WI Wolf Closure

[T-Bar]

WI DNR

For those of you wolf trapping in WI. Zone 2 closes tomorrow at noon after only 3 1/2 days!

[trappnman]

why would they close before quota? I always thought quotas allowed for those few extra that would be taken-

interesting that, I would guess, the zone with the fewest wolves, and covering the largest area by far, has almost 25% of the quota.

or am I reading it wrong, and actually that many wolfs in zone 6= notice 0 harvested so far

[primitiveman]

That's Wisconsin for ya. Unfortunately, many of the "wolves" being tagged are coyotes....or at the very least hybrids. I've seen several pics of "young 45 pound wolves." It's sad that given such an amazing opportunity, people waste their tags on something I would simply take to the fur buyer. I was fortunate enough to tag out last year in zone 6 with the 110 pound female from my avatar photo...couple friends of mine never got a chance because the season closed so quickly and they were waiting to target one in the winter.

[trappincoyotes39]

Question would be what are the Quotas number wise? Then if they are banging them out in a few days should tell you they need to up the numbers, SD has done that with mt lions once people figured them out somewhat as the season would always hit the number telling you a bump in take is justified.

If not the population will continue to grow at rates like a harvest really never took place in many areas.

[bblwi]

The total number of wolves in a zone and the quota may not be a statistical relationship. So many quotas are offered and the tribes in the ceded areas receive a designated amount. Also there are zones or regions of the state where there is less livestock agriculture and fewer residents and more forested areas and the quotas are not as high per the numbers as they are in the farming and more agriculture areas like zones, 3, 4 and 5. Also portions of zone 1 has the highest density of wolves per square mile in the lower 48 states and is a zone with limited agriculture and sparse population so that area could be similar to zone two which is similar and the one that is closed as of noon today.

Bryce

[trappincoyotes39]

Wolves migrate to where reliable food sources as correct? Sounds like too many zones have the northern half opened up to a set number and allow them to be harvested where they need it the most. if you have some areas with high numbers that is where many will try to go first to fill their tags etc.

Otherwise your using some areas as wolf factories due to a lower take and allowing them to fill back in as the packs get too large and some break off to new territory to start a new social pack.

Is the idea to lessen damage wolves cause or just offer trophy tags and keep the numbers stable or,increasing?

[bblwi]

Currently I believe and it is my thoughts that they are trying to resolve several issues such as total population goal, work with the tribes and minimize depredation along with offering opportunities for trophy hunting and trapping. I feel that if they want to maintain a goal of somewhere between the original stated 350 and the current presumed numbers of like 650-800 the agency would like the areas with the best wolf habitat and least depredation opportunities tor retain relatively high populations of wolves.
It may well be more difficult to locate and hunt or trap wolves in the marginal edges of their range or the more agriculture areas as they wolves are more likely to move differently. We also have quite a few observations of single or lone wolves and not part of any pack. What is not known are these wolves more humanized and or more nomadic at this time. We are not talking about dispersal types but collared lone wolves. I also don't know if these individuals are becoming more or less common as the population increases and the range expansion occurs.
One of the issues that some harvesters have passed on to others that catching a small young of the year female wolf in mid October really does not have a trophy type pelt to tan or mount.
Bryce

[trappincoyotes39]

As wolf packs get to big they will break off to try and start new packs Mother Nature doing what it does. Migration not really but close to the same as they pull off of packs that get to big or much inbreeding could take place in time, jr will only has so much patience before he needs to sow them oats

[T-Bar]

One negative about our wolf season the way it is, is that the past few years have shown that it is a mad dash from the start of the season to tag a wolf as quickly as possible before the season closes.

I'm not as well educated on this subject as some of you probably are but wouldn't they be better off lowering the amount of permits awarded so the season lasts longer? Or are the purposely trying to hit their quotas and get the season over with ASAP?

You look at some of the other furbearers that we can harvest by permit in WI (fisher, otter, bobcat) and the season rarely closes early and I would think never have they closed in less than a week.

[trappincoyotes39]

T bar a quota can be a good system, the season will close sooner with more rapid success for sure, hard to have rapid success unless population numbers are doing well in some of these areas, they should extend the numbers in areas of higher concentration depending on population goals. The number killed at times can be the issue, or start the season later, many times they fear lack of harvest if weather gets bad etc.

If you gave out less tags then people would complain they never drew one or antis would try to get them to save a wolf as well, doing nothing for objectives in that case as well.

AS success rates rise they can do either an increase in harvest , change dates or go to a limited draw with more draw tags figuring not everyone will harvest a wolf.

max dollars are made by selling unlimited tags and hitting a harvest objective as well.

[bblwi]

I hear this all the time now at our WTA meetings and from trappers. Some zones close in 36 hours. That is not any time to enjoy anything. There are many differences between the wolf permits and our other 3 tagged species plus bear. You can not transfer any of the tags or permits except for youth for bear except wolf. Wolf permits can be given to others. I don't believe anyone thought that a wolf season for up to over 200 wolves would be over in days instead of weeks or months. Especially our DNR staff. We are all lead to believe that this human shy, wary wolves would be difficult to hunt or trap. We are finding that wolf pups are easier to catch than red fox pups and or coyote pups. So with the YOY being very easy to catch it is about finding sign and setting. We have super guides that have several clients that help set traps, go back home go to work and wait for the guide to call them so they can drive up and shoot their wolf. Is this what we envisioned for a quality wolf hunt or trapping experience? With the rapidity that the zones are closing I feel that over time there will be far fewer that will apply and pay the $50 and maybe not even get to their location from home before the season closes. The legislature that did not want to listen to any of the WTA's advice when this went down is now asking the WTA to make changes. As of June I am no longer serving on the WTA BOD after 8 years so I won't be hearing the discussion directly nor will I be making decisions at the BOD level.
Personally I have not applied for a tag and don't plan on doing so. The idea of racing down two track roads and fire lanes working to get ahead of a half dozen other 4 wheelers to set locations is way too much like 15 guys in a 500 acre marsh racing to set rat traps or driving fast to get to ROW locations before the pack does and I already do enough of that already. Hunters sure I disappointed to find out that their chances of hunting wolf are extremely low.

Bryce

[mustelameister]

that about sums it up Bryce

[RdFx]

Ditto DNR always says ask trappers for their advice.... they dont seem to listen. Maybe we have to do like the Souix women did to Custer, push an arrow in his ear so he (DNR) could (can) hear better in the after life (nowdays) !!!