Plans for a wolf-hunting season in Minnesota are moving ahead in the Legislature, with bills awaiting action on the House and Senate floors.
The House Ways and Means Committee this week sent the game and fish bill to the full House. The bill would authorize a new wolf hunt as early as this fall. Hunters would pay $4 to enter a lottery, and then $26 for a license to shoot one wolf, says House Public Information Services.
Up to 400 wolves could be taken; that's less than one-seventh of the state's estimated wolf population.
The wolf season would coincide with the fall deer-hunting season. Last fall, hunters shot 192,331 deer during the season.
Minnesota's gray wolves were moved off the federal government’s threatened species list last year.
Farm and hunting groups support the hunt; some animal rights and conservation groups have said they don't want to start it right away.