Wolves need managed!

[Gerald Martin]

When wolves were first delisted we had a season for one year and then it closed for a year because of a court injunction until they were fully under state management the following year.

Of course the year it closed, I had two mature wolves come and drink from the waterhole I was sitting over in a tree stand while archery elk hunting. I watched them drink at twenty yards and leave. Then I pulled back my string and shot a leaf on the ground where they had been drinking just to imagine what could have been….

Thanks for nothing, Judge Molloy!

That’s the only legit opportunity I’ve had a wolf within shooting range.

 

[TheTone]

I have a tag every year but haven’t seen when in season since we’ve had seasons. I probably could have had one or two prior to seasons existing.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

And 30 years in we are still waiting for those attacks on people

It might get interesting if the "canine" attack on a woman plus partial consumption of her in Colorado. The attack occurred several month ago but zero release of DNA data.

Colorado still will not state this was wolf attack. Canine and consumption of a human. Really don't think this was fluffy off its leash.

https://kdvr.com/news/local/autopsy...y-had-injuries-consistent-with-canine-attack/

 

[Bonasababy]

I grew up in northeast MN, where I now live. Wolves have always been here. I’ve had hundreds of encounters with them. Sometimes I don’t mind them around but sometimes I wonder if the old timers had the right idea when they went through great efforts to exterminate them. They are just a large coyote. They reproduce fast and there populations an increase quickly if food is available. Killing a few a year from a given area won’t have any impact on their population. NONE! As deer and elk hunting becomes more expensive it’s also going to become less productive, making it much less appealing. I enjoy challenging hunts but they are not worth the price of admission if success rates are stupid low. Areas with bears, lions, and now wolves are not going to be productive places to hunt. Unfortunately no one that has any influence has big enough balls to address growing predator populations. The Marxist ideology being pushed by meat eater is popular and profitable but unless we address predator populations and stop worshipping predators, big game hunting on public land will be gone. It won’t matter how much land is available to hunt.

How old are you? I'm guessing pretty young...as wolf numbers in the NE have not changed much at all in many years there... and we used to have more deer when we had similar amounts of wolves.

 

[Northwoods]

How old are you? I'm guessing pretty young...as wolf numbers in the NE have not changed much at all in many years there... and we used to have more deer when we had similar amounts of wolves.

How old are you? I'm guessing pretty young...as wolf numbers in the NE have not changed much at all in many years there... and we used to have more deer when we had similar amounts of wolves.

I’ve been around long enough to see a modest deer heard along the north shore explode in the 90’s. Then decrease to more modest numbers. Followed by a significant decline. The deer heard along the north shore appears to have been increasing slightly now the last couple of years and the harvest rates support this. In 2023 the zone I live in had 62 deer registered, an impressive 0.07 deer per square mile. That number increased to 92 in 2024. I’ve also seen a modest deer heard at the end of the Gunflint trail go to practically zero and a smaller but continuous heard mid Gunflint trail go to nothing. You are correct, northern Minnesota has always had wolves. About 35 years ago when I was a teenager I helped an old trapper free a wolf from a trap. I could tell that wasn’t the first time he’d played that game.

 

[Northwoods]

Is that right? We have a lot of all three where I spend my time hunting in Montana.

Huh, found this track as we walked up to the deer my Dad shot last year...not a productive place to hunt?

Seeing a little cohabitation here:

The wolf population in Montana is about 1/3 of the wolf population in northern Minnesota. Be interesting to see what happens if the Montana wolf population is allowed to triple.

 

[Nick87]

The wolf population in Montana is about 1/3 of the wolf population in northern Minnesota. Be interesting to see what happens if the Montana wolf population is allowed to triple.

The wolf situation in the upper midwest seem to be apples to oranges to that of the west. Just look at a couple years ago when they opened season in wisconsin.

 

[Treeshark]

The wolf situation in the upper midwest seem to be apples to oranges to that if the west. Just look at a couple years ago when they opened season I'm wisconsin.

True, killed like 200 in a few days.

That includes trapping too though, and most of the wolves killed by hunters were run with dogs in ideal conditions. I’m not sure if that is a legal method of hunting wolves in Western states?

Still a ton of wolves in a very short period of time. In my opinion, the WDNR had egg on their face in the aftermath as it exposed their population estimates as being way low.

 

[BuzzH]

The wolf population in Montana is about 1/3 of the wolf population in northern Minnesota. Be interesting to see what happens if the Montana wolf population is allowed to triple.

Well, we have 100% more grizzlies and mountain lions than Minnesota. Seems things aren't falling apart.