A couple of large canines that were shot this winter by hunters in northwest and southeast Iowa have tested positive as wolves, which are protected under law as endangered species. Vince Evelsizer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says both hunters thought they were shooting coyotes…
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The wolves were shot in Osceola and Van Buren Counties. Evelsizer says the wolves likely wandered into Iowa from the Great Lakes population in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. More wolves have been spotted in Iowa in recent years.
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Last year, hunters in Iowa killed just under 14,000 coyotes. Evelsizer is asking hunters to make sure they know the difference between a coyote and wolf. While they are similar in color, wolves are 5-6 feet long from nose to tail and weigh 50-100 pounds. Coyotes are shorter in length and weigh 35-40 pounds…
No charges are being filed against the two hunters, as investigators determined both cases were accidents and the hunters immediately contacted the DNR.
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