Jessica Mcbride

  Wolf hunters in Wisconsin say the state needs a population number, not for hunters and trappers but to help manage the health of the state’s wolf packs. Luke Hilgemann, executive director of the International Order of T Roosevelt told state lawmakers the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is making an error by leaving a wolf population goal vague. “Scientific research has shown that setting a numeric population goal for wolves can help ensure their survival while also addressing concerns about their impact on livestock and game species,” Hilgemann said. As opposed to a specific wolf number, the DNR is considering wolf population ranges . The population range proposal sets a goal of between 800 and 999 wolves in the state. If wolf numbers fall below 800, DNR says more protections may be needed. If the wolf numbers top 1,000, the DNR said hunting and trapping could be considered. If Wisconsin’s wolf population tops 1,200, the state would order a hunting and tra...

Wisconsin’s new wolf hunt plan doesn’t include a target number for the state’s wolf population. The Department of Natural Resources on Thursday unveiled its new plan. “The proposed draft Wolf Management Plan reflects the detailed and significant work done by DNR staff to ensure the health and stability of Wisconsin’s wolf population,” DNR Secretary Preston D. Cole said in a statement. Wisconsin’s current wolf management plan has not changed since 2007, and has been a source of friction between hunters and environmentalists. Perhaps the biggest change in the new wolf plan is the end to a specific number for Wisconsin’s wolf population. “Moving away from a single numeric population goal and instead using an adaptive management process focused on balancing the [DNR’s] three main objectives,” the agency said in a news release. Those main objectives include: Ensuring a healthy and sustainable wolf population to fulfill its ecological role. Addressing and reducing wolf...