Minnesota's first regulated wolf hunt will be longer than earlier announced, with a late season ending Jan. 31 instead of Jan. 6, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials said today.
Final details of the hunt were unveiled after DNR wildlife officials had weighed the results from an online survey. The DNR received more than 7,000 responses to the survey, which ended June 20.
Among other changes announced today, hunters and trappers must register the wolves they take more promptly so that DNR officials can more quickly close a zone if harvest quotas are reached. Hunters and trappers must register their wolves by 10 p.m. the day of harvest rather than by 8 p.m. the following day, as had originally been planned.
Also, the hunt will be conducted in three zones rather than two after a zone was added in northwestern Minnesota, and separate quotas were established for each zone. Quotas are 265 for the northwest zone, 117 for the northeast zone and 18 for the east-central zone. Those quotas are based on the size of the zones rather than on estimates of wolf numbers in those zones, said Dan Stark, DNR large carnivore specialist.
As originally planned, an early wolf-hunting season will open Nov. 3 in zones open to rifle deer hunting. That season will last up to nine days in some areas and up to 16 days in Northeastern Minnesota's 100-series deer-permit areas. A late hunting and trapping season will open Nov. 24 and continue through Jan. 31.
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The total harvest quota for all seasons is 400. Minnesota's wolf population is estimated at 3,000. If a harvest quota is reached for any zone, the season in that zone will be closed at the end of the first full day for which closure notification is posted and sent to license holders.
The DNR's online survey was not intended to decide whether the state would hold a hunt or not. That already had been determined by the state's wolf-management plan, which was approved by the Legislature. In its most recent session, the Legislature passed a bill calling for the wolf-hunting season to begin on the opening day of Minnesota's firearms deer season, which is Nov. 3 this year. The bill gave the DNR authority to work out other details of the season, including holding a lottery for licenses and the setting of harvest zones and quotas.
Only about 1,500 of the total 7,351 survey respondents said they supported a wolf season, DNR officials said shortly after the survey concluded. But of those who supported a season, 82 percent said they supported the DNR's proposed season structure, said Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife program manager.
"That suggested our proposal was generally in line with hunter and trapper expectations," Merchant said in a statement today.
About 75 percent of respondents said they supported having early and late hunts, Merchant said.
The late season was extended because about 45 percent of survey respondents supporting the wolf season indicated they would prefer a longer season, Merchant said.
"We didn't think we had any biological issues for not extending it," he said.
Hunters and trappers will be able to apply for the 6,000 available licenses in mid-August, DNR officials said. For complete details of the hunt, go to mndnr.gov.
