Most wildlife experts and sportsmen agree the best way to protect a species is to make it a game animal. State biologists will analyze the species, conduct various population estimates and set hunting limits to ensure that species doesn’t drop below a certain level. Although non-game species in general are protected from hunting (such as songbirds), their numbers are not as closely monitored.
That’s why it is illogical to not return to a gray wolf hunting season.
In October 2021, Dane County Circuit Judge Jacob Frost halted wolf hunting at the request of several animal rights groups and six Native American tribes. The anti-hunting protectionist groups that exist primarily as fundraisers for themselves have used the legal system to unscientifically bully their way into stopping the hunting of wolves as a random species they hold a fondness for. If only they loved opossums as much as wolves, perhaps we would now be ankle deep in road-killed possums.
We should be using science and facts, not emotions, to protect and manage biological diversity, not just preserve the critters that we consider cute or special.
Just months before Frost’s decision, Hunter Nation successfully sued the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to hold a wolf hunt in February 2021.
Another judge ruled the state had shirked its clearly defined duty to hold a wolf hunt in part because the species had been removed from the Endangered Species Act via federal order. The hunting and trapping season was halted early, because sportsmen bagged 216 wolves in 60 hours, suggesting the population was more robust than the state believed. The official quota was 119 animals.
https://will-law.org/judge-rules-dnr-violated-state-law-when-it-failed-to-schedule-wolf-hunt/
This link gives a bit more background on the Feb. 22-24 wolf hunt:
A federal judge in February 2022 returned wolves in most of the lower 48 states to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, but several states were not included because of a previous federal law.
Read about it here (it’s complicated): https://wolf.org/wolf-info/why-arent-wolves-in-montana-idaho-and-wyoming-federally-protected-under-the-endangered-species-act/
States with an even larger overabundance of wolves, including California, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and Minnesota, have seen an uptick in predation on livestock, pets and game animals, including deer and elk.
An Associated Press study shows that 800 domestic animals were killed by wolves in 10 states in 2022. The states or national parks that have taken a protectionist stance toward wolves have come up with some unusual ways to shoo away wolves intent on a steak dinner.
I recently read a story that the government is using drones that play heavy metal music to chase off wolves near the Oregon-California border. “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC is particularly effective (hey, I love that tune).
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/drones-blasting-rock-music-help-143836903.html
Wyoming, meanwhile, has a section of the state that designates wolves as trophy animals, with strict quotas, but in most of the state, they are considered predators and can be killed without a license.
Wisconsin is now seeing more wolf predation, too. Those living in the northern third of the state have been battling wolves in some way or another for decades. I’ve talked to hunters with firsthand experience who have lost prized bear-hunting dogs to wolves.
There are depredation reports kept by the DNR and a system in place to compensate farmers, hunters and pet owners for their losses, but this misses the bigger picture.
The DNR estimates the current wolf population at 1,226 animals, but folks living with wolves and monitoring trail cams believe it could be twice that many.
Those who believe a wolf is threatening them can shoot in self-defense, but there is little else we can do to control wolf numbers.
The DNR and United States Department of Agriculture create “warning zones” when a documented wolf attack occurs. Considering the range of a wolf, I’m not sure this is going to protect anyone’s pets or livestock, but hey, you’ve been warned.
Read about the procedures here: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/wolf/maps
Wolves get blamed for decimating our deer herd, but the truth is, each wolf eats about 20 deer per year. That’s 20,000 deer statewide (there are many wolf packs scattered in all directions, including southern Wisconsin). Bears also take fawns, as do coyotes. I think a managed number of wolves on the landscape is fine, but I don’t own bear dogs, cattle or sheep.
What I do have are three points toward my wolf tag, several centerfire rifles and a clear idea of what needs to be done to get our wolf population under control. If you can give me a biological reason not to have a season, please let me know. The rest of the nation is already figuring out what needs to be done.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com.