Wolf hunt survey shows large opposition to season

A vast majority of people responding to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources online survey oppose the idea of a gray wolf hunting and trapping season in the state.

Outdoors writers Sam Cook of the Duluth News Tribune and Doug Smith of the StarTribune both report that more than 7,000 people have completed the online survey about Minnesota’s first formal wolf hunting and trapping season.

According to Kathy DonCarlos, deputy director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife for the DNR, of the 7,351 respondents, only about 1,500 supported a hunting and trapping season on wolves.

After the gray wolf was removed from the federal endangered species list in January, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill establishing this fall’s season. The early wolf hunting season will begin on Nov. 3, the same day as the state’s firearms deer season. A later hunting and trapping season will begin Nov. 24.

The DNR now must decide how to structure and manage that season, and the primary purpose of the online survey was to gather input for that process. However, the first question in the survey asked whether the respondent supported or opposed the wolf season.