Wis. DNR releases initial plans ahead of wolf hunt

MADISON (AP) -- State wildlife officials have released preliminary plans for how to conduct Wisconsin's new wolf hunt.

The state Department of Natural Resources says one goal of the first wolf-hunting and -trapping season is to bring the population closer to 350. The DNR says this year's winter wolf count estimated the state population was at least 815 to 880.

The DNR's initial proposal calls for the harvest of 142 to 233 wolves. The agency also plans to issue five times more licenses than the harvest number, predicting that hunters will have a 20 percent success rate.

State lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year calling for a wolf hunt. The DNR is making its initial proposals available for public feedback. The agency plans to make its final recommendations by early next month.

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