Paul Smith | Outdoors Editor
Associated Press
Wisconsin had an estimated population of 815 to 880 wolves in late winter, according to the DNR.
The agency released the figures Wednesday in advance of four meetings planned to collect public input on what would be Wisconsin's first regulated wolf harvest.
"We're trying to be somewhat conservative this first year," said Bill Vander Zouwen, DNR wildlife manager. "Our goal is to reduce wolf numbers but also retain a viable population."
The agency's plan calls for seven wolf harvest zones, each with a quota. Zones that have experienced more problems with wolf depredations will have higher quotas, Vander Zouwen said.
The plan would also place added hunting and trapping pressure outside of the core wolf range, a tactic designed to allow higher wolf numbers in the best wolf habitat as well as curb wolves from moving into new areas.
Hunters and trappers would be required to register wolves by telephone or Internet within 24 hours of the kill. The state would issue an emergency closure in any zone that reached its quota.
Wisconsin had an estimated population of 815 to 880 wolves in late winter, according to the DNR. The recovery goal for the state was 350 wolves outside American Indian reservations.
The wolf was removed from protections of the federal Endangered Species Act and returned to state management in January.
Wisconsin lawmakers established many aspects of the wolf season in Act 169. Passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Scott Walker in April, the act calls for a season to run from Oct. 15 to the end of February.
It also legalizes the use of dogs, electronic calls, bait and night hunting to pursue wolves.
Hunters and trappers would pay a $10 application fee. Licenses would be issued through a drawing and cost $100 for residents and $500 for non-residents.
The wolf hunting and trapping legislation has been supported by many hunting and conservation groups, including the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association.
"There is a need to manage the wolf population to a lower level," said George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. "The quotas might be too conservative, though, to actually accomplish that goal."
The DNR is anticipating a 20% success rate among wolf license holders. As a result, it plans to issue five times as many licenses as the final quota.
License holders would be able to hunt in any zone.
The prospect of a wolf hunting and trapping season is opposed by Ojibwe tribes in the state.
Tribal officials renewed their opposition at a Voigt Intertribal Task Force meeting Wednesday in Lac Courte Oreilles.
"This proposed hunt is a great concern to us," said Joe Rose, a task force representative from the Bad River tribe near Ashland. "We see the destiny of the wolf as the destiny of humankind."
The tribes are legally entitled to make a declaration for up to 50% of the wolf quota in the Ceded Territory.
Earlier this year the Bad River tribe passed a resolution that bans wolf hunting and trapping on its 125,000-acre reservation.
The proposed hunt has also drawn criticism from former DNR wildlife managers Dick Thiel and Randy Jurewicz and University of Wisconsin wolf researcher Adrian Treves. All have stated the season is too long and are against the use of dogs to hunt wolves.
Wisconsin is the only state to allow the use of dogs to hunt wolves.
The state is entering new territory - the species had been the subject of unregulated hunting and poisoning for most of the last two centuries.
Now wildlife officials must find a way to manage wolves while balancing diverse interests.
"We've identified primary habitat zones, mostly forested areas, where we'll manage for a higher density of wolves than elsewhere," Vander Zouwen said.
Secondary habitat zones - areas of transition from forest to farms - will have a lower wolf density goal.
And "unsuitable" wolf areas that have more agriculture, more people or where substantial conflicts with wolves have occurred will have the lowest wolf population goals and therefore higher quotas.
Vander Zouwen said the agency would be guided by its wolf management plan, science and social considerations.
"The department is committed to managing the wolf as a sustainable native species in Wisconsin," Vander Zouwen said. "We recognize wolves are very important to many people and will continue to involve a wide diversity of stakeholders in management discussions as we move forward."
The public meetings to collect comments on the state's wolf management plan start at 6 p.m. with an open house. Presentations by DNR staff will begin at 7 p.m. with time for questions and comments to follow. The remaining meetings are being held:
Friday, Black River Falls - Black River Falls Middle School Auditorium, 1202 Pierce St.
June 14, Fond du Lac - UW-Fond du Lac Auditorium, 400 University Drive.
June 15, Rhinelander - James Williams Middle School Auditorium, 915 Acacia Lane.
Comments may also be provided on a survey on the DNR website at dnr.wi.gov or by writing: Wolf Management-WM/6, Wisconsin DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.
To fill out the online survey, search for "wolf" on the DNR website and then click the links for "public survey on wolf season."
The Natural Resources Board will vote on the final rules proposal, including the permit and quota levels, at its July 17 meeting in Stevens Point.
If implemented by the board, wolf license applications are expected to be available through the ALIS licensing system from Aug. 1-31. Those successful in the drawing would receive notice in early September.
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