By: Mike Simonson, Wisconsin Public Radio
Half of Wisconsin’s wolf-hunting zones — including the most-populated zone in Douglas, Ashland, Bayfield, Iron and Sawyer counties — have reached their quotas and are now closed.
The southern Wisconsin zones are within two wolves of closing, just leaving zone three from Burnett County on the Minnesota border to northern Taylor County with eight more wolves to kill to meet its quota.
In all, the state quota is 116. As of Tuesday morning, 102 wolves had been killed.
Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Management Bureau director Tom Hauge said in setting quotas, the state considers the “social carrying capacity,” or people’s tolerance of wolves.
“If you’re someone who’s had chronic depredation, you’re probably concerned about not having a population goal set too high so you always have that looming over you,” Hauge said. “And then … on the opposite side of the question, if you’re somebody who believes the wolf is your icon of ecosystem health or wilderness, you’re wanting to have as many wolves as possible.”
Therein lies the challenge in this first modern-day wolf hunt.
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Biologist Peter David said he hopes there will be more science in setting that quota next year.
“For some people, their personal carrying capacity or tolerance for wolves is zero. They’d like to see none of the animals in the state,” David said. “And then there’s certainly other people in the state who feel that there’s not enough wolves here yet. So the state has selected a number that they consider to be a social tolerance. But I think that reflects some special interest groups they’re trying to accommodate.”
David said regional Indian tribes would like to see included in the quota wolves that are shot as farm predators. Without that, he said, there is a risk of reducing the pack size below a healthy number.
Hauge said the hunt has gone well, with fewer than expected violations.