![]() “Should we, would we, could we have sooner? Yes.” Eric Lobner, DNR wildlife director, said, according to the Journal Sentinel. Because the tribes consider wolves sacred, they typically use their allotment to protect, not kill, them. As Native American tribes claimed a quota of 81 wolves, this left 119 for the state-licensed trappers and hunters. State authorities had a total culling goal of 200 wolves, in an attempt to stabilize their population. ![]() This equated to twice as many permits as normal – and marked the highest ratio of any season so far. Natural resources department officials also sold 1,547 permits this season, about 13 hunters or trappers per wolf under the quota’s target number. The state’s overkill was exacerbated by Wisconsin law that mandates 24-hour notice of season closure, rather than immediate notification. Most of the animals were killed by hunters who used “trailing hounds”, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. While department officials were reportedly surprised by the number of gray wolves killed, they described the population as “robust, resilient” and expressed confidence in managing the numbers “properly going forward”. As a result, Wisconsin’s department of natural resources ended the season, which was scheduled to span one week, four days early.
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