Wolf Shot and Killed in Iowa

A wolf was shot and killed in Buchanan County Iowa earlier this year and was confirmed this week

While wolves are no longer a protected, endangered species, they are still technically a fur-bearing animal, which is protected under state code in Iowa and illegal to kill. Wolves are not a common occurrence in the state and the last documented wolf in Iowa was in 1925… until this year. A coyote hunter shot and killed a confirmed wolf in February in Northwest Buchanan County near Fairbanks. The hunter thought he may have killed  a wolf and took it to the DNR office in Manchester to undergo testing to see if it was a wolf.

Wolves were once exterminated in Iowa, but have made a comeback in the Midwest. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that wolves would make it down to Iowa. They have large ranges and do not recognize state lines. The Iowa DNR did not give the man who killed the wolf a ticket due to his cooperation and going above and beyond to turn the wolf into authorities.

With wolf populations growing it’s only a matter of time before more gray wolves are killed in the state. Wisconsin and Minnesota offer hunting seasons for wolves and have larger populations than in the past.

A wolf was hit and killed by a car near Portage, WI earlier this spring, which is further south than they are typically seen.

Have you seen wolves in your area of Iowa or the south? What about mountain lions or bears?