FROM THE DESK OF MELISSA SMITH
Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance
February 16, 2026

The Wolf Population Cap Bill: SB665

Just 5 days ago (February 11), the Wisconsin Senate passed SB665 by a 19-14 vote – a bill that would force the DNR to set a hard wolf population cap.

Here’s how the kill machine works:

The lower the cap, the more wolves can be killed. And now they want hounds chasing wolves year-round under the guise of “non-lethal management.”

The Corky Meyer Resolution: Hounds vs. Wolves

Here’s what they’re proposing at the February 25 NRB meeting:

• Use “trained hounds and handlers” to move wolf packs out of conflict areas
• Claim this is “non-lethal” and more effective than other deterrents
• Cite the February 2021 wolf hunt as proof hounds are “efficient and target-specific”

You remember February 2021. That’s when hound packs killed 218 wolves in 72 hours – 83% over quota – and crashed Wisconsin’s wolf population by up to 42%.

Now they want to call that a management success and expand it.

Why They’re Doing This Now

The resolution was deliberately introduced before federal delisting because, as they openly admitted, “the regulatory process takes time” and they want these tools “in place should wolves be removed from federal protection.”

Translation: The moment HR 845 passes and wolves lose ESA protections, they’re ready to unleash the hounds on a population being driven down to whatever arbitrary cap the legislature sets.

Their “Evidence” Is Your Nightmare

They claim necropsies from the 2021 wolf hunt showed “no evidence of contact between wolves and hunting dogs.”

We have sworn affidavits documenting the opposite:

• Wolves torn apart by multiple hound packs
• Hounds running for hours in wolf territory
• Complete chaos and lack of regulation
• 86% of wolves killed by hound hunters
• Population crash of 33-42% in one season

But facts don’t matter when you control the committees, the legislature, and the Conservation Congress.

The Complete Timeline of Attacks

What This Means for Wisconsin Wildlife

This combined strategy is the blueprint for permanent persecution of all wildlife in Wisconsin. If they succeed:

• Legislature sets an artificially low wolf population cap (likely 350 wolves)
• Any landowner can call for hounds to “move” wolves
• No regulations on how long hounds could pursue wolves
• No accountability for injuries to wolves or dogs
• No limit on how many times the same pack could be chased
• Hunters can then kill whatever’s “over” the cap
• Bobcats hunted at night with calls
• Complete circumvention of ESA protections through “non-lethal” + “adaptive management” loopholes

It’s the February 2021 hunt all over again – but never-ending, year-round, and sanctioned by law.

DONATE TO STOP THIS

Why We Can Still Win

The Conservation Congress eliminated democratic processes. They stack committees. They vote down our resolutions. The Legislature passed a wolf cap bill while most people weren’t paying attention.

But we can still fight at multiple levels:

• NRB Testimony – Flood the February 25 meeting (register by Feb 18)
• Legislative Pressure – Contact Assembly members to oppose SB665
• Spring Hearing – Vote NO on both resolutions April 13-15
• Legal Challenges – Prepare litigation against both measures
• Public Education – Expose the coordinated attack on wolves
• Federal Advocacy – Fight HR 845 in the Senate

We need bodies at the NRB meeting. We need pressure on legislators. We need expert testimony. We need litigation resources. We need to flood every public comment period.

And we need money to make it happen.

Your Gift Makes This Possible:

• $25 – Covers testimony prep and talking points for one speaker
• $50 – Funds research and fact sheets for NRB members and Assembly legislators
• $100 – Supports organizing in 5 counties for Spring Hearing opposition
• $250 – Covers our attorney’s review of the cap bill and hound resolution for legal vulnerabilities
• $500+ – Funds comprehensive campaign across all 72 counties plus legislative advocacy

DONATE NOW

In the coming weeks, the next generation of wolf pups will be born in Wisconsin’s forests.

They’ll be born into a world where:

• The legislature wants to cap their population at unsustainable levels
• Hound hunters want to chase them “for their own good”
• Politicians are racing to strip their federal protections
• Bobcats will be hunted at night with calls
• Every level of government is working to maximize wildlife killing

We’re the only thing standing between those pups – and all wildlife – and this coordinated assault.

Rob Bohmann, Rob Stafsholt, Chanz Green, and the Conservation Congress bet you won’t pay attention. They’re counting on you to miss the deadlines. They assume wildlife advocates are too busy or too broke to fight on multiple fronts simultaneously.

Prove them wrong.

IF EVERYONE WHO RECEIVES THIS SHOWS UP, WE WIN.

If everyone who can donate gives even $10, we hit our goal.
If everyone forwards this to three friends who care about wildlife, we multiply our power.

For the wolves, bobcats, and all wildlife,

Melissa Smith
Executive Director
Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance

Take Action Right Now:

• ☐ Donate: speakforwildlife.org/donate
• ☐ Register to testify at NRB: Email DNRNRBLiaison@wisconsin.gov by Feb 18, 11 AM
• ☐ Contact your Assembly representative: Oppose SB665
• ☐ Visit: speakforwildlife.org
• ☐ Forward this email to everyone you know who cares about wildlife
• ☐ Mark your calendar: Feb 25 NRB meeting, April 13-15 Spring Hearing

Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your donation is tax-deductible.

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