Although their numbers are in decline, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said it would go forward with a wolf hunt/trapping season in 2013. Last year hunters and trappers took 413 wolves during the hunt.
Even though there are fewer wolves in the state this year than five years ago, the wolf hunt will go on in 2013, said the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in a recent press release.
According to a comprehensive survey taken last winter, the state has 710 fewer wolves in 2013 than it had in 2009.
Despite the decline, the estimated number of wolves exceeds the state’s minimum goal of at least 1,600 and is still higher than the federal recovery goal range of 1,251 to 1,400 animals.
New survey results taken over last winter estimate there are 438 packs and 2,211 wolves, down from the 2,921 survey estimate taken five years ago.
Pack sizes have decreased from 4.9 to 4.3 wolves. John Erb, DNR research biologist, said the reduction in average pack size likely is a combination of reduced prey and the harvest of wolves in the two months immediately preceding the mid-winter wolf pack counts.
In 2012 trappers and hunters harvested 413 wolves and the DNR expects to set up similar hunting/trapping guidelines for 2013. The DNR said it will more closely monitor pack and territory sizes in the next few years. More frequent radio collaring of wolf packs will provide additional data on the population’s response to wolf season harvest.
Minnesota wolves were removed from federal protection under the Endangered Species Act and handed over to state management in January 2012.
“Results from the 2013 wolf survey continue to demonstrate that Minnesota’s wolf population is fully recovered from its once threatened status and the population is responding naturally to the availability of deer, wolves’ primary food source,” said Dan Stark, DNR large carnivore specialist.
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