Admissions at Northland
The Wolves of Minnesota
Known for its ten thousand lakes, Minnesota is also known
for wolves. Wolves were eliminated from the lower one-third
of the state by 1918 and a wolf bounty of $3 a head was in
place until 1965. But in 1974, the gray wolf was listed under
the Endangered Species Act, and started a successful recovery.
By 1978, wolves in Minnesota were downlisted to threatened,
a classification that allows the trapping and killing of "problem"
wolves (wolves proven responsible for preying on livestock).
The state is home to the largest wolf population in the lower 48 states with a 1998 winter estimate of 2,455 wolves inhabiting the north and northeastern, east, and west-central portions of the state. In March 2001, Minnesota endorsed a state wolf management plan that would go into affect once the federal government delists wolves in the state. The state management plan sets a minimum goal of at least 1,600 wolves for the state, and calls for a wolf population count at five-year intervals, with the next survey to be conducted during the winter of 2003-04. The plan would manage the wolf in two zones, with more liberal control measures on problem wolves allowed in the more agricultural zone.