The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has unanimously approved a harvest quota of 200 wolves under a Judge’s verdict last week that the state must hunt wolf this month. The decision will also be made if the Department of Natural Resources appeals to put the judge’s order on hold.
The DNR took into account the most recent wolf census, the wolf management plan, and the state’s response to the three wolf hunting and trapping seasons held before a judge in 2014 that the animal was to be reintroduced as an endangered species when setting the quota.
DNR Secretary Preston Cole said the agency is in an “unusual circumstance” of developing a harvest quota within a few days.
“I appreciate the leniency of the chairmen and board members in this abridged process to do their best to evaluate the science or lack of science and then move in one way or another,” said Cole.
Fred Prehn, CEO, said he recognized the dynamic situation and rushed to confront the agency in developing a quota.
“But we have a job to do, and I think we finished it, but we finished it with what we thought was a good science from the department – apart from all of the politics,” Prehn said.
Hunters can now apply for a wolf tag from Tuesday through Saturday, February 20 at 12:01 am. A drawing of the winners will take place on February 22nd. These hunters can start harvesting wolves once they are licensed. The cost to apply is $ 10, and a license to hunt wolves is $ 49. Up to 4,000 permits can be issued by the end of February to meet the harvest quota.
The pull of the board is a Reversal of his decision a few weeks ago. The board previously denied a motion by the Republican legislature to order the DNR to conduct a hunt this winter.
The decision marks the latest development in a tumultuous back-and-forth over whether the state should pursue a wolf hunt after the Trump administration’s move Delist the wolf last fall. Protection for the animal was officially lifted in large parts of the country last month.
The DNR decided to do so in December Continue a wolf hunt this November. The agency has argued that it would take more time to develop a science-based quota, update its management plan, and collect input from tribes and the public.
The agency’s decision was beaten back by hunters and Republican lawmakers, which eventually sparked a backlash legal action submitted by the Kansas-based group Hunter Nation. The group asked a judge in Jefferson County to rule that the hunt resume immediately this month, and the court joined the hunt organization last Thursday.
“We’re just frustrated that the DNR and the Justice Department are even pushing for it when they came to the table today and made it clear that the wolf hunt is going on,” said Luke Hilgemann, CEO of Hunter Nation.
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Wolf hunting supporters fear that the animal’s protection will be restored under President Joe Biden after he issued a comprehensive order to review agency rules, including delisting the wolf. The DNR must hold a single wolf hunting and catching season from October 15 to February if the animal is not listed as an endangered species under state law.
Keith Warnke, DNR’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Administrator, stressed that public and tribal contributions to developing a harvest quota are limited given the judge’s decision.
“Was there anything else we’d like to do? Yes,” said Warnke. “Are we confident and satisfied with the odds we have recommended? I think … we would have been more confident and comfortable if we had taken more time.”
Tribal, environmental and animal rights groups have declined to conduct a wolf hunt this winter. They emphasized that the state’s 1999 Wolf Management Plan, which aims to target 350 wolves across the state, is out of date. The plan was last revised in 2007.
They also emphasized the state’s obligation to consult with tribes about wolf management under federal treaties. A spokesman for the Great Lakes Indian, Fish and Wildlife Commission declined to comment on whether tribes would take legal action regarding hunting.
Wolf officials have also raised concerns about harvesting crops in the middle of the animal’s breeding season. Rachel Tilseth, wolf tracker and founder of Wolves of Douglas County Wisconsin, fears that a hunt now will only lead to negative outcomes for both hunters and wolves.
“They’re very territorial. So now you’re throwing dogs in – what’s going to happen there? It’s going to be a bloodbath,” said Tilseth. “There will be a lot of fighting. And if the women are pregnant, how will that affect the population? It will affect the health of the population.”
Wisconsin has 1,195 wolves in the landscape, according to the DNR. Dave MacFarland of the agency said staff had consulted two studies developing a quota for the wolf harvest, which also took into account other effects on the wolf population, such as: B. Weather, depredation controls and vehicle accidents. While the population is healthy, he found that it is relatively small compared to other harvested species in the state.
“There will be uncertainty and the results of that rate could lead to population decline, stabilization and some increase,” MacFarland said. “It’s only found in populations that size.”
Wisconsin hunters killed 528 wolves A hunt was conducted in the state during the three seasons before the animal was put back on the endangered species list.
The DNR is Appeal against the judgment by Jefferson County Judge Bennett Brantmeier. The agency is asking for one accelerated stay on the decision to prevent the entry into force of the judgment. The court on Monday requested the Sierra Club to file a brief in support of DNR’s efforts to get a handle on the judge’s order. Hunter Nation has until Wednesday noon to respond. according to court records.
