Hunters on opposite sides of the state shot two large canines this winter that have been identified conclusively as wolves, says Iowa Ag Connection. The animals likely originated with the Great Lakes population of wolves in the upper Midwest, says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. One of the wolves was shot in Osceola County on the Minnesota border in northwest Iowa, and the other was shot hundreds of miles away in Van Buren County in southeastern Iowa on the Missouri border.
Iowa has an open season on coyotes year round. Gray wolves are listed as an endangered species and are exempt from hunting. “Going forward, hunters need to know the difference between the species,” said IDNR director Chuck Gipp. Wolves and coyotes have similar colors in their coats but wolves are much larger and can weigh twice as much.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are more than 3,700 gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.