The wolf hunting season is over

The Ministry of Environment informs that the 2024-2025 wolf hunting season ended on 31 March 2025. During this season, 326 wolves were hunted (1 of which was found hit by a car and 6 hunted under a special permit to be taken from the wild). 

The hunting season 2024-2025 has a limit of 341 wolves to be hunted. 

According to the rules of hunting on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, wolves may be hunted from 15 October to 31 March. However, if the hunting limit is exhausted before then, the wolf hunting season is closed when the limit is reached. This was not necessary this year.

The first two wolves of this hunting season were hunted on 15 October 2024 in the Utena district and the last on 30 March 2025. In Vilkaviškis District. The highest number of wolves per day – as many as 5 – was hunted on 5 January 2025. In the Varėna District on 5 January, the first wolf was seen on 5 January in the Varėna District.

The highest number of wolves hunted this season was in the following districts: 

Varėna District – 26, 
Šiauliai District – 18, 
Šakiai district – 18, 
Lazdijai District – 14, 
Ukmergė district – 10. 

The least number of wolves was hunted in Šalčininkai district – 1, and in Kretinga, Jurbarkas, Marijampolė and Trakai municipalities – 2 wolves each. 

Hunting limits are set on the basis of monitoring data on the status of the wolf population, the results of scientific research and recommendations. The aim is to maintain an appropriate population level of these important animals for forest ecosystems. 

The wolf is a protected species both in the European Union and in many other countries. Lithuania is obliged under international obligations to ensure a favourable conservation status for this species, and therefore wolf hunting is restricted not only by setting a time limit for hunting, but also by setting a limit on the number of wolves that can be hunted. 

Please note that hunters who have hunted a wolf have 24 hours to fill in an electronic form and submit the data to the VSTT. As the same deadline is also used for submitting the data to the BIOMON system, they can be registered for one more day after the end of the hunting season on 31 March.