A total of 16,672 interested wolf hunters or trappers applied to receive a permit or a preference point for the 2013 Wisconsin wolf hunting season, according to DNR officials. The permit drawing occurred Aug. 15.
The wolf quota, as recommended by the Wolf Advisory Committee and approved by the Natural Resources Board, was set at 275. However, the number of wolves available for harvest by state hunters and trappers has been adjusted to 251, in response to the recent declaration of wolves by the Chippewa Bands of Wisconsin.
With the tribal harvest quota adjustment, 2,510 permits were drawn for state hunters and trappers, maintaining the same 10-to-1 permit-to-quota ratio as the 2012 season.
Half the available permits were issued randomly half were issued through a cumulative preference point drawing. Successful applicants will be notified by letter. Unsuccessful applicants will be awarded a preference point.
Out of the total 16,672 applicants this year, 12,108 applied for a permit and 4,564 applied for a preference point. This compares to 20,270 applicants for 2012, with 17,377 applying for a permit and 2,893 for a preference point.
There will again be six harvest zones, identical to 2012. Quotas by zone for state licensed hunters and trappers will be: Zone 1 – 76; Zone 2 – 28; Zone 3 – 71; Zone 4- 12; Zone 5 – 34; Zone 6 – 30. The 2013 wolf season starts Oct. 15 and runs until the quota is reached in each zone or the last day of February. For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov and search keyword “wolf.”