DNR revisits timber wolf status
Could become protected, not threatