Bold wolf pack meeting its end
By Steve Rundio
A wolf pack that staked its territory northeast of Tomah is being exterminated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Only one or two wolves remain from the Bear Bluff pack that claimed a territory in Jackson, Monroe and Juneau counties.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources biologist Adrian Wydeven confirmed Monday that the USFWS killed six wolves and is pursuing “one or two more.”
Wydeven said the wolves had become too habituated to humans and were exhibiting “bold behavior.”
“They were showing a lack of fear toward people, were approaching people and approaching buildings with people,” Wydeven said.
Wydeven said no humans have been attacked by wolves, but wolves killed three dogs and injured four others in five separate incidents between Jan. 8 and Sept. 18.
Wisconsin’s wolf population was estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 prior to the state’s settlement. Bounties were paid for wolves from 1865 to 1957, and in 1960 the species was considered extinct. However, wolves began to recolonize Wisconsin in the mid-1970s, and their population is now estimated at more than 700. The Bear Bluff pack represents the southernmost extent of the wolf’s range.
The state has sought to have the wolves delisted as an endangered species, which Wydeven said would give the state more flexibility in dealing with problem wolves. Efforts to change the wolf’s status in Wisconsin from endangered to threatened have been blocked by litigation in federal court.
The Humane Society opposes any change. Howard Goldman, Minnesota director of the Humane Society, said the wording of the Endangered Species Act entitles wolves to maximum protection. He said the act is worded to protect a species nationally even if regional populations are healthy.
“The gray wolf only covers five percent of its original range,” Goldman said. “Wolves were found in virtually every state, and it has taken a very long time for the wolves to return to Wisconsin. We have to be very careful before we move.”
As long as wolves are endangered, only those that pose a threat to humans can be killed. Wolves that pose a threat to livestock or pets can’t be killed, but livestock owners are compensated by the state government. Goldman said 70 livestock damage claims were filed in Wisconsin last year, and $50,000 was paid to people who lost pets.
“If there are human-wolf conflicts, there are ways to address them without lethal control,” Goldman said. He added “if you’re in an area where there are wolves, you need to be careful with your pets. (Wolves are) territorial, and they will protect their territory.”
Goldman said the national Humane Society is aware of the Bear Bluff situation and is “looking into it.”
Wydeven said several nonlethal methods were attempted with the Bear Bluff pack, but nothing worked. He said once wolves lose their fear of humans, it’s very difficult to change that behavior.
“They’re social learners,” he said. “If one pack member learns a certain behavior, the rest of the pack will also learn that behavior.”
Wydeven believes wolves should be delisted, but also said they’re a critical part of the state’s eco-system.
“They keep the deer moving so they don’t stay and browse in one area too long, and they’re an important check on the beaver population,” he said.