endangered.

Proponents of the wolf hunt fear President Joe Biden will return the animal to the endangered species list before the November hunt.

Wisconsin last held a wolf hunt in 2014, but the law allows people to shoot wolves if there is an immediate threat to human safety or if wolves are attacking domestic animals on private land.

now we need Minnesota to be court ordered to open the wolf season right now too ! and over rule this foolish Governor Walz a wolf lover.

Michigan needed to open the season NOW.....the wolves are over running my property ........

Looks like I picked the wrong week to go hunt coyotes in KS.

roundoak - are you going to give it a go or just do the PP?

Going to be a short season hounds and trappers will be golden, I’ll just send in for a point.

Scott, my neighbor and I are going to apply for a license and we have a spot already selected.

My Great-grandmother always said she could season
deer in the pot.


Ain't eating them, but what worked for deer...

Pretty much going to be a $196,000. donation to the state at $49.00 a license. Most hunters that I know have never even seen a wolf in the wild. The trappers should get a few, but the hound bear guys that I know are scared to put their dogs out there in wolf country. If the state was serious about getting rid of wolves, they would aerial gun them during the winter. A two week season is lip service to a few hunters imo.

It's so cool when your betters give you permission! Now take them knee pads off, wipe off your chin, and go kill a wolf!

It's a joke. 200 tags, don't announce the results until opening morning and set during the work week.

Well, yeah but it's a CYA thing.
In the grand scheme of things though, it's better than none at all or sharp stick in the eye.

I snagged a point instead.....

I did as well.

Hounds did just fine last time, there’s a difference between running a single wolf and getting ambushed by a pack.

I hope you are right. They are getting way too bold here. When I hunted up near Superior I had one come up behind me from down wind, so he knew that I was there. We looked at each other for a while, but he sure wasn't afraid. I talked to a guy up in Rhinelander and he said the wolves were coming into people's yards and killing their dogs. There are few enough deer up north and the state shouldn't wonder what is happening with the elk herd in the Cable area.

At least they're going to have a season over your way. They protect them here like the dodo.
MN DNR tells us every year that there are between 2800 to 3200 wolves in the state.
Scuttlebutt, (and it is just that) puts the number at at least twice that, and possibly three
times those numbers. Regardless, there is no shortage of wolves in Northern MN, WI, and MI.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/...-dnr-request-to-stop-wisconsin-wolf-hunt

Appeals court denies DNR request to stop Wisconsin wolf hunt

The Associated Press Madison, Wis.February 20, 2021 7:24 a.m.

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals on Friday dismissed a Department of Natural Resources request to stop the state’s wolf hunt, which is scheduled to begin next week.

A Jefferson County judge ruled last week that the Wisconsin DNR had to establish a wolf hunting and trapping season this month. The DNR appealed that ruling, which came in a lawsuit filed by the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty on behalf of Hunter Nation Inc., a Kansas-based hunting advocacy group.

The appeals court ruled Friday that the order was not a final judgment, so the appellate court has no jurisdiction over it. The appeal was dismissed.

Earlier Wolf hunt approved in Wisconsin as legal fight continues

Up to 200 animals will be allowed to be harvested during the weeklong wolf hunt from Feb. 22 through Feb. 28. The permit application period closes at midnight Saturday. Results of a drawing for 4,000 permits will be available on Feb. 22 and the winners will be able to hunt and trap as soon as they purchase their license and print their carcass tag.

Wisconsin law required there to be a wolf hunting season from early November through the end of February if the wolf is not on the endangered or threatened species list. It was removed from the federal endangered species list on Jan. 4.

Last month, the Wisconsin DNR board refused to start a hunt before November, noting that Wisconsin's Chippewa tribes hadn't been consulted as per treaty requirements. But Republican state lawmakers raised concerns that President Joe Biden might restore protections for the wolves before then.

Supporters of the hunt contend the wolf population can withstand it and the wolves are a danger to livestock and pets. But opponents, including biologists and wildlife advocacy groups, contend the wolves, a native species to Wisconsin, have not fully recovered and continue to need protection so their numbers will not dwindle to the point of extinction. Native American tribes in Wisconsin have also registered opposition, saying the wolf is a sacred animal.

Looks like areas are already being closing starting tomorrow

It's only Tuesday, why is that? Isn't that 200 quota state wide?

After 1 day of hunting 3 of the 6 zones had over 50% of the quota for that zone registered so they figure after today they’ll hit quota for those areas. And with a 24 hour register period I’m sure those numbers are low.

Goes to show you how many wolves there really is in the state if they’re having that much success that early.

The quota is actually only 119 and it’s broken down into 6 different zones.