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.

I just just heard on the radio that they got 61 yesterday and even 200, let alone 119, is a drop in the bucket if the state has 1,500. What ever happened to that 350 number that they set as a sustaining goal? Pup season will replace everything they take out and then some. Letters in the Wisconsin Outdoor News are calling for heads to roll on the DNR advisory board.

Maybe you should shoot the next one you see being bold instead of waiting for someone to tell you it’s ok?

Season closes tomorrow in the remaining zones at 3pm.

That harvest rate is impressive. I'd like to see a season in Minnesota as well. High wolf count can't be helping with the moose decline.

The good news is that we won’t have 178 more wolves to kick around this winter. Nice job in only three days and not even that in those three southern zones. Impressive that they got that many in so little time. The bad news is that their replacements are already in utero in about 25 wolf females. The term exponential growth potential sure comes to mind. They have cleaned out the northern deer herd and from the looks of that quick southern kill quota, they are there now too.

S hoot
S hovel
S hutup

Yall need to be killing EVERY ONE YOU SEE...

Any Wisconsin campfire members get to put one on the ground?

Congrats to all the successful hunters.

Whack em and say you thought they were coyotes! 😁😁😁😁

Talked to a guy this morning whose buddies up north killed four the first day running dogs.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/feb/24/hunters-and-trappers-exceed-wisconsin-wolf-kill-qu/

Of course the fuucktards were out and about......

Wisconsin wolf hunt update. 182 wolves killed as of 4:00 pm Feb. 25, 2021. Indians were given 81 permits, but they are not talking.

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/...7537484-7cf6-56d6-bd0f-21d0a0b4a76e.html

Wolf hunters vastly exceed Wisconsin quota in first hunt since federal protections dropped

Chris Hubbuch | Wisconsin State Journal
Wisconsin wolf hunters blew past the state’s quota in just three days during the state’s first wolf season since federal protections were lifted, exceeding the state quota by more than 50%.

The Department of Natural Resources reported at 4 p.m. Wednesday that hunters had registered 182 wolves since the hunt began Monday, or about 15% of the estimated population. The quota for non-native hunters was 119 wolves.

Hunters exceeded quotas in each of the six zones and killed more than double the allotment in two that cover the lower two thirds of the state and a large portion along the Michigan border, where hunting closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The rest of the state was closed to hunting at 3 p.m.

Wolf quota exceeded in three-day hunt
The DNR’s policy board approved a quota of 200 wolves, of which 81 were allocated to the Ojibwe Tribes in accordance with treaty rights for parts of northern Wisconsin that were ceded to the United States in the 1800s.

DNR spokeswoman Sarah Hoye said the total may not be met if the tribes do not use their allocation, which they have not done in previous seasons.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) opposed the hunt, which it said was held without an updated management plan, buffers to protect packs that live on reservation lands, or consultation with the tribes.

“To many Ojibwe communities, hunting in late February, a time when fur quality is poor and wolves are in their breeding season, is regarded as especially wasteful and disrespectful,” the organization said in a statement.

GLIFWC spokesman Dylan Jennings said he did not yet have data on how many — if any — wolves were taken by tribal members.

“Whatever the tribes choose to do with their permits, that’s their decision,” Jennings said.

Yeah, I am behind..............don't have the time to devote to the 'fire.

Update...Wolf kill up to 216 wolves. No word from the Indians.

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/...5e2751c-4530-5051-af77-de6d408b380e.html

Wolf kill total continues to rise well over quota in Wisconsin's first hunt after federal protections

Chris Hubbuch | Wisconsin State Journal

State wildlife officials say they’re confident Wisconsin’s wolf population can sustain losses from the first hunt since the lifting of federal protections even as hunters bagged far more than the established quota.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reported Thursday afternoon that hunters killed 216 wolves between Monday and Wednesday. That’s about 18% of the estimated state population and almost double the quota for non-native hunters.

“We did go over,” said DNR wildlife management director Eric Lobner. “Is that something we wanted to have happen? Absolutely not.”

Randy Johnson, a large carnivore specialist, said the agency will use data from the hunt to update its population estimate. Johnson said the population has grown and shrunk in response to previous hunts, though he noted it is a segment of a much larger population of wolves that roam across the Upper Midwest.

“We have a robust, resilient wolf population,” said Keith Warnke, administrator of the DNR’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Division. “We’re very confident we’ll be able to manage properly going forward.”

The DNR 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.

The DNR’s policy board approved a total quota of 200 wolves, which Johnson called a conservative number intended to keep the population level stable.

The state allocated 81 of those wolves to the Ojibwe Tribes that retain hunting and fishing rights in the northern portion of Wisconsin ceded to the United States in the 1800s.

In past hunts the tribes, who consider the wolf as a relative and oppose trophy hunting, have in past hunts not used their allocation, but wildlife officials say it could be weeks before they know whether any of those tribal wolves were killed.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC), which represents 11 Ojibwe tribes, opposed the hunt, which it said was held without an updated management plan, buffers to protect packs that live on reservation lands, or consultation with the tribes.

“Our tribal communities are disappointed and condemn the overage on the state’s part,” said GLIFWC spokesperson Dylan Jennings. “It speaks to some of the lack of enforceable management practices and lack of tribal consultation.”

The DNR said 54% of the wolves killed were male and 86% were hunted with dogs in conditions they described as ideal for tracking. About 5% were caught in traps and the rest taken through some other means.

Deputy Chief Warden Matt O’Brien said there were “a handful events” that led to some enforcement action but “no significant user conflicts.”

More than 27,000 people applied for licenses for the truncated hunting season, and the DNR issued 1,486 tags, including 21 to hunters from out of state.

The Trump administration removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list in January, returning management to the states. Wisconsin law requires a wolf hunt be held from November through February when federal protections are not in place.

The DNR initially planned to hold a hunt in November, saying it could not establish science-based quotas and comply with treaty requirements, but a Jefferson County judge ordered a hunt to be held this winter after a Kansas-based hunting group sued.

A state court of appeals dismissed the DNR’s request to block the order.

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.

What’s up with the Indians? Around here the tribes are the only ones allowed to kill wolves and they get after em pretty good.

looks like it was a great wolf hunt ! congrats ,Pete53

Some wolves are beautiful animals and I'd love to have a hide on the wall. Some, however, are just plain ugly. This pic was taken in WY.

The Ojibwe here think the wolves are their relatives.

This one was caught dining on Montana beef.

The DNR knows damn well the injuns aren't going to shoot any.

Those 81 injun tags never should have been included in the quota to begin with.