POW wolf hunt quota set at 46

Alaska Department of Fish and Game photo.

The Prince of Wales Island-area wolf quota for this fall has been set at 46 animals.

That’s the total quota for state and federal hunts, according to an announcement from the U.S. Forest Service. The quota was set after population studies indicate the number of wolves in Game Management Unit 2 has increased. The studies show an estimated population of 192 to 285 animals, as of fall of 2016.

The studies were a collaborative effort between the Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Hydaburg Cooperative Association. The study area covered about 80 percent of the management area, according to the announcement, and showed a population increase from the 2015 estimate of 108 wolves, and the 2014 estimate of 89.

The federal subsistence wolf hunt on POW started Sept. 1^st, and trapping starts Nov. 15^th. The state wolf hunting and trapping seasons start Dec. 1^st. All hunting and trapping will close when managers believe the harvest is close to the quota.