Howling For Wolves

Minnesotans support a ban on wolf hunting— we are fighting to make this a reality!

Earlier this year, a ban on recreational wolf hunting in Minnesota was narrowly defeated in the state Senate. 

While recreational wolf hunting needs to be taken out of law now, the bipartisan support for the bill is a positive indicator that the tides are turning in favor of the Wolf. But banning wolf hunting is just the beginning of a paradigm shift to ensure that we can safeguard Minnesota's wolves for generations to come. Your gift helps us help wolves by:

• Supporting our Wolf Forgiveness Bonus Program: In addition to a government-funded reimbursement for predator-related loss of livestock, Howling For Wolves compensates livestock producers in exchange for the promise that the suspected wolf or wolves will not be baited, tracked, and killed. The Howling For Wolves Wolf Forgiveness Bonus Program encourages nonlethal coexistence measures for livestock producers in wolves' historic territory. Learn more HERE.
• Holding Agencies Accountable: We track state and federal agencies like Minnesota DNR and USFWS, ensuring they follow policy and advocate for these agencies to prioritize wolf protection. We create platforms for constituents to easily get in touch with their legislators and government agencies to howl for wolves! 
• Spreading Awareness: Our billboard and radio campaign highlights the positive impact of wolves on biodiversity and our wild places. We work to inform folks of wolves’ important role in ecosystems and to drive action to protect wolves. 

Our mission: Protecting the wolf for future generations.

Howling For Wolves was formed in 2012 to educate the public and policymakers about the Gray Wolf’s vital and necessary role to maintain biodiversity and healthy natural habitats. We work to ensure the long-term survival of the Gray Wolf by fostering the public’s understanding and tolerance for this magnificent species and her pack.

Howling For Wolves began in 2012, when the wolf was removed from the Endangered Species List and a trophy wolf hunt was rushed through the Minnesota State Legislature. This occurred despite the vast majority of Minnesotans (79%) agreeing that the wolf should be protected for future generations and 79% said “No” to a proposed wolf hunt by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Even the Minnesota DNR reported the gray wolf population dropped by 24-26% following the first hunt. 

After three consecutive wolf hunts, federal courts returned the Gray Wolf in the Great Lakes region to the Endangered Species List on December 19, 2014. Minnesota wolves were then again listed as "threatened" and enjoyed those protections until January 2021. During this time, Howling For Wolves worked to increase the public's awareness of the need to protect wolves, advocated to ban wolf hunting, and developed wolf protection policies including obtaining funding for livestock producers' nonlethal prevention methods that avoid conflicts with wolves.

A recent study confirmed that human-caused wolf mortality more than tripled for up to five years after recreation wolf hunting ended in Minnesota, proving that legal killing causes more illegal killing. The time to ban wolf hunting for good is now!

Minnesota's wolves are back on the federal Endangered Species List as February, 2022. Today is no public wolf hunting and trapping season in Minnesota, but the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may hold a public recreational wolf hunt as soon as wolves lose federal protections.  Lethal options are still available to farmers for wolf-livestock conflicts and USDA-APHIS (Wildlife Services) routinely kills entire packs of wolves for allegations of conflicts with livestock. They kill approximately 200 wolves per year in Minnesota alone. 

Protecting wolves into the future:

Howling For Wolves is dedicated to nonlethal wolf plans that protect wolves and increase tolerance for them. We oppose wolf hunting and trapping seasons and support efforts to pass laws that prohibit wolf hunting seasons in Minnesota.  We also support proposed laws to eliminate snaring and requiring permission to trap on private lands. The wolf has been aggressively killed for centuries. And new research has shown that with reduced protections for the wolf, comes more illegal wolf killing. Howling For wolves is organizing nationally to advocate for returning federal protections for all wolves in the lower 48 states  Learn more and get involved at HowlingForWolves.org.