Wolf season?

[FishingWebGuy]

I'd like to get one of these mounted.

But before I shoot one, has anyone heard if we will have a season in the coming years?

[Bear55]

I know we should have one, there is a very large huntable population up north, but who knows if it will actually happen. Even if it does you know there will be lawsuits.

[FishingWebGuy]

Yea, I don't follow it too closely but I think Montana tried to have a season a year or two ago that was followed by lawsuits.

I know last year mornings in the tree stand and evenings by the fire sounded like we were surrounded by them. I think they say each wolf kills 15-20 deer per year. I wonder what effect that had on so many Northern areas going from Intensive to Lottery last year. It'll be interesting to see what the new map shows in a week or so for the Northern areas.

[mrklean]

i think there has to be a 5 year period or something like that after they have been delisted to hunt them. I would love to see a season, plus the money the state would get from tags and drawing fees

[Bear55]

I really wonder what our wolf population is at. The DNR has been saying 3000 for about 10-15 years now or longer so either they don't know or they don't want to tell us.

[Jameson]

When would be it good have wolf season? Fall, Winter?

[FishingWebGuy]

When would be it good have wolf season? Fall, Winter?

Winter fur would be nice.

[Powerstroke]

There is no magic rule about hunting after delisting. Once control is turned over to the states a management plan can be implemented. It was done out west in Idaho for sure.

I would love to see this happen. Our population is definately stable and growing. the only thing keeping this from becoming a state issue is the anti's and the "endagereds" crowds.

[USDA3]

From the State of MN wolf Management Plan

Population management activities -- Population management measures, including

public taking (i.e., hunting and trapping seasons) or other options, will be considered by DNR in the future but not sooner than 5 years after Federal delisting by USFWS. If, in the future, public taking is proposed by DNR, there will be opportunity for full public comment. Decisions on public taking will be based on sound biological data, including comprehensive population surveys.

[sdpikehntr]

Do you think they are good eating, or a little tough I would love to have a fur on the wall from one of these.

[Powerstroke]

The 5yr rule is set by the MN DNR as part of their plan, not the USFWS. I meant there was no fed rule. It sucks that MN is taking such a slow approach to this. I can't believe that they are moving so slow.

[FishingWebGuy]

The 5yr rule is set by the MN DNR as part of their plan, not the USFWS. I meant there was no fed rule. It sucks that MN is taking such a slow approach to this. I can't believe that they are moving so slow.

If the DNR moves too slowly, a season can always be legislated. Contact your reps http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=86137

Of course de-listing comes first...

[mrklean]

didnt know the 5 year thing was set by mn but good to know lets get a wolf season started asap

[Bear55]

This 5 year thing seems a little silly, other then Canada we have more wolves then anyone. The population seems to be very large and healthy right now, why sit on our hands for 5 years after a de-listing?

And people wonder why the DNR gets labeled for being slow to act.

[FishingWebGuy]

Wow! In 2003-2004 Minnesota had 1,000 more wolves than the rest of the continental states combined. And surveys for the other states were 3 years later.

http://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2007/gray_wolf_factsheet_populations.pdf

Let's see 3,000 in 2003, average litter of 5-6. 7,500 pups per year = 52,500 wolves born since 2003...

If 1 in 10 lived that is still a lot of wolves.

[wh1stler]

Wow! In 2003-2004 Minnesota had 1,000 more wolves than the rest of the continental states combined. And surveys for the other states were 3 years later.

http://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2007/gray_wolf_factsheet_populations.pdf

Let's see 3,000 in 2003, average litter of 5-6. 7,500 pups per year = 52,500 wolves born since 2003...

If 1 in 10 lived that is still a lot of wolves.

Except that less than 1 in 5 females breed in a year.

300 female wolves X 5 pups = 1,500 pups per year. That puts us at around 10,500 pups born since the survey. If 1 in 10 survive to adulthood that means about 1050.

In the 7 years since the survey we can probaly assume that at least 1050 adult wolves died.

[FishingWebGuy]

Except that less than 1 in 5 females breed in a year.

300 female wolves X 5 pups = 1,500 pups per year. That puts us at around 10,500 pups born since the survey. If 1 in 10 survive to adulthood that means about 1050.

In the 7 years since the survey we can probaly assume that at least 1050 adult wolves died.

I made up the 1 in 10 number just to be conservative. I wonder if any real numbers exist.

Not that I don't believe you but where did you get the 1 in 5 female stat from? I thought a male and female paired up and bred together every year. Do 80% of females really go without a mate or are they never in heat?

On another note, I've only seen 1 wolf in the wild and that was from my truck window. I'm guessing the hunt would be difficult or have to allow for some kind of bait at least.

