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Natural Resources Board updated on wolf management in Wisconsin

Weekly News Article Published: June 23, 2009 by the Central Office

NEW RICHMOND – The Natural Resources Board heard today at its meeting in New Richmond that Wisconsin’s gray wolf population is now estimated at between 626 and 662 wolves, about a 14 percent increase over the 2007-2008 estimate of between 549 and 576. The population report was part of an annual update on wolf management activity under Wisconsin’s Wolf Management Plan.

The presentation also included information on the goal and outline for a new wolf management plan that is due in 2010. In the event that a public wolf harvest were to be authorized at some point in the future, the update included an initial hunting and trapping season framework suggested by the department and the Wolf Science Committee, a state group of biologists and researchers from a number of governmental agencies and universities.

The board heard that implementation of wolf hunting and trapping season would require new legislation, rule development and extensive public input throughout the process. The Wolf Science Committee also suggested that any Wisconsin harvest plan be considered from a regional viewpoint, taking into consideration wolf populations and territories in neighboring Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as those states are in various stages of considering a harvest season. Wisconsin’s current wolf population was established by wolves dispersing on their own from those states.

The annual winter wolf count relies on aerial tracking of radio-collared wolves and snow track surveys by DNR and volunteer trackers. Also included are wolf sightings by members of the public. The agency has conducted these counts since the winter of 1979-1980 when there were 25 wolves in the state.

Adrian Wydeven, a DNR conservation biologist and wolf specialist, indicated that although the wolf population growth had slowed down in recent years, it did increase somewhat this past winter. State wolf populations increased over 20 percent annually during the 1990s, but since 2000 growth rates have slowed to 10-12 percent annually. He also noted that to adequately protect the wolf population should a wolf harvest season be implemented, the science team felt an increase in the current management goal would have to be considered. The revised goal would be part of a new management plan.

A total of 162 wolf packs were detected in Wisconsin. A pack consists of at least 2 adult wolves each. Biologists found 23 packs distributed across central Wisconsin and 139 packs in northern Wisconsin. The largest packs in the state were the Tupper Creek Pack near Winter in Sawyer County, with 8-11 wolves, and the Miller Creek Pack in the Stockbridge Indian reservation of Shawano County, with 8 wolves. At least 47 packs had 5 or more wolves in them.

Gray wolves were removed from the federal list of endangered species on March 12, 2007. But due to a court challenge, wolves were placed back on the endangered species list on September 29, 2008. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service addressed these technicalities and republished the wolf delisting rule. On May 4, 2009 wolves were again removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Wisconsin and the remainder of Western Great Lakes area. This means state and tribal wildlife mangers can again trap and euthanize wolves that prey on livestock.

Currently, wolves in Wisconsin are being managed under Wisconsin’s Wolf Management Plan, which focuses on problem wolves attacking livestock and domestic animals and allows permits for landowners to shoot wolves in some areas under very limited conditions.

The DNR issued shooting permits to 39 landowners with wolf problems in 2008. Two wolves were shot on these permits. Two additional wolves were shot by landowners who observed wolves in the act of attacking livestock on their property.

Wildlife Services staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Wildlife Services (WS) conducted trapping on Wisconsin farms with wolf depredation in 2008 capturing and killing 39 wolves and 2 wolf-dog hybrids. In 2007 and 2008 wolves caused depredation to livestock on 30 farms. In 2006 wolves killed livestock on 25 farms. So far in 2009, wolves have depredated on 8 farms, and attacked 3 dogs at people’s homes. WS has trapped and euthanized 8 wolves and a landowner has shot one defending his livestock.

Wydeven said the wolf remains both a popular symbol of the wildlands in Wisconsin and an important component of the ecosystem. As large predators, wolves help reduce the impact of intense browsing and grazing by deer and beaver, allowing more species of plant to take hold and to form a more diverse forest habitat.

The 1999 Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan can be reviewed on the DNR Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Wydeven - (715) 762-1363 or Robert Manwell, Senior Public Affairs Manager - (608)264-9248

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