Hunters: 4 wolves killed on first day of Wisconsin hunt

A timber wolf named Comet is seen at the Timber Wolf Preservation Society Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 in Greendale, Wis. Federal officials removed Great Lakes wolves from the endangered species list in January. / AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger

MADISON, Wis. Hunters shot and killed at least four wolves in the opening 24 hours of Wisconsin's first organized wolf hunt, the state Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday.

The first reported killing — a male — took place at 7:15 a.m. Monday in Rusk County, according to the DNR website. Another hunter in Vilas County took a female at 8:30 a.m. A third hunter killed a female at 4:30 p.m. in Iron County and a fourth killed a male at 6:15 p.m. in Eau Claire County.

• No kills yet in Wisconsin's first wolf hunt
• Wisconsin, Minnesota ready for first ever wolf hunts

The hunt opened Monday morning but hunters aren't required to report kills for 24 hours. As of mid-afternoon Monday the DNR hadn't received any kill reports.

The hunt is scheduled to end Feb. 28, but it could close sooner; the DNR has set a statewide limit of 116 wolves with zone-specific limits. As of Tuesday morning, hunters could still kill 31 wolves in the far northwest, 19 in the far northeast, 17 in the mid-northwest, 22 in the central, 5 in the mid-northeast and 18 in the south.

The DNR has awarded 1,160 wolf licenses through a computerized lottery, although little more than half of the winners had purchased one by Monday morning.

Wildlife officials estimate as many as 850 wolves roam Wisconsin and 3,000 more live in Minnesota. Farmers have complained for years about wolf attacks on livestock.

Federal officials opened the door to hunting in both states when they removed Great Lakes wolves from the endangered species list earlier this year. Legislators in Wisconsin and Minnesota quickly passed laws establishing hunts, and hunt legislation is pending in Michigan.

The hunts are a flashpoint of contention. Animal welfare advocates insist wolf populations in both Minnesota and Wisconsin are too fragile to support hunting.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Howling for Wolves have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to halt that state's hunt before it begins on Nov. 3.

On Monday the Humane Society of the United States and The Fund for Animals notified federal wildlife official they plan to sue to force Great Lakes wolves back on the endangered species list. The groups allege the states are mismanaging the species.

Georgia Parham, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Midwest region, said in a statement Tuesday the agency doesn't comment on pending legal action, but that the wolves appear to be thriving in the region.

[ToolMangler1]

One big asteroid strike and all of you Non-thinking animal lovers will be up to your eyeballs in some meat eating predators nest to feed its young.
You seem to forget about 'all things in moderation'!!!!! Mother nature hasn't...
(The 'Wild life' you worship will rebound much faster than Mankind)

[opswbp]

In my humble opinion, Humans are "the most dangerous animal on this planet"
Let's please go kill a human today, oh wait, I hear that's already being done. Too bad there are so many innocents getting killed too.

[Tater-salad]

The state's DNRs are charged with maintaining healthy populations of diverse wildlife. They are, for the most part, staffed with skilled scientists, biologists, ecosystem specialists, and others. Their job, in essence, is to make sure all the animals from people down to insects play nicely together without one over populating the other. Think you know as much about ecosystem management as they do? Think again unless you're a scientist in the field with a great deal of experience.

So, here's the honest scenario. Let's say the cute, fluffy wolves are protected. Because these states have good populations of deer, the wolves can eat them; but soon, the wolves begin to outnumber the deer and the wolves are now desperate to find another easy food source. Cattle, sheep, goat, and hog farmers are now at risk. Once they desimate the livestock, pets will be next and I guarantee if you hand-wringing pansies still don't allow control of the population, your babies would be next, and then it will be you....

So I ask. If you are a mother who hears her baby start to cry in the back yard, and you see some wolves circling your baby ready to spring and grab her and drag her to the woods for lunch... would you not shoot those wolves?!?

If you said no, you wouldn't shoot the wolf, then you are a liar or the worst mother on the planet.

Wolves won't attaack humans? Please, don't embarass yourself.

So, I guess my viewpoint, based on my understanding of real world nature, is that there should indeed be a season for wolf hunting if the population is getting too large.

