There is so much debate about whether wolf hunting with dogs should be allowed in the State of Wisconsin, that we have tried to break the facts down into bite-size pieces with links to more complete information. Please see our WI Wolf Hunt Overview page for the full history of the Wisconsin Wolf Hunt controversy. If you are curious as to how the wolf hunt quotas are determined, please see the Wolf Advisory Committee information on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resourdes website. For a video graphically illustrating the practice of hunting with hounds, see: Hunting With Hounds Video, produced by Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf.

    WI Wolf Hunt Overview      Mainstream Hunters Speak Out   

    Hunting With Hounds Video   

    WI Wolf Hunt In the Media      SB 93/ AB 94 to ban dogs from wolf hunts   

       BREAKING NEWS: On Friday, 19 December 2014, Federal District Court for the District of Columbia handed down a decision returning wolves in the Great Lakes Region, including Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, to the Federal Endangered Species List.

       Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Justice legal staff are reviewing the decision to determine how it will impact Wisconsin's wolf management program.

Meanwhile, in brief:

• Wisconsin is not authorized to implement a wolf harvest season.

• Under Federal Law, you cannot use dogs to track and train on wolves.

• The new draft of the Wolf Management Plan, which was to be up for public comment in January 2015, will be re-evaluated to see what changes need to be made in light of the federal court decision and the re-listing as endangered species. There is currently no timeline for completion of this project.

       Please see the WI DNR press release Federal court decision relists gray wolves in western Great Lakes region as endangered species for more on the situation in Wisconsin.

       For an excellent article about all details of this breaking news, please see: Judge orders gray wolves returned to endangered list, by Paul A. Smith and Lee Bergquist , Milwaukee Journal Sentinal Online, 19 Dec 2014.

   2014 WIsconsin Wolf Hunt: 10/15/2014 - 2/28/2015 (Dogs partipated beginning on 1 December). HUNT ENDED AT NOON ON 5 DECEMBER.

    Wolf Hunt Regulations 2014 (pdf)   

    Dog Depredations by Wolves in Wisconsin   

• Wisconsin Wolf Season Report 2014-15. David MacFarland and Jane Wiedenhoeft, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Of the 154 wolves harvested, trapping with foothold traps accounted for 124 (80.5%), and 30 (19.5%) wolves were harvested by hunters. Of the 30 wolves harvested by hunters, 6 (3.8%) were hunted with the aid of dogs. Three wolves were harvested with archery equipment; firearm was the method of harvest for all other animals (table 3). No wolves were harvested with the use of cable restraints."

• WI Department of Natural Resources New Wolf Management Plans Will Be Up for Public Comment in January NOTE: Due to 19 Dec 14 Federal Court Decision relisting Great Lakes wolves as endangered, this process is currently on Hold.)

• 10 December 2014, Noon: 154 wolves reported killed in 2014 hunt, which ended on 5 December. Zones 1, 2, 4, 5 had been closed since 20 October. Zones 3 and 6 closed 5 December.

• According to the WI DNR: Wolf hunting and trapping web page, the final quota for the 2014/2016 hunt is 150 wolves (154 actually killed as of 10 Dec.). Zone 1 - 32/36 actual; Zone 2 - 15/29 actual; Zone 3 - 40/30 actual; Zone 4 - 8/5 actual; Zone 5 - 20/18 actual, Zone 6 - 35/36 actual. (Please click here for more info on location of zones.)

•      According to the Wildlife Public Trust and Coexistence, as of 12/10/2014 NRB meeting, DNR Large Carnivore biologist reported that 8 hunters voluntarily submitted wolf carcasses for evaluation. NONE OF THE CARCASSES VOLUNTARILY SUBMITTED WERE FROM HOUND HUNTERS The original purpose of the voluntary carcass inspection was to determine injuries to wolves by hound dogs during pursuit, a grave concern by the Wisconsin public.

