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Wolves of the World

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Minnesota at a glance

Gray wolves once existed throughout Minnesota; however, removal began shortly after European settlement. Wolves were removed from Minnesota mostly by poisoning. A state-directed wolf control program persisted until gray wolves were added to the endangered species list in 1974. At that time, the wolf population numbered approximately 750 animals. Minnesota is the only state in the contiguous United States that has always held a viable gray wolf population. Main prey for wolves there are deer, moose and beaver. Wolves occupy approximately 40 percent of the map shown, with most wolves occupying the northeastern portion of the state. Range lines are not depicted. According to federal recovery criteria, wolves in Minnesota have been biologically recovered for over a decade. They were delisted from the endangered species list in January 2012 and are currently state-managed.

New laws in Minnesota required the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to implement a wolf harvest season which began on November 3, 2012. Additional information

Species Information

Species 1
Common Name: gray wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Potential species designation under debate by the scientific community:
Common Name: eastern wolf, timber wolf
Latin Name: Canis lycaon

Location: C. lupus and the potential C. lycaon are indistinguishable from each other physically, behaviorally and ecologically. The only way to tell the difference between them is a genetic test and comparison. Both inhabit the northern third of Minnesota.

Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: 2,922 (2008)
Population trend: Increasing/Stable
Legal status: State managed as a game species

Human Relationships

Attitudes & Issues

History

Recovery & Management
Information related to legal status, hunting and trapping regulations and management plans and practices in Minnesota.

Depredation

Wolf Depredation
Depredation on Livestock and Pets
Summary of Minnesota Wolf Depredation Data
A Guide for Minnesota Farmers and Ranchers Living in Wolf Country (from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Website)
Visit the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services site for information on how the federal government manages depredating wildlife, resolves conflict between wildlife and humans and for contact information by state.

Ecology

Biology

Habitat

Richard P. Thiel, Samuel Merrill, and L. David Mech. 1998. Tolerance by Denning Wolves, Canis lupus,to Human Disturbance. Can. Field-Nat. 112(2):340-342. (en Espanol - Tolerancia de los lobos, Canis lupus, en temporada de preparacion de la madriguera a las alteraciones provocadas por el hombre. Translation by Marcos Randulfe.) Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to view this file. Download it free.

Prey & Predation Image credit: USDA