Judge Orders Wisconsin DNR To Hold Wolf Hunt This Month

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been ordered by a judge to implement a wolf hunt beginning this month in the state. Just this last January U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the gray wolf from the federal protected endangered species list, which now allows for states to decide on how to manage wolf populations. Former President Donald Trump directed this action in October of 2020. President Biden has ordered a review of the decision.

The Wisconsin DNR wolf hunt in the past had been from November - February. Their original plans that you can still see on their website was to implement the hunt beginning in November of 2021. However, pro wolf hunt organizations sued the Wisconsin DNR demanding that the hunt begin this February.

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According to an article in the Star Tribune, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Bennett Brantmeier ordered the DNR on February 11 to hold a hunting season this month.

The DNR was hoping to use the months leading up to February to come up with a population management plan and also consult Wisconsin's Chippewa tribes as part of treaty rules. They now say they are working on implementing the judge's decision.

The wolf hunt continues to be a hot topic in the region. Wolf numbers have been rebounding in recent years. There are many people on both sides of the argument with passionate beliefs. Minnesota has not yet announced plans for the return of a wolf season. Nearby Michigan also has a wolf population, but currently there are no plans in place for a hunt.