Fall has arrived and I hope you and your family have a wonderful hunting season. This is special time to enjoy God’s great outdoors.

Hunter Nation is committed to being the Unified Voice of the American Hunter and will continue to defend our Traditional American Values of God, Family, Country, and our Constitution.

We continue to work with our members and partners nationwide to implement pro-hunting policies and to be an informational source on the benefits of hunting. One of the critical issues we are involved in is the Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan 2023. We are working to ensure that hunters play a role in responsibly managing the wolf population in Wisconsin.

The WI DNR will held a virtual public hearing on Tuesday September 12, 2023. Hunter Nation participated and provide verbal testimony in opposition. Our three main concerns are the lack of a defined wolf population goal, the lack of stated wolf harvest quota, once we obtain a delisting, and the management buffer zones. The plan recognizes the wolf as a recovered species and proposes long term management without a specific target goal for population.

This is in contrast to the 1999 plan that set a clearly defined total Wisconsin wolf population goal at 350 animals. Although there are various estimates of the actual wolf population in the state, using the WI DNR’s lowest count, there is still an excess of 500 wolves above the 350 goal. There needs to be a set harvest quota that takes those population numbers into consideration in order to manage this apex predator, and in turn manage all of Wisconsin’s wildlife.  Additionally, we oppose the buffer zone proposal as it will negatively impact stakeholder’s property and due process rights.

The objectives of the plan are.

1. Ensure a healthy and sustainable wolf population to fulfill its ecological role.
2. Address and reduce wolf related conflict.
3. Provide multiple benefits associated with the wolf population.
4. Increase public understanding of wolves in Wisconsin.
5. Conduct scientific research to inform wolf stewardship.
6. Provide leadership in collaborative and scientific based wolf management in Wisconsin.

These objectives will be impossible to achieve without a defined population goal and a set harvest quota. Hunter Nation will fight along side hunters and other stakeholders to ensure there is science based responsible predator management in Wisconsin, as this is a crucial component in maintaining balanced wildlife numbers.