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Wisconsin DNR Takes Over State Wolf Management Problem Wolves To Be Addressed Quickly

DNR will take over management of the gray wolf in Wisconsin outside of reservations. This photo is of a captive gray wolf at the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center. Wisconsin Wildlife Federation Photo

Wisconsin DNR

PARK FALLS, WI --(Ammoland.com)- Beginning Friday, Jan. 27, 2011, the gray wolf will no longer be considered a federally endangered species in Wisconsin and other parts of the western Great Lakes region.

In Wisconsin, the state Department of Natural Resources will manage the wolf population outside of tribal reservation lands. DNR officials said areas where wolves have attacked domestic animals will be addressed immediately.

“We’ve been fighting hard to gain this authority, and we are grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for removing gray wolves in the upper Midwest from the lists of endangered and threatened species,” said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp.

“We are ready and capable of managing Wisconsin’s wolf population at a healthy, sustainable level and we welcome the opportunity to begin addressing those areas where problem wolves are attacking domestic animals.”

Wisconsin regulations will treat the gray wolf as a protected wild animal, which means that authorization from the DNR is required before a person can attempt to “take” or kill a wolf. There are currently no plans for a hunting season on wolves. This would involve a change in state law and a public rule-making process.

Wisconsin’s 1999 wolf management plan and a 2007 addendum to the plan will be the basis of wolf management in the state. These documents outline the conservation strategy for Wisconsin’s wolf population, as well as, outlining the approach for controlling depredation situations. Copies of these documents can be found on the department website.

Landowners or people leasing land will have authority to shoot wolves only when in the act of attacking domestic animals on their land. They also will be able to get permits to shoot any wolf coming on their land if they have experienced wolf problems within the last two years.

Any wolf shot or trapped by a landowner or leaseholder must be reported to the DNR within 24 hours. The carcass must be turned over the DNR.

Conditions under which control permits will be issued include the following five situations:

• Landowners have had verified attacks on livestock or pets on their property within the last two years can request permits.
• Landowners with vulnerable pets or livestock, and whose property lies within one mile of a property with a depredation during the same year.
• Farmers with livestock in a DNR-designated “proactive control area.”
• Farmers who have had verified harassment of livestock.
• Any landowner in an area where a perceived human safety situation occurs.

Under the rule published by USFWS in late December, which takes effect Friday, gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment will no longer be considered either endangered or threatened by the federal government. The segment includes the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota and portions of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota.

Along with permits to landowner, the services of U.S. Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Service trappers will again be available to trap and remove problem wolves in Wisconsin.

USDA-Wildlife Service, which operates in Wisconsin under a contract with the DNR, will be available to investigate reports of wolf depredations and when wolf depredations are verified would be authorized to capture problem wolves. Because suitable wolf habitat is saturated in Wisconsin, wolves captured at depredation sites will not be relocated but will be euthanized.

With the federal delisting of wolves, states will be required to continue monitoring of the state wolf populations for the next five years. The department currently uses a system of radio-tracking collared wolves, snow track surveys and collection of public wolf observations to track population trends.

The DNR will continue to recruit and train citizen volunteers to assist with wolf management, primarily through tracking surveys.

During the winter of 2010-2011, biologists estimated a population of about 800 wolves in Wisconsin. The results of this winter’s surveys will be available in the spring.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Wydeven, DNR mammalian ecologist, at 715-762-1363; Ed Culhane, DNR communications, at 715-781-1683, or Bob Manwell, DNR communications, at 608-264-9248

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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for January 19, 2012.

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- Much of Wisconsin received snowfall last weekend and this week, but snow depths continue to be marginal for outdoor winter recreation through much of southern, central and northwestern parts of the state.

Anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of snow fell last weekend, but the snow was light and fluffy and strong winds caused drifting and bear spots in many locations.

Snowmobile trails remain open only in about a dozen northern counties, and are only rated as good in a few of those according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR). Cross-country ski conditions faired better, but many trails in the southern half of the state have had minimal grooming and many are reporting there are some bare or thin spots. The good news is that snow is forecast for later this week into the weekend, with higher amounts expected in the southern part of the state.

Cold temperatures that moved into Wisconsin this week have finally frozen over most of the larger lakes that still had open water last week, including Winnebago and Mendota. However, some areas are reporting that certain spots are still being kept open by large numbers of waterfowl that were staying in the area. And conservation wardens are continuing to caution that much of the ice that formed is still very thin, and now covered by a protective layer of snow. There were numerous reports of snowmobiles and ATVs going through the ice on Lake Winnebago in the last week. Wardens are still advising foot traffic only on southern waters and for people to check ice depths regularly and be prepared should they fall through thin ice.

Ice conditions in the north through the central part of the state are generally good with a foot or more being reported in many locations. Many areas reporting fishing action slowed this week, likely due to the new snow cover. The best action continued to be for panfish, with some reports of very nice crappie and bluegill being caught, but with anglers having to move around a lot to find them. Action for walleye was slower, but there were still some reports of nice northern pike being taken on tip-ups.

While ice has also begun to form on some Lake Michigan harbors, there were still anglers open water fishing this past week. None of the harbor ice is considered safe at this time. Similarly, ice is again forming on the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay, but it is not safe. Anglers on Sawyer harbor and Little Sturgeon Bay were reportedly fishing along the shore ice, but with open water not too far out in the bay.

Mid-January generally is the onset of coyote and red fox breeding cycles that last into March. Cold, crisp winter nights afford opportunities to listen for the raspy barks of red fox or the high pitched yipping of coyotes. Pup litters of both species are born in March or April.

Among the waterfowl keeping areas of some lakes open were more than 300 tundra swans that have been on Lake Mendota for a couple of weeks. And more than 100 trumpeter swans have been reported on open water at Willow River State Park in St. Croix County. Visitors to bird feeder have included nuthatches, pine siskins, black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, tufted titmice, northern cardinals and American goldfinches

• DNR Outdoor Report in Portable Document Format (Requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®)
• DNR Outdoor Report in Rich Text Format
• Upcoming Events at DNR Parks, Forests and Trails

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