Family-Outdoors

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced $900,000 in grants under the Wolf Livestock Demonstration Project Grant Program. Grants will be distributed to the states of Arizona, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin, and to the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The grants assist livestock producers in undertaking proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk of livestock loss from predation by wolves, and compensate producers for livestock losses caused by wolves. The program provides funding to states and tribes, with federal cost-share not to exceed 50 percent. Proposals were evaluated considering the extent of depredation of livestock by wolves, program evaluation and record keeping, and commitment to reporting and coordination. Proposals were also evaluated based on the level of non-lethal, proactive techniques to reduce wolf-livestock interactions and the outreach and coordination levels. Funds will be expended equally betwee...

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has closed Wolf Harvest Zone 5 to hunting and trapping of gray wolves effective 9 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. Wolf Harvest Zone 5 is the fourth zone to be closed this season. The harvest of wolves currently remains open in two other zones. The department will continue to closely monitor the harvest in the remaining zones and does expect zone 6 to close soon. Wolf hunters and trappers should check daily for additional zone closures. “The harvest trend in Zone 5 has been steady prior to the deer season, but has slowed down since then. Now with the quota achieved we will close the zone to any additional harvest,” said Kurt Thiede, DNR Lands Division Administrator. “This is Wisconsin’s inaugural season. We are learning much about hunter and trapper success rates that will help us draft permanent rules that continue to move the wolf population down toward goals set in our state wolf management plan.” “We will be consider...