The Department of Natural Resources says it will work to comply with the order. 2:34 pm, Feb. 11, 2021 ×
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Thursday said it will work to comply with a judge s order to hold a wolf hunting and trapping season yet in February. (Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin DNR)
A Wisconsin state court judge has ruled that the state Department of Natural Resources must hold a wolf hunting season yet this winter despite the agency’s objections.
Judge Bennett Brantmeier in Jefferson County court made the ruling from the bench, with no written opinion released as yet.
The ruling came Thursday after a sportsman s group sued to force the hunt, which some hunters and livestock owners say is necessary to quickly cull the state’s wolf population, which stands at about 1,034.
Hunter Nation contends the agency’s decision violates the rights of their roughly 20,000 members in Wisconsin, according to
Luke Hilgemann, the group’s CEO and president.
“Clearly, this comes down to whether or not the administration is going to follow the law, and whether or not they want to have the management of a wild population of wolves that’s growing beyond our stated goal of management,” said Hilgemann.
Hilgemann said they’re suing to force the DNR to immediately resume the wolf hunt in compliance with state law. Under state statute, the DNR is required to hold a single wolf hunting and trapping season from Oct. 15 through February when the animal is not listed as an endangered species.