Republican Legislators Circulating a Bill Requiring Wisconsin Wildlife to Establish New Population Goal for Wolves

Monday, March 13th, 2023 -- 9:00 AM

A pair of Republican legislators circulated a bill Friday that would require Wisconsin wildlife officials to establish a new population goal for wolves in the state in their next management plan.

The state Department of Natural Resources has operated since 1999 under a wolf management plan that limits the statewide population to 350 animals. As the number of wolves in the state has increased, DNR estimates released in September put the statewide population at about 1,000 wolves, hunters have pointed to that number as justification for setting generous quotas during the state’s fall wolf season.

Animal advocates, however, argue the population isn’t strong enough to support hunting and that wolves are too beautiful to kill. The DNR released a draft of a new management plan in November that doesn’t include any specific population number.

The draft plan instead calls for the DNR to work with advisory committees to monitor local populations and decide whether to reduce them, maintain them, or allow them to grow.

State Rep. Chanz Green, of Grandview, and Sen. Rob Stafsholt, of New Richmond, began circulating a bill for co-sponsorship on Friday that would require the DNR to include a statewide population goal in its new plan.

Wisconsin law mandates a wolf season but last year a federal judge restored endangered species protections for gray wolves across most of the country, including Wisconsin. The move prohibits hunting animals.

The last wolf hunt in Wisconsin was held in February 2021. The DNR set the quota for non-tribal hunters at 119 animals. Hunters blew past that limit, killing 218 wolves in just four days before the DNR could shut down the season.

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