Wisconsin farmers can get permits to kill wolves

Wisconsin farmers can shoot wolves near their livestock starting today, and can now get permits to trap or shoot wolves any time on their land, as the federal government hands management of the big predator back to Great Lakes states.

The long-anticipated handoff of wolves becomes official today in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, where wolves have recovered far beyond expectations when federal protections began in the 1970s.

Wisconsin and Michigan each have about 800 wolves, with about 3,000 in Minnesota.

“This is going to give a lot of relief to farmers who have been having repeat problems with wolves,’’ said Adrian Wydeven, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wolf expert. “We’ve been working toward this day for a long time.”

While federal trappers in Minnesota have been killing wolves on farms where livestock have been killed for more than 30 years, that option hasn’t been allowed in Wisconsin under federal rules.

Starting today, state-funded trappers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture can be called in immediately to trap and kill wolves in problem areas, Wydeven said. Those wolves previously had to be relocated. In addition, farmers now can get permits from their local DNR wildlife office to trap or shoot wolves any time on their land. And Wisconsin hopes to certify dozens of “citizen trappers” by March who can be called on to trap and kill wolves in areas where wolf attacks on livestock have become common.

“We’re already seeing a lot of interest for permits from farmers in your area, Douglas and Ashland Counties,” Wydeven said.