Wisconsin makes the transition from wolf recovery to wolf management with its inaugural wolf hunt, set to start tomorrow throughout the state.
Though hunting the predator is not considered suitable in Door, Brown, or Kewaunee Counties, several hunters from the area are among those selected by lottery to work on controlling the wolf population.
Just 1160 permits were awarded of an approximately 20,000 applicants, and the number of animals to be collected is set at just 116
One of the lucky 5% is lifelong hunter Kevin Fleischman of Sturgeon Bay. Even with that many people competing for Wolves, he is just hoping to at least encounter the crafty animal.
Last season in Montana, for example, of nearly 18,700 licenses sold, hunters took only 166 animals; a less than 1% success rate.
But Fleischman says he is trying to do as much research as he can to find out everything he needs to get a leg up in his quest to bring home a wolf. His current plan is to try to take advantage of the wolf's natural territorial nature.
Fleischman says he is looking forward to the wolf hunt because it is something different and more challenging and in the northern part of the state the wolf has decreased the population of other game.
