A Win for Wisconsin’s Wolves

Wolf Advocates Stop Wisconsin Fall Hunt and Get Federal Protections Restored Here

What’s the situation with wolves in Wisconsin right now?

After hundreds of wolves were wiped out by hunting, poaching and trapping in February 2021, state wildlife officials authorized more wolves to be hunted or trapped that fall. Massive public outcry and multiple lawsuits followed. In October 2021, a court ruled that Wisconsin can’t allow wolf hunting until its wolf management plan is updated.  

How did we get here? 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed gray wolves from the federal endangered species list in January 2021, returning management authority to states like Wisconsin. In February 2021, hunters and trappers in Wisconsin killed more than 200 wolves in less than three days — wiping out approximately 20% of the population. Thankfully, a state court there stopped a fall 2021 hunt from going forward; then, in February 2022 — ruling on a lawsuit brought by the Center and allies — a federal court restored federal protections to wolves in Wisconsin and many other states.

What can people do?

Wolves in Wisconsin and most other states across the country are safe from hunters and trappers for now but they’re still vulnerable in the northern Rockies, where wolves are managed by states dead-set on slaughtering them. Tell President Biden and his new leadership at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that wolves in the northern Rockies need the same federal protection that wolves in Wisconsin now have.