“MINNEAPOLIS --Details of Minnesota's first wolf hunting and trapping season released Monday didn't please everyone. Mark Johnson, executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, said limiting the season that opens Nov. 3 to 6,000 licenses and 400 wolves is too conservative. "I think deer hunters will be disappointed," said Johnson. Howard Goldman, senior Minnesota director of the Humane Society of the United States, says hunters shouldn't be pursuing wolves.” Read the full article here.
Information regarding the two separate hunting seasons of gray wolves in Minnesota this year has officially been released. Licenses, which will cost $30 for residents and $250 for nonresidents, will be issued by a lottery system. There will also be a $4 application fee. According to an article regarding the wolf hunting season in Minnesota found on the Kansas City Star, hunters will be able to use bait to attract wolves, but will not be allowed to hunt at night. There is a bag limit of one wolf per hunter. Hunters will also need to check daily to ensure the current wolf season is open as they will close once harvest quotas are reached.
According to the Minnesota DNR website, the early wolf season will begin on the opening day of firearms deer season (Nov. 3rd) and will continue until the end of deer season or the harvest quota of 200 wolves is reached, whichever comes first. The early season will only allow hunting with firearms and is open to residents and non residents. The late season will begin November 24th for both trapping and firearms hunting. During late season trapping will only be open to residents of Minnesota. There will be a quota limit of 100 wolves for hunting with firearms and 100 wolves from trapping. Late season will also remain open until the harvest limits are reached or until January 6, 2013 whichever comes first.
A total of 6,000 licenses will be offered for sale. Early season licenses will not be valid for late season hunting. Also, a minimum of 600 late season licenses will be issued to trappers to gather adequate data on trapper success rates. If fewer than 600 trapping licenses are sold, the remaining will be offered for sale to hunters. Finally, according to the Minnesota DNR website, the number of licenses offered to non-residents (hunting only) will be capped at 5 % for both the Early (180 out of 3,600) and Late Season (120 out of 2,400).
For a full list of rules and regulations, including a timeline when important application deadlines are please visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.
Read more at Minnesota DNR here