[Pistol Pete]

I just got back from visiting relatives in Wyoming. They have lots of wolves and grizzley bears. Where the elk used to thrive they are almost gone. There used to be 14,000 elk winter in the valley where my relatives live. Now there are about 200-400. We actually saw 8 cow elk one evening. None of them had calves. Between the wolves and bear almost all elk calves are killed. The only thing that seems to be doing ok are the mule deer. And they have moved to the tops of the mountains to get away from the predators. While helping move cows, we actually saw 3 wolves. These are lots bigger than the ones I've seen in MN. I have a feeling that there are a lot more wolves in MN than any DNR figure. I think if we actually knew how many there would be a season this fall!!!!!

[Bear55]

I have a feeling that there are a lot more wolves in MN than any DNR figure. I think if we actually knew how many there would be a season this fall!!!!!

I get that same feeling Pete.

[wh1stler]

Not that I don't believe you but where did you get the 1 in 5 female stat from? I thought a male and female paired up and bred together every year. Do 80% of females really go without a mate or are they never in heat?

The FWS factsheet you referenced. In Yellowstone there are 371 wolves and 31 breeding pairs. Breaking it down there are approximately 185 female wolves and only 31 of them are breeding. This is actually 1 in 6 females breed in a given year. Central Idaho has 713 wolves (356 females)and 46 breeding pair for a ratio of almost 8 non-breeding females to each breeding females. These numbers are higher than the 1 in 5 I mentioned, but they reflect wolves in completely different habitats. Somewhere I thought I heard 1 in 5 for MN but am not certain.

I am not a wolf biologist at all, but my understanding is that only one female, the alpha female, per pack will breed. All wolves in the pack will then cooperate to raise those pups.

I don't know for sure but I suspect that the non-alpha females do not come into heat at all.

Whistler

[jeffreyd]

We have two areas in the state that they introduced wolves back into. they found 2 alpha males killed last week, one from each area. While i am not a fan of the reintroduction, seeing what they have done in Yellowstone, you have to look at the habitat as a whole. The wolves were introduced or brought back to yellowstone because the elk were destroying the habitat. the wolves limited the number of elk and allowed the habitat to recoup and come back. but now the elk numbers are down the wolf numbers are up and the problem is happening again with overpopulation of wolves. I have a professor who is a wolf biologist and was one of the people who studied the habitat and impact the elk played on it. I wonder if he has changed his tune any toward the lowering elk numbers? I would think that if they are delisted in mn that the greenies wont allow a hunt to happen for a long time. heck the sierra club here has fought tooth and nail about the gfd taking out one mountain lion that is killing the big horn sheep on the kofa refuge.

Here is a link to the actual law, it says that since 2009 you can take only a wolf if you have to in self defense and then it has to be reported. I do not think you will see a "season" for them in a long time.

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_02/50cfr17_02.html

you want 50.CR17.40 Mammals

[Wallydog]

With any luck at all you'll be able to buy a tag & hunt 'em here again this fall/winter.

Come on out!

WD

[psepuncher]

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to return gray wolves to all of their traditional habitats in the United States—places like New England, California and the Great Plains. If accepted by USFWS or mandated by court order, the petition would keep wolves in the upper Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountains on the Endangered Species List until they expand across the country.

“The act requires that wolf populations be recovered across a significant portion of their original range, and that isn’t close to happening as yet,’’ Michael Robinson, conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, told the Duluth News Tribune. “We need a national wolf plan and policy.”

Such a policy could prove disastrous to big game herds nationwide, not to mention domestic livestock. Anecdotal evidence points to wolves as a contributing factor in declining deer herds in Wisconsin and Michigan, and in areas in the northern Rockies where wolves and elk share habitat, such as Yellowstone, elk populations are declining fast. Since wolves were re-introduced in the mid-1990s, Yellowstone’s elk herd has dropped from 17,000 to 7,100—a 58 percent decline. In Idaho’s famous Lolo Zone, the elk population is down 57 percent since 2006, from 5,110 to 2,178 animals.

“We urge USFWS to be very cautious in this evaluation and reject the rhetoric of the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earth Justice, Humane Society of the U.S. and other animal rights groups,” said David Allen, president of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. “Wolf re-introduction in the greater Yellowstone region was a classic example of ‘let’s get our foot in the door and then move the goal line,’ and should be warning enough. This is a fundraising strategy with anti-hunting, anti-ranching, anti-gun impacts, and the public needs to understand and see it for it is.”

[mrklean]

Really hope they dont go back on the list, they need to be thinned out in spots

[reinhard1]

here is my non expert look at wolves in northern minnesota only. high population of wolves there will be lower population of deer to follow. low population of deer there will be low populations of wolves to follow. food to prey theory. i hunt north of duluth and love the sound of wolves at night. this is a great animal. but at times they need to be thinned out in certain areas. i think farmers should be alowed to protect their property from any predator. i hear of hunters shooting them at random-this is wrong. i once saw a beutiful large black wolf years ago that was shot. this decision to control wolves should be done carefully and by proffesionals. good luck.