Due to high demand, the Department of Natural Resources is delaying its sale of licenses for Michigan’s first wolf hunt until September 28, the agency announced today. Licenses were originally set to go on sale this Saturday.
“This is a first-come, first-served purchase, unlike other limited-license hunts that require an application and drawing process, so it presents a new challenge for our retail sales system,” Adam Bump, DNR bear and furbearer specialist . “We want to make sure the system is equipped for the high volume so sales go smoothly and everyone has an equal chance to get a wolf license.”
The delay is not expected to impact the hunt which is slated to begin November 15. On September 28, 1,200 licenses will be available for over-the-counter purchase with the take limited to 43 wolves.
There are 658 wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the hunt is permitted. Earlier this month, Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission voted to allow the hunt but did not take up a provision that would have permitted trapping.