Sask. expands wolf hunt, although few wolves actually being killed

Hoping to "push out" wolves that are preying on livestock, Saskatchewan is holding a wolf hunt with an unlimited number oflicences.

Now in its third year, the hunt will run from Oct. 15 to March 31, 2017 in nine wildlife management zones along the province forest fringe.

That's an expansion of both the areasand licences.

It's believed that few wolves will actually be killed, however. Last year, only three wolf kills were reported to the province after 200 licences were issued.

Environment Minister Scott Moe said wolves are intelligent and it's a challenge to hunt them, so that low number is not a surprise.

"The goal of this is not a high harvest volume," he said. "This is about pushing those animals out."

Predation by wolves continues to be a problem for livestock producers near forest areas, Moe said.

Wolf packs learn which areas are safe for them and which aren't,soputting pressure on them through the hunt can be effective, even if they aren't being killed in great numbers, he said.

Licences to hunt wolves are available only for Saskatchewan residents.