Admissions at Northland
The Wolves of Wisconsin
The gray or timber wolf has existed in Wisconsin from the time the
glaciers melted, about 10,000 years ago. Wolves followed herds of
musk oxen and caribou that moved after the ice melted. Native Americans
also followed the wolves and grazing mammals, and have coexisted
with these predator and prey species since the glacier left. The
wolf was highly respected for its hunting skills, and became an
important symbol in the culture of many Native American tribes.
Europeans began settling Wisconsin in the early 1800's, and at the time as many as 3,000 to 5,000 wolves may have existed in the region. However, Europeans often had much more negative attitudes toward wolves, and soon began programs to eliminate wolves. A state bounty was placed on wolves in Wisconsin in 1865, and lasted until 1957. By 1900, wolves had disappeared from southern Wisconsin. In 1950, less than 50 wolves remained in extreme northern Wisconsin. In 1957, wolves were listed as a protected species, but the wolf population was down to a handful of wolves, and in 1960, it was considered extinct.
Wolf population map
Click on this image for a larger map. This may take a moment. This image is from the Wisconsin DNR website.
In 1974, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the timber wolf a federally endangered species. At about that time, wolves began to re-colonize Wisconsin in the northwest portion of the state, along the Minnesota border. Wolves were not reintroduced into the state, but moved in on their own. The state of Wisconsin listed the wolf a state endangered species in 1975.
Intense monitoring of wolves in Wisconsin by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began in 1979. Attempts were made to capture, attach radio collars, and radio-track wolves from most packs in the state. Additional surveys were done by snow-tracking wolf packs in the winter, and by conducting surveys in the summer. In 1980, 25 wolves in 5 packs occurred in the state.
The wolf population dropped to 15 in 1985, when parvovirus reduced the pup survival and killed adults. Work was begun by the Wisconsin DNR on a wolf recovery plan, which was completed in 1989. The new recovery plan set a state goal for reclassifying wolves as threatened once the population remained at 80 or more for three years. Recovery efforts were based on education, legal protection, habitat protection, and providing compensation for problem wolves.
In the 1990's the wolf population grew rapidly, despite an outbreak of mange between 1992-1995. The Wisconsin DNR began work on a management plan, and completed the plan in 1999. This new management plan set a delisting goal of 250 wolves outside of Indian reservations, and a long-term management goal of 350 wolves outside of Indian reservations. In 1999, wolves were reclassified to state threatened status with 205 wolves in the state.
In 2002, the state wolf population stood at 323 wolves in 81 packs, with at least 8-9 loners. A total of 309 wolves occured outside of Indian reservations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the process to federally reclassify wolves in Wisconsin to threatened in 2000.
Wisconsin's 2003-2004 winter wolf population has increased 11% from
last year to 373-410 wolves including those located on Indian reservations.
(361 wolves inhabit lands outside of Indian reservations.) There
are 109 packs with at least two wolves to a pack, and 13 lone wolves.
The state wolf plan set a wolf management goal of 350 wolves outside
of Indian reservations. On March 24, the Wisconsin Natural Resources
Board voted to remove the wolf from the state threatened list and
designate it as a Protected Species. This state delisting will allow
biologists access to more active control to maintain wolf management
numbers near the 350 goal. However, this will only occur when the
federal government removes the wolf from the federally threatened
list (delist) and returns all management of wolf populations to
the state and tribes. The federal delisting process should begin
sometime this summer.
Go to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website for more information about wolf biology or see the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wolf progress reports.