MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin wildlife officials are defending their decision not to set a hard cap on the state’s wolf population in front of a Republican-controlled legislative committee. The remarks from the Department of Natural Resources large carnivore specialist Randy Johnson came during a hearing Thursday before the state Senate’s sporting heritage committee on a GOP bill that would force the agency to set a statewide population goal in its new wolf management plan. The plan recommends keeping the wolf population at 1,000 animals. Johnson said a hard limit doesn’t take into consideration the complexities of wolf management.
