MADISON, WI (AP)-- Wisconsin's wolf hunt will be more than 40 percent smaller this fall.
The state Natural Resources Board voted Wednesday to set a quota of just 156 wolves for the third year of the hunt, down from 275 last year.
The DNR could reduce the quota even more depending on how many wolves the state's Chippewa tribes say they want to kill in the ceded territory.
Wildlife officials say the reduction is needed because the overall wolf population is decreasing. The number of wolves in the state this past winter was 18 percent less than in 2013.
Interested hunters must apply for a license by Aug. 1 and the season begins Oct. 15 and will run until the quota is met for the end of February, whichever comes first.