Hunters selected by lottery for the early wolf hunting season must purchase their license by Wednesday, Oct. 24.
Any early season licenses not sold by that date will be made available at noon on Monday, Oct. 29, on a first-come, first-served basis to early or late season applicants not selected in the lottery.
Any eligible hunter, regardless of whether he or she entered the wolf season lottery, may purchase a remaining early season license at noon on Thursday, Nov. 1.
To date, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has sold 1,155 of the 3,600 wolf licenses available for the early hunting season, which coincides with firearms deer season in each of Minnesota’s three wolf hunting zones.
Licenses are available from any DNR license agent, online at https://jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com/mn_customer/app/goHome.do or by telephone at 888-665-4236. Complete wolf hunting regulations are available online at Wolf Index .
Hunters selected by lottery for the late hunting and trapping season, which runs from Saturday, Nov. 24, to Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, must buy their licenses by Thursday, Nov. 15.
Any late season licenses not sold by that date will be available at noon on Monday, Nov. 19, on a first-come, first-served basis to early or late season applicants not selected in the lottery. Remaining licenses will be available for purchase by any eligible hunter at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
To date, DNR has sold 305 of the 1,800 late season wolf hunting licenses available and 166 of the 600 wolf trapping licenses available.
More than 23,000 hunters entered the lottery to participate in Minnesota’s inaugural wolf hunting season.
Minnesota assumed state management of the gray wolf after the species was removed Jan. 27 from federal protection in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Minnesota’s wolf population is estimated to be about 3,000 wolves. The target harvest of 400 wolves for this inaugural wolf season is a conservative approach that does not pose a threat to the conservation of the population.
Additional information about wolf management in Minnesota is available online at Wolves.
