Overview
- Two provincially approved culls targeting wolves in De Hoge Veluwe and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug have not occurred, with both permits set to expire on 1 January.
- Hunters cite daylight-only operations, tight target zones, a ban on lures, and a requirement to stay out of public view as barriers, while Utrecht says the rules are needed for visitor safety and legal defensibility.
- The Dutch Hunters' Association reports activist presence near teams prevents shooting, and shorter winter days plus increasingly independent pups raise misidentification risks.
- Gelderland says it will consider any new permit only after resolving a pending objection, noting it previously authorized a separate cull near Voorthuizen after nearly twenty sheep attacks behind wolf-proof fencing.
- In Drenthe, a wolf in the Dwingelderveld was labeled a problem animal, the province advised against bringing dogs, and officials are exploring conditioning measures and radio-collaring that would require permits.