• 123 wolves killed in traps; 3 killed with bows; 22 with firearms 6 wolves killed with hound dogs; NO hound hunters turned in dead wolves for voluntary inspections. (See Wildlife Public Trust and Coexistence)

  • 87 males; 67 females

  • 18 over quota in prime habitat

• According to the WI DNR: Wolf hunting and trapping web page, the final quota for the 2014/2016 hunt is 150 wolves. Zone 1 - 32; Zone 2 - 15; Zone 3 - 40; Zone 4 - 8; Zone 5 - 20, Zone 6 - 35. (Please click here for more info on location of zones.)

  • Zone 3 closed at noon on 5 Dec.; quota- 40, "harvested"- 30

  • Zone 6 closed at 8 am on 5 Dec.; quota- 35, "harvested"- 36

  • Zone 5 closed on 20 Oct.; quota- 20, "harvested"- 18

  • Zones 1 & 4 closed on 19 Oct. Zone 1 quota- 32, "harvested" - 36. Zone 4 quota- 8, "harvested" - 5.

  • Zone 2 closed on 18 Oct., quota - 15, "harvested" - 29

• At their convention on 7 June 2014, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin resolved "that the DPW stands for agency transparency, science-based wolf management, and lethal removal based on livestock and pet depredations." (See page 8, Democratic Party of Wisconsin 2014 Resolutions: 14-AGE-09: TRANSPARENT AND SCIENCE -BASED WOLF MANAGEMENT )

• On 07/10/2014, The 4th District Court of Appeals ruled that Wisconsin hunters can train dogs to track and trail wolves. Until there are specific administrative rules in place for tracking and trailing wolves with dogs, hunters are allowed to train hounds to track and trail wolves under established hound training regulations. Please see: WI Chapter NR 17: DOG TRIALS AND TRAINING, scroll down to NR 17.04 Dog training on free roaming wild animals and additional restrictions on dogs. (NOTE: there are apparently very few restrictions currently on when hunters may "train" on wolves in the wild.)

         THIS PROCESS, AS WELL AS NEW WOLF MANAGEMENT PLAN, PUT ON "HOLD" DUE TO THE 19 DECEMBER 2014 RULING TO RETURN WOLVES TO THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST. The DNR was working on a draft of permanent administrative rules for training dogs for hunting wolves, taking into consideration such factors as breeding and pup- rearing seasons. Hopefully, the new rules were to be be posted for public comment along with the newly drafted wolf management plan starting in January. Five public meetings in various parts of the state would have been held, and the public would also have been invited to share input online. The new draft of the Wolf Management Plan will be re-evaluated to see what changes need to be made in light of the federal court decision and the re-listing as endangered species. There is currently no timeline for completion of this project. You can sign up for email notifications here.

• As of 9 July 2014, the WI DNR: Wolf hunting and trapping website lists the "harvest" quota for the 2014/2015 hunt at 156: Zone 1 - 33; Zone 2 - 16; Zone 3 - 41; Zone 4 - 9; Zone 5 - 21; Zone 6 - 36. (Please click here for more info on location of zones.) This is interesting, because hunting groups think this quota is too low, and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Wolf Advisory committee Meeting Minutes for 12 June 14 shows that a vote was taken and passed to request the DNR to raise that quota to 200.

• Wolf Advisory Committee meeting monthly to work on new Wolf Management Plan. Please click here for information on the Wolf Advisory Committee and links to meeting minutes) Note in February meeting minutes that the Advisory Committee voted to recommend discontinuing depredation payments. However, April meeting minutes note that such payments are "statutory" and outside of the DNR's authority. Please click here for the April meeting minutes and the discussion on quotas -- scroll down to page 6.

• Wolf Advisory Committee April meeting Suggested Regulation changes include: "Develop regulations pertaining to the training of hunting hounds. These regulations are currently being reviewed by the courts. The Committee will identify items for inclusion in regulations."

   2013 WIsconsin Wolf Hunt

• 2013 Wisconsin Wolf Hunt Season dates were set at Oct. 15, 2013 - Feb. 28, 2014

  • The hunt actually ended at 5 pm on 23 December, 2013. FINAL TALLY: 257 WOLVES KILLED. Over 40 wolves were killed after hounds were allowed into the hunt on 2 December. Because no depredation reparations are paid on dogs killed by wolves while hunting wolves, we will probably never know how many dogs were killed or injured in this year's hunt. (Please click here for an interesting article on compensations paid for dogs killed by wolves.)(See WI DNR: Wolf hunting and trapping for break- out by Zone)

  • Zone 1 closed on 30 Oct., quota - 76, "harvested" - 77.

