Wisconsin's Wolf Hunt Was Neededand Didn't Exceed Quota by Much
MARSHFIELD — A plethora of news articles are reporting that Wisconsin wolf hunters exceeded the Department of Natural Resource’s harvest quota by more than 50%. But this statistic is grossly misleading and has created a false narrative that deserves clarity.
The reality is Wisconsin’s wolf hunt quota was 200 for the 2021 season, and the number of officially harvested wolves was 218. That is less than 10% over the season quota — not 50%.
Wisconsin 2021 Wolf Seasons & DNR Population
- Wolf Harvest Season: 2/22/21–2/28/2021
Quota Reached in under 3 Days on 2/24/2024 - Harvest Quota: 200 (14.9% of Estimated Wolf Population)
(119 state / 81 tribal) - Wolf Harvest: 218 - 60 hours - 109% of Total Quota, License Quota Exceed
- Wolf Population (2020): 1,340 (Pop. increase of 680 – 6 years since last hunt)
- Wolf Hunting & Trapping Licenses: 1,548 (Purchased), 2,380 (Awarded), 27,151 (Applications)
CLICK TO READ Wisconsin DNR Announces February Wolf Harvest Season - WI-DNR - Press Release
Click to Read WI-DNR - Wisconsin Wolf Season Report 2021
When a season that used to take 50–70 days is effectively over in 60 hours with similar license participation, responsible predator management requires a full re-evaluation of the population estimate and its margin of error.