by Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Wolves in Wyoming will lose federal protected species status on Sept. 30, and on Oct. 15, Wisconsin is slated to hold its first wolf hunt.
Safari Club International (SCI) was hailing the situation in Wyoming, where the management plan calls for the state to maintain a minimum wolf population of 150 animals with 15 breeding pairs.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is pushing ahead with the planned wolf hunting season, but that dogs will not be allowed until late November.
This news came about the same time that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation revealed that it has surpassed the $400,000 mark in grants and pledges “to advance the science of wolves, wolf interactions with elk and other wildlife, and wolf management overall.” Over the years, RMEF has teamed with national park agencies here and in Canada, universities in Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming, and other agencies at the state and federal levels.
Wisconsin officials are still working on regulations regarding the use of dogs for wolf hunting, the Star-Tribune said.
But in Wyoming, don’t expect a hunt anytime soon. SCI predicted that wolf advocacy groups such as Earth justice and Defenders of Wildlife will probably challenge the delisting in federal court.
They had announced intentions for such a court challenge late in the summer.
Wyoming had authorized killing 52 wolves in the Trophy Area, a region in the state’s Northwest corner where about 90 percent of the wolves live.
Wolves living outside the Trophy Area will be classified as predators, SCI said, but inside the Trophy Area, wolves will be managed as a trophy animal.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is reportedly running low on funding for predation payments to livestock growers who have lost animals to wolves, according to the Star-Tribune.
The newspaper said the state has paid more than $154,000 on 111 claims for livestock killed this year, and $102,000 for claims filed in 2011. The state paid out $106,000 on 104 claims in 2010.
According to the newspaper, there was an interesting situation this past spring. Because of mild weather, deer were better able to elude hungry wolves, so the predators turned their attention to cattle, apparently because they move slower and are easier targets.
The newspaper said wildlife officials estimated there were about 3,000 wolves in the state back in 2008.
