REGIONAL—Minnesota hunters had reported taking a total of 75 wolves as of Thursday in the state’s first-ever wolf season which got underway Nov. 3.

So far, 36 wolves have been taken by hunters in the northeast zone, which includes all of St. Louis County east of Hwy. 73 and south of Hwy. 23 as well as all of Lake and Cook counties.

The DNR will continue the early season in the northeast until hunters reach the goal of 58 wolves.

As of Thursday, 36 wolves had been taken in the northwest zone, which includes the western and northwestern-most parts of St. Louis County running west to the North Dakota border. That’s well under the DNR’s early season goal of 133 wolves.

The DNR has already closed the season in the east central zone, where eight wolves had been reported taken as of Nov. 5, just under the goal of nine.

Five wolves had been brought for inspection to the Tower Area DNR office as of this week. Area Wildlife Manager Tom Rusch said the five wolves were a mix of ages and sex. “Some of the hunters got them from their deer stands, while others called them in,” said Rusch.

The DNR is taking tissue and teeth samples and is removing reproductive tracts from female wolves to determine if, and how often, they’ve given birth.

“The hunters have been really interested in learning more about the wolves,” said Rusch.

The early wolf season ends on Nov. 18, or earlier if the harvest target is reached.