Wolf kill at 129, hunters exceed northeast zone quota

Posted by: Doug Smith Updated: November 16, 2012 

 

Hunters now have killed 129 wolves in Minnesota's first-ever regulated wolf hunt, and the northeast zone closed Thursday after hunters reached, and then exceeded, the 58-wolf target quota there.

Hunters registered 59 wolves in the northeast zone  -- one over the target. DNR officials had said earlier the targets for each zone were approximations,  and they weren't concerned if the final tallies were a little below or above the target quota.

The agency closed the season in the north-central zone after hunters killed eight wolves there, one below the target quota of nine.

Still, it was  the first time hunters have a hit or exceeded the target quota in any of the three zones.
The only area of the state where wolf hunting continues is In the northwest, where hunters have killed 62 wolves; the target is 133. However, about half of that zone is closed now because the deer season in that portion of the wolf zone has closed. And both the deer and wolf seasons there will close Sunday.

The DNR set a quota of 200 wolves for the early season, and 200 for the late hunting and trapping season, which opens Nov. 24.

Meanwhile, hunters and trappers have killed 77 wolves in Wisconsin, including two that were radio-collared by researchers, officials said Thursday.

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