According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MPRV) of the Slovak Republic, authorities have set a wolf hunting quota of 68 predators for the 2026/2027 hunting season, allowing hunting to start on September 1, 2026. This decision follows a new regulatory decree that reinstated wolf hunting across the country starting in 2024.
Regional Quotas and Allocation Criteria
The Ministry distributed the total quota of 68 animals across several regional administrative areas. The Banská Bystrica Region received an allocation of 22 individuals, while the Žilina Region can cull 23 animals. Meanwhile, the Prešov Region holds a quota of 16 wolves, the Košice Region is permitted four individuals, and the Trenčín Region may take three wolves, according to the official release published on the ministry’s website. Officials explained that the quota represents 20 percent of the estimated net annual growth of the country’s wolf population.
Ministry representatives detailed the methodology behind these regional figures. “When distributing the quota, we mainly took into account the number of farm animals torn apart by the gray wolf within individual regions, as well as the extent of areas with year-round protection of the gray wolf in the regions,” the ministry stated.
Did You Know? The current hunting framework relies on a decree that took effect in 2024, reopening regulated wolf hunting in Slovakia after years of strict nationwide protection.
Hunting Seasons and Protected Territorial Zones
Hunters may legally target wolves starting September 1, 2026. The season runs until the agriculture ministry orders a halt to wolf hunting in a specific region, or until January 15, 2027, at the latest.
At the same time, the ministry established extensive restricted zones where hunting remains strictly prohibited. According to the published rules, culls are banned in areas under fifth-level nature protection, as well as in European importance localities where the wolf serves as a designated conservation subject. Furthermore, the ban covers numerous cadastral areas in the Stará Ľubovňa district, including Kamienka, Litmanová, Jarabina, Stará Ľubovňa, Kremná, Hraničné, Pilhov, Mníšek nad Popradom, Veľký Sulín, Matysová, Malý Sulín, Hajtovka, Údol, Malý Lipník, Starina, Legnava, Orlov, Čirč, Ruská Voľa nad Popradom, Obručné, Šarišské Jastrabie, Kyjov, Pusté Pole, and Ľubotín.
Expert Insight: Balancing livestock protection with predator conservation remains a contentious regulatory challenge, as agricultural losses in specific regions directly influence regional quota limits while border and sanctuary exclusions aim to maintain genetic connectivity.
Additional geographic exemptions apply along international and regional boundaries. The ministry barred wolf culling in the border territory shared with the Czech Republic located west of the Kysuca River between Čadca and west of the Váh River stretch from Žilina. Hunting is likewise prohibited across the entire Pannonian biogeographical region. Detailed maps marking these protected exclusion zones are available directly within the hunting information system.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the wolf hunting season begin and end?
Hunting is authorized to begin on September 1, 2026, and will run until January 15, 2027, unless the ministry halts the season earlier in a specific region.
How many wolves are authorized for harvest?
The national quota is set at 68 individual wolves for the 2026/2027 hunting season, representing 20 percent of the net annual population growth.
Where is wolf hunting strictly prohibited?
Hunting is banned in fifth-level protection areas, European importance sites designated for wolves, specific cadastral areas in the Stará Ľubovňa district, border zones near the Czech Republic, and the Pannonian biogeographical region.
How will regional livestock owners respond to the newly distributed regional hunting quotas for the upcoming season?