Hunters and trappers have killed 94 wolves so far in Minnesota's late wolf season, including 37 in the northeast zone, where the harvest quota was 33. The Department of Natural Resources closed that zone Wednesday.
Officials aren't concerned that hunters and trappers exceeded the target harvest in the northeast.
"They are not absolute numbers, just targets," said Dan Stark, DNR wolf specialist. "A few wolves over or under (the targets) isn't critical."
The total kill this year, including wolves harvested in the early season, stood at 181 Thursday, just 39 wolves shy of the DNR's target harvest of 220 wolves.
So far, 55 wolves have been killed in the northwest zone, where the target quota is 89 wolves. And two wolves have been killed in the east-central zone, where the target is 10 animals.
The late season ends Jan. 31, though it will be closed by zones earlier if quotas are approached.
