The state Department of Natural Resources is proposing a quota for a fall wolf hunt. The DNR’s Tom Hauge says wildlife managers are proposing a quota of between 142 and 233 wolves, during a five month-long hunt in three different zones. “We’re trying to be pretty conservative,” says Hauge. “We’re committed to the long-term health and conservation of wolves in the state of Wisconsin. We think they’re a majestic animal and we want to keep them on the landscape.”
Public hearings on the quota proposal are already underway and Hauge says additional public comment will be gathered on-line, via the DNR website – just do a search for “wolf.”
Lawmakers approved a wolf hunt earlier this year, after the animal was removed from the endangered species list by the federal government. The DNR will submit a final recommendation to the Natural Resources Board on July 17th, for a hunt to begin in October. “This is, to put in baseball terms, our rookie year. And we don’t have a lot of experience in terms of success rates, to base our decision-making on, so we are going the conservative side,” says Hauge. There are an estimated 1,000 wolves in Wisconsin.