‘Killing spree’: Wisconsin’s wolf population plunges after protections removed, study finds

Researchers blame poaching and hunting far beyond quotas after species dropped from endangered list

As many as one-third of Wisconsin's gray wolves probably died at the hands of humans in the months after the federal government announced it was ending legal protections, according to a study released on Monday.

Poaching and a February hunt that far exceeded kill quotas were largely responsible for the drop-off, University of Wisconsin scientists said.