As Scott Walker Plans To Make Wolf Kill Fee Much Cheaper...

...The DNR, oblivious to the ironies, poses these questions about Timber Wolves on its educational site for kids:

Have you ever heard a wolf howl in the wild? Not many people have.

Once, the haunting sound of wolves echoed throughout North America. Three hundred years ago, somewhere between 3,000-5,000 wolves roamed all over Wisconsin. In 1960 there were no wolves here. It is estimated (2011) that there are more than 800 wolves across the state, most of them in the northern half of Wisconsin.

So, what happened to these animals?

Well, kids - - 240 of them were killed right here in Wisconsin just last year - - and the $100 permit fee is ticketed to be dropped for true bargain hunters by 50%, Walker says.

Some data, here.

Hunters and trappers killed 117 wolves in a season that ran from Oct. 15 to Dec. 23. The season ended when the harvest quotas were met or exceeded in each of the management units.

And here:

...123 additional wolves were also killed — hit by vehicles, killed by government agents as part of depredation control, killed illegally by hunters and trappers, or found dead from unknown causes.