We are pleased to announce that as of February 20, 2024, House File 3903 and Senate File 3988 have been introduced to the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and policy; and Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy Committees. These bills mandate a wolf season so long as the Gray Wolf is not listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The bills also aim to establish a Northeast Deer Management Task Force that must include a representative of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. This is a direct result of MDHA’s wolf management advocacy efforts over the years. This does not happen overnight. This happens over decades of fighting for our wild deer herd and for responsible wolf management in a respectful manner. We must be willing to engage in civil conversation on both sides of the aisle if we want to enact meaningful change.

HF3903 has bipartisan support with authors: Reps. Lislegard (DFL), Skraba (R), & Johnson (R). SF3988 is authored by Sen. Hauschild (DFL). This is significant in that bipartisan bills have a much higher likelihood of receiving a hearing and becoming law, especially when the primary authors are from the majority party. We thank these elected officials for taking a stand for our wild deer and for sound wildlife management practices. Please contact your elected officials and express your support for these bills!

Thank you for your support of Minnesota Wildlife and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.

Sincerely,

Jared J. Mazurek

Executive Director

As we delve into the past, present, and future of wolf management in Minnesota, we often come across valuable information that helps address current issues on the subject. Recently, we've noticed a surge of discussions on platforms like Facebook, with individuals debating who is responsible for various aspects of wolf management. However, we believe that the focus should be on taking action, rather than assigning blame.

We believe wholeheartedly that Minnesota should have an open wolf season. Wolf population estimates clearly show that we are above target population numbers. The USFWS set a recovery goal of 1,251-1,400 wolves within the state. To provide a buffer, the DNR expanded that goal to 1,600 wolves. The wolf population in Minnesota has stabilized at around 2,700 wolves. With an increasing human population and resulting habitat fragmentation, this is not an ecologically sustainable population for wolves in the state. Therefore, MDHA believes there should be active wolf management within Minnesota.