Graphic courtesy of Eau Claire Leader Telegram. Used with permission
Wolves existed in North America in
nearly all states before Europeans began to settle there. In Wisconsin,
by 1830, an estimated 3,000 - 5,000 wolves roamed the state. As fur
trappers and farmers began moving in, the animals wolves preyed on began
to disappear, and so did the wolves. Hungry wolves began to rely on livestock
for food. By 1865, a bounty was placed on wolves of $5 a head. By 1900,
there were no wolves in the southern two thirds of the state. From 1915
to 1925, most of the state's wolves were killed off. Wolves disappeared
from the state by the 1950's..
With the passing of the Endangered Species Act in 1974, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the timber wolf as an endangered species. As a result of this increased protection, the wolf population in Minnesota began to grow. In the early 1970's, as the Minnesota wolf population increased, wolves began to move into northwestern Wisconsin. Reports of wolf sightings began to appear.
In 1979, a wolf research program was started by the Department of Natural Resources. Studies have shown that the wolf packs since then have grown from four to over sixty. The number of animals has increased from 15 identified in 1985, to close to 250 animals in 2000, inhabiting areas in central and northern Wisconsin. The average pack size is 3.6 wolves. There are also currently thirteen identified lone wolves, but this number is probably low. The growth rate for wolves has been 21% from 1999-2000.
In 1986, the Department of Natural Resources developed a "State Wolf Recovery Plan," intended to help wildlife officials restore the wolf population in Wisconsin. In 1999, the State proposed changes in the plan to address the increasing population.
Graphic courtesy of Eau Claire Leader Telegram. Used with permission
While between 200 and 210 wolves live
in fourteen northern Wisconsin counties, another significant number
of wolves currently live in an area of central Wisconsin consisting of
parts of six counties. The wolf range in central Wisconsin reaches from
Eau Claire and Black River Falls eastward to Wisconsin Rapids. Eleven wolf
packs live in approximately 3,600 square miles with a density of about
one wolf for every 15 square miles. Lone wolves occasionally travel far
outside of these areas of known wolf range.
Wildlife officials believe that wolves moved into eastern Jackson County between 1990 and 1992. Since then, wildlife managers have made annual censuses of wolves in this region. In 1994, four wolves were reported east of Black River Falls in West Central Wisconsin. Between August and December, 1994, three wolves were struck and killed by cars in southwestern Clark and eastern Jackson County. One was a female yearling which had been radio collared in Minnesota the year before. By January, 1995, the DNR determined that two wolf packs were living in Jackson County. These were called the Wildcat Pack and the Bear Bluff Pack by officials. In 1996, wildlife personnel determined that the Wildcat pack likely had six to eight members and the Bear Bluff pack had three or four.
In the winter of 1995-1996, officials discovered tracks of four to five wolves in an area east of the Bear Bluff pack. They wondered if a third pack had developed. They called this group the South Bluff pack.
In 1997, two wolves in this area were radio collared. One was a two and a half year old male named "Snapper" of the Wildcat Pack. Wildlife personnel were able to determine by howling in August of 1997 that the pack had two to three pups. A second individual, "Michelle", was fitted with a radio collar in May, 1997. She belonged to the Bear Bluff Pack and appeared to be the pack's alpha wolf. It was believed that there were 3-4 pups in this pack as of August, 1997.
Annual population counts have been conducted
dating back to 1979 using aerial tracking of radio collared wolves, snow
track surveys by DNR staff, howl surveys, carnivore track surveys by volunteers
and rare mammal observations by the public and staff. Based on such census
techniques, it is estimated that currently 44 to 50 wolves are living in
eleven central Wisconsin packs.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources began work in 1996 to develop a new wolf management plan for the state. In the original wolf recovery plan, developed in 1986, a ten year plan was developed to restore the wolf population to at least 80 animals and ten packs. At the time, with a population of 20-30 animals, this seemed like an ambitious goal. Current population estimates put the number at an estimated 250 animals. As a result, the DNR held hearings to determine whether to change the status of wolves from "endangered" to "threatened". This is referred to as "delisting".
According to the DNR, the main difference between the two classifications is that the "threatened" status allows greater flexibility in dealing with the animals. "In general," the DNR reports," wolves will continue to be highly protected." The plan establishes "zones" throughout the state to help manage the wolves. Zones in the northern part of the state would encourage wolf packs to be established. Zones in more populated areas would discourage the establishment of packs. In addition, the plan allows limited control of wolves that are attacking livestock. This has proved to be one of the most controversial aspect of the plan with both farmers and environmental groups expressing objections but for different reasons.
Currently, natural resource managers may not kill wolves which cause damage to farmers or ranchers herds. They must trap and relocate such wolves to remote areas. While the damage from such wolves has not been high, it is true that some wolves have killed livestock, deer in deer farms, and dogs. Since 1991, 11 wolves have been trapped and removed from farms where they're causing problems. In 1999, one wolf was captured on a deer farm and euthanized by DNR personnel. The state reimburses the farmers or owners for the damage done by the wolves.
While the Wisconsin plan was under consideration, the federal government chose to act first. In 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to completely remove the timber wolf from federal protection. The plan would upgrade the status of wolves from "endangered" to "threatened" in Wisconsin and Michigan. The plan would give the wild life managers the option of using lethal means to eliminate wolves causing damage to livestock or or other domestic animals.
According to wolf biologist Adrian Wydeven, "Removing the wolf from the state endangered species list would mark a major wildlife success story for Wisconsin, similar to the success we have had with our efforts to restore the bald eagle, which was also once endangered in Wisconsin but is no longer."
The return of the howl of wolves to Wisconsin is dependent on research, population monitoring, habitat management and education. This requires the involvement of Wisconsin's citizens as well as the Department of Natural Resources. Many of the issues surrounding the return of the wolf relates to humans' images of the predator. If the wolf is to survive this time, humans must be willing to share their environment. Wolves must be viewed as a natural, valuable part of the Wisconsin ecosystem with the right to coexist, rather than a competitor for resources with people.
Source: DNR publication EE News, Fall,
2000; R. Thiel