Now, as far as being a hunter, I would love to have a wolf permit. I can't think of anything more exciting and challenging. As a hunter, I pay fees when I buy my rifle and when I get my hunting license; this money goes to the state for wildlife management which I gladly pay.

I am now going to offend the libs. Hunting is a natural part of being man. It has been since man was put on this earth. It is an instinct we have as part of our psyche to allow us to survive. You can do a lot of things, but you CANNOT legislate away something we enjoy at the most fundamental level of our characteristics. It's no more bad than learning to grow a garden. If you cannot see that, well, you are hopeless.

You should THANK a hunter, in my humble estimation.

[Kruger1987]

In response to jim476-2009 comment, i have been a farmer for 18 years now. I have lived beside and I know hundreds of cattle farmers. Do you know what they do when their cattle gets taken out? They dont wait around for the other cattle to go down, they either build higher fences, electric fenches or they sit outside with their shoutgun and wait for the group. They then kill one not the whole group ONE. for all you stupid yankees who belive that killing wildlife makes your dick hard, and using top of the line tracking equiptment, guns, weapons mass amounts of people to hunt down a few wolves that took out a farmers cattle? Pathetic.
Instead of ******** and complaining about how wildlife took out your wildlife, do something humane about it, dont wait until all your stuff is gone and then start ******** and comaplaining about the wolves and how they should be taken out. This is just wrong! Build higher fences...retards

[harv823]

I guess that when some guys need viagra, the only thing left to show they're macho is to kill something. Also, thank the NRA brainwashing for this.

[esaun211]

heres wishing the wolf hunters lose one of their children in the near future to tragic accidents. So tired of one type of man kind killing off original inhabitants of the land for self interest; but what do you expect when their false religion places them above all else

[debbles123]

I agree

[opswbp]

I say Bravo, In y opinion you are right on with your comment

[TellFell]

I don't get it. These hunters are killing the wolves for sport? I assume they are not throwing the body on the hood of the car and driving home with their trophy displayed. Hey, let's put Pit Bulls on the kill list too, so us urban hunters can just walk through the hood, and shoot them horrible critters. Ah wolf meat, my wife makes one mean wolffie sloppy joe!

[Mick_from_Amsterdam]

Got a flash for you Jim...

I'm rather surprised that a "hard-working, country-bred, expert" on the subject, didn't know that in the history of men and wolves on the North American continent...

There is not a single recorded instance of a pack of wolves running down and killing a man...

Everybody's heard about wolves doing that...yet no one has ever actually seen it...

All BS, Jim...just like the rest of your self-congratulatory posts...although you do seem to be someone with a sincere grudge against wolves and not some beer-guzzling over-the-hill loser who just wants to kill something...

Something that could maybe even be dangerous...wottaguy!

And BTW Jim...wolves have been called "nature's perfect parents" due to the way a pack will all cooperate in the protection and rearing of the alpha pair's young...the communal young...

A virtue that still eludes mankind...

[Vindicatorjim]

Well Mick your wrong! Good baseless rant though. While we don't have as many wolf attacks as the rest of the world (because we shoot them)you cannot say it does not happen. Go ahead and look it up on Wikipedia Wolf attacks on humans. Like it or not we are stewarts of the land and choices must be made, opening a season on wolves is part of that. There is no great balance in nature it is full of ups and downs in populations, we seek to control that balance for our own benefits. We all reap the rewards everyday, so try not to be too righteous just because you like wolves.

[Solarrays247]

Creeps. Cowards. There aren't enough words in the English language to express my disgust at these so-called "hunters."

It's not enough that humans are ruining the environment...we just have to kill everything else off, too, don't we?

[jim476-2009]

Then keep the wolves in your fenced in back yard. You people can play with them, the same way as when you play with fluffy.We don't want the things near us.These things are useless.

[bjschirf]

Wolves are beautiul. I live in Michigan and all wild life needs to be protected. I have beautiful deer in the 600 acres behind our home in the woods 800 feet off the road. I feed the fawns every year only to hear gun shots in the woods at hunting season. I believe in GUN RIGHTS we have 2 our selves but only animals that can be eaten should be shot.
WHO EATS WOLVES? They take the fur I suppose.
Jean in michigan