By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel
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Wolf season update: As of Friday, hunters and trappers had registered 201 wolves in the 2013-’14 Wisconsin wolf season, according to the DNR.
Harvest quotas were filled in five of the six wolf management zones.
Trappers have taken 82% of the wolves; the balance have been killed by hunters with firearms.
Zone 3 in north central and northwestern Wisconsin remains open. Nineteen wolves had been registered in Zone 3 as of Friday morning; the quota is 71.
The zone will be open to wolf hunting and trapping until the quota is filled or Feb. 28, whichever comes first.
Given the fast pace of wolf kills since the season opened Oct. 15, the season could be over before the Wisconsin gun deer hunt begins Nov. 23, as well as before wolf hunters could begin using dogs Dec. 2.
The DNR had sold 1,837 resident and 11 nonresident wolf hunting and trapping licenses as of Friday. It authorized the sale of 2,510 licenses through a lottery.
State wildlife managers set a kill goal of 251 wolves for the season.
Hunters and trappers are responsible to know the status of zone closures. Information is available at dnr.wi.gov and by phone at (888) 936-7463.
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