Wisconsin winter wolf hunt may not be held this season
A decision in a lawsuit against the hunt may not come until spring of next year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There may not be a winter wolf hunt in Wisconsin this year.
Wolf hunting in Wisconsin is on hold after a judge issued an injunction last month. According to new reports, the court schedule reveals it’s unlikely a decision will be made before 2021 ends.
A judge in Wisconsin issued an injunction against the hunt, stating that while he believed the state law was constitutional, the DNR had not created the necessary permanent regulations for the hunt. (iStock)
The state held a wolf hunt earlier this year after the gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list, Fox 6 reports. During that hunt, 218 wolves were harvested in the state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Since then, however, a lawsuit has been filed by a coalition of animal advocacy groups claiming that a state law requiring the wolf should be invalidated.
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A judge issued an injunction against the hunt, stating that while he believed the state law was constitutional, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had not created the necessary permanent regulations for the hunt. The injunction will reportedly remain in place until the DNR can show that it has updated and implemented regulations regarding quotas, licenses and a new management plan for population goals.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to a new report from Public News Service, a decision on the injunction won’t be made until next spring. That would mean no wolf hunt would be held this winter.
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Earlier this year, the gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list. (iStock)
Earlier this year, Fox News reported that gray wolves were officially removed from the federal Endangered Species List on Jan. 4, giving states the leeway to determine how to manage local populations. Wisconsin mandates that the DNR open a wolf hunt from early November to late February when the wolves are not listed as endangered or threatened.
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During February's hunt, 218 wolves were harvested in Wisconsin. (iStock)
At the time, hunting advocacy group Hunter Nation successfully sued the state to hold a wolf hunt. Prior to this year, the most recent wolf hunt in Wisconsin was in 2014.
Fox News' Janine Puhak contributed to this report.