2013 Michigan Wolf Hunting Season - What do you think?

[Dave_B]

Michigan is officially opening up a Wolf hunting season this year. They are selling 1,200 licenses to harvest 43 wolves in three different management areas, all in the U.P.
$100 for residents and $500 for non-residents!
I plan on trying to get one as we rifle hunt in Unit B but that seems like an awful lot of licenses, at a hefty price, to take only 43 wolves. Will this really make a difference?
Based on all the wolves, and wolf signs we've seen, I just don't see the logic in harvesting only 43.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2013_Wolf_Digest_Web_427936_7.pdf

 

[anonomoose]

This is a political hot potatoe. If they yield to the humane society, there would be NO hunts. If they yielded to locals they would hunt and kill 200.

This is the compromise.

Even though the numbers are up, being a successful hunter will be quite hard to predict. Wolves are not like deer that stick around an area unless moved by humans. They travel and might not be thru an area for a couple weeks. When the numbers are high one pack could move thru and another might come right behind them. It is all luck.

It is not far fetched to have that many licenses issued and not even make the 40 quota.

Wolves are quite adapt at avoiding humans...if they want to. If you make the draw you will have your hands full trying to fill the tag.

I am guessing the fee to do this hunt will zoom and the wolves will get smarter as soon as humans get out in the woods looking for them. So this might be your best chance to bag one....if that is what you want to do.

 

[whitedust]

WI watches the amount of wolf harvest daily & shuts down hunting in each zone when harvest quota is reached. You may have the the same thing in MI so be prepared to move to open zones. I have seen plenty of wolves in UP so 43 does seem overly protective.

 

[HardwaterHoosier]

Reality set in last summer when I was on my mountain bike. I turned around to head back, and noticed "large dog prints" in the sand that weren't there before.
At $500 for out of staters, it sounds like they want to keep them for themselves.