Cornell (WQOW)- Five wolves have now been killed since the state's first wolf hunt began on Monday. The first was killed in Rusk County by a man from Chippewa County.
"That was probably 99 percent luck. Probably any eighth grade kid could have made the shot I did," says Jim Lane.
Jim lane from Chippewa County made history. He shot the first wolf in Wisconsin's very first wolf hunt.
"This is being watched throughout the country. My son called me and he said he looked at his computer and the Boston Globe had an article that said the first wolf in Wisconsin was killed in Rusk County at 7:15," says Lane.
Lane explained how it all unfolded on Monday.
"I had a patient of mine that said they had a dog that was being harassed by wolves about five years ago. They said it came right in their yard, two wolves. I thought well I should go up and see if I could hunt on their land. So I went up and asked them if they had seen any wolves lately. So the lady said, 'Oh yeah we saw two on our way to work last week about seven in the morning." While I was there, there was a lady that drove a school bus that came and she said, 'I saw a wolf last week about seven in the morning also.' So I thought, they're in the area about 7:00 in the morning, they must be coming from a hunting area going to... I don't know, bed or not but they ought to be moving through there. So I thought well they said that I could hunt so I went up there about seven in the morning, saw the wolf in the corn field and shot and got it," says Lane. "Seventy yards and it was a male wolf. It wasn't a big wolf, probably 65 or 70 pounds and I was happy with it."
Lane says he knows the hunt has been controversial.
"I think hunting will probably take the boldness away from these animals and I think it's a good thing," says Lane. "If Wisconsin is supposed to have a maximum caring number of 350 wolves and we have about 800 and some I think it's about time we have a season and like I say the people that I hunted on their land, they say their neighbors have little kids. They're afraid to let them outside, the pets have been harassed. So if you are a person who has them around your house you'd probably feel pretty nervous about having them there."
The hunter has 24 hours to report a wolf kill to the Department of Natural Resources. The animal carcass has to be turned in so the DNR can do a number of tests to learn more about the state's population.
