Hunting and hidden deaths led to estimated 30 percent reduction in Wisconsin’s wolf population

New research into the implications of Wisconsin’s wolf hunt is helping to shed light on how the hunt has impacted the wolf population. Led by Nelson Institute professor and founder of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab Adrian Treves, postdoctoral researcher Francisco Santiago-Ávila, and PhD candidate Karann Putrevu the research, which was published July 5 in the journal PeerJ, estimates that there was a combined loss of 313 to 323 wolves. This represents a decline in the wolf population of about 30 percent between April 2020 and April 2021. While there were 218 wolves killed by licensed hunters researchers believe that the additional hundred deaths are due to cryptic poaching. Researchers hope that this study can be used by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to inform the next legal wolf hunt. Read more.