Howard Thompson
Sun, April 19, 2026 at 6:23 PM PDT
Humans cause nearly 2/3rds of wolf deaths in the Upper Midwest: study
The Brief
- A new study reveals humans are responsible for 65% of wolf deaths in the Upper Midwest, with illegal killings accounting for the majority of those deaths.
- Illegal wolf killings peak in mid-November during deer hunting season.
- Federal protections intended to protect wolves have not successfully deterred poachers or reduced illegal kill rates, the study shows.
(FOX 9) – Despite changes to federal laws, humans overwhelmingly kill most wolves in the Upper Midwest, a new study shows.
Humans kill most wolves
What we know
The paper published in Global Ecology and Conservation tracked hundreds of wolves from across Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
In the studied wolves, the vast majority of recorded deaths were caused by humans (65 percent). Most were illegal kills (38% of recorded deaths) while legal kills represented 14% of deaths. Another 10 percent were killed in vehicle collisions.
Outside the human-caused deaths, 19% of wolves died from natural causes and 16% died from unknown causes.
Reducing poaching
Dig deeper
Researchers also pointed out illegal kills peaked in mid-November during deer hunting season.
In the study, researchers suggest that federal protections intended to protect wolves have not successfully deterred poachers or reduced the rate of illegal kills.
Researchers also discuss the complicated nature of legal hunting of wolves and unintended consequences. They say some studies show it can sometimes lead to fewer illegal kills. However, researchers note that legal hunting has been correlated with increased illegal kills.
What they’re saying
In the study, researchers write:
“Previous studies reported reductions in illegal mortality during periods of state-led management that included legal wolf hunting, but evidence supporting this is controversial,” researchers write. “Some have suggested that lethal management and selective removal of problem animals may increase public tolerance, but the relationship between tolerance of wolves and wolf policy is complex.
“For example, although increased levels of bear harvest do not always mitigate bear-human conflicts, influence on public perception may have contributed to reduced poaching and lethal management in harvested black bear populations throughout North America. Furthermore, legal harvest is unlikely to reduce illegal killing because of the difficulties of monitoring and enforcing anti-poaching regulations. In fact, periods of legal wolf harvest have been correlated with increased illegal kills.”