Northwoods state rep wants wolf hunt moved up; blasts DNR

Posted at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2020

The Brillion News

TOMAHAWK - State Representative Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, is not happy with the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) putting off the state's restored wolf hunt until late in 2021.

The said the DNR is postponing the first wolf hunt in six years due to a lack of preparedness in it's part.

[Photo at right: State Rep. Mary Felzkowski]

“Managing the wolf population has been a long-awaited opportunity for our state. I find it concerning that the DNR is choosing to wait an entire year to address this issue, rather than put in the work to create an adaptive wolf hunting season in January or February of 2021," Felzkowski said. "We’ve given the department broad authority to adjust hunting seasons as necessary and the return of control over the wolf population should have been better anticipated.”

Wisconsin’s last wolf hunt took place in 2014, prior to a federal judge placing the gray wolf species back on the Endangered Species List.

[Photo at left: Mr. Canis Lupus.]

The gray wolf has since made a swift comeback and packs have been attacking livestock, family pets, and the deer herds in northern Wisconsin.

U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson both advocated the de-listing and returning wolf management to the state.

Felzkowski said the state's Natural Resources Board, which oversees the DNR, has discussed preparations for a wolf hunt for the last four years.

“The science is there, the infrastructure may have needed a few tweaks, but overall it absolutely could have been done in 60 days or more," Felzkowski said. "Instead, the DNR spent the first 30 days deliberating, which is really unfortunate. Authority was not handed back to them so they could sit around and talk about it. Authority was handed back to them so they could act to manage this growing threat and allow Wisconsin’s sportsmen to engage with this emboldened predator.”