MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Hunters have snapped up most of the licenses for Michigan's first wolf hunt in November.

But Michigan Department of Natural Resources spokesman Ed Golder said Monday that 135 of them remain.

More than 1,000 licenses were sold over the weekend. The hunt starts Nov. 15 and runs through the end of the year.

The Natural Resources Commission is allowing 43 wolves to be killed in seven Upper Peninsula counties. Opponents hoping to stop future hunts are gathering petition signatures for a statewide vote.

A wolf license costs $100 for a Michigan resident and $500 for a non-resident.

A recent census by the DNR put the wolf population at 658. Some U.P. residents say wolves are out of hand, preying on livestock and pets and venturing too close to residential areas.

———

Information from: The Mining Journal, www.miningjournal.net