DNR reports on wolf kill numbers

A DNR website showed that by Sunday morning, 33 wolves have been killed by hunters since the state's first managed wolf season opened on Saturday. Sixteen wolves were killed in the northeast part of the state, 12 were taken in the northwest and five in the east central area.

Steve Merchant, the DNR's acting wildlife chief, said that most hunters who have wolf licenses are also hunting deer because the two seasons are running concurrently. Merchant said most of those hunters are primarily focused on deer.

"If they see a wolf they're going to try to take one," Merchant said. "I think people who are interested in hunting wolves just as purely from a wolf hunting standpoint, not concurrent with deer hunting, they're probably going to hunt the later season."

A late wolf season starts Nov. 24 and runs through the end of January. The DNR will limit the number of wolves killed to 400.