DNR lengthens wolf hunt period

Minnesota's first regulated wolf hunt will be longer than earlier announced, with a late season ending Jan. 31 instead of Jan. 6, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials said Thursday.

Among other changes announced Thursday, hunters and trappers must register the wolves they take more promptly so that DNR officials can more quickly close a zone if harvest quotas are reached. Hunters and trappers must register their wolves by 10 p.m. the day of harvest rather than by 8 p.m. the following day, as had originally been planned.

Also, the hunt will be conducted in three zones rather than two after a zone was added in northwestern Minnesota, and separate quotas were established for each zone. Quotas are 265 for the northwest zone, 117 for the northeast zone and 18 for the east-central zone. The total harvest quota for all seasons is 400.

An early wolf-hunting season will open Nov. 3. That season will last up to nine days in some areas and up to 16 days in Northeastern Minnesota. A late hunting and trapping season will open Nov. 24 and continue through Jan. 31.

Hunters and trappers will be able to apply for the 6,000 available licenses in mid-August, DNR officials said.

For complete details of the hunt, go to mndnr.gov.