  • Zone 2 closed on 23 Oct., quota - 28, "harvested" - 29

  • Zone 3 - as of 27 Nov, quota - 71, "harvested" - 31. Reported kills picked up after hounds joined the hunt on 2 December -- it would appear that the hound hunters somehow managed to "save" 40 wolves so that they would have an opportunity to hunt. Final number harvested in Zone 3 - 75.

  • Zone 4 closed on 5 Nov., quota - 12, "harvested" - 12

  • Zone 5 closed on 30 Oct., quota - 34, "harvested" - 33

  • Zone 6 closed on 7 Nov., quota 30, "harvested" - 31

• According to information contained in a press release from Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf, this year's quota would be nearly 300 wolves. (Read the entire press release here.)

• Actual quota according to DNR was approx. 250 wolves. (See WI DNR: Wolf hunting and trapping for statistics and break- out by Zone.)

• Hunting wolves at night is now PROHIBITED.

• Dogs may be used to track or trail wolf from Dec. 2, 2013 - last day of season. (Note: WI DNR: Dog depredations by wolves in Wisconsin web page states: "Wolves are probably most aggressive toward strange wolves and dogs at den and rendezvous sites when their pups are small, during the breeding season in January and February [emphasis added] and when they are protecting a fresh kill."Read the entire DNR web page here.)

  • Note: The Dog Depredation page also has maps showing where each attack took place, on what date -- does it seem that the DNR is also giving wolf hunters a "heads up" on areas that packs frequent?

• Because of the lack of permanent administrative rules specifiic to wolf hunting, it is ILLEGAL to train dogs to pursue wolves.

• It is ILLEGAL to allow a dog to kill any wild animal. The use of firearms, crossbows, and bow and arrow are the only legal hunting methods allowed to kill a wolf. (Read the WI DNR's 2013 Wolf Hunting and Trapping Regulations here.)

• Humane groups and individuals are taking legal action to halt the hunting of wolves with dogs.We feel that this practice equates to state-sanctioned "dog fighting," with dogs being set on wolves without the common sense restrictions needed to prevent deadly confrontations between the two canine species. (Read more about the latest appeal here.)

• Many maintream hunters in Wisconsin vehemently oppose the hunting of wolves with dogs. Read what some of them have to say here.

• SB 93 and AB 94 are bills in the state legislature that would prohibit the use of dogs for hunting wolves. Read about SB 93 and AB 94 here.(NOTE: April 08, 2014 "Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1")

   2012 WIsconsin Wolf Hunt

• Hunting season began on 15 October and was originally scheduled to end the last day of February. However, it actually ended on 14 December, when the quota was met early.

• Due to a lawsuit that was not resolved until after the season closed, dogs were not used for hunting wolves in 2012.

• The quota was 200 wolves, with 85 being alloted for Ojibwe tribes.

• The tribes declined to take advantage of their quotas.

• A total of 117 wolves were "harvested" during the 2012 hunting season, (According to the DNR's 2012 Wolf Hunting Report, a total of 243 wolves were killed in 2012, with the additional being 76 for depredation control, 26 in vehicle collisions, 5 from unknown causes, and 21 from illegal kills.)

• Trapping accounted for 52% of the legal harvest. (Read the DNR's 2012 Wolf Hunting Report here.)

For more information:

• WI Wolf Hunt Overview

• Wolf Hunting in Wisconsin: Mainstream Hunters Speak Out

• WI Wolf Hunt In the Media

• Appeal Brief Filed in Wolf Hunt Lawsuit on 18 July 2013

• Appeal of a Final Judgment of the Dane County Circuit Court (pdf)

• Appeal Brief Appendix (pdf)

• SB 93/ AB 94 would prohibit the use of dogs for hunting wolves.

• Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf

• WI DNR Wolf Hunting and Trapping page

WOLF GROUP ADVERTISES AGAINST WOLF HUNT WITH BILLBOARD IN DELLS
Read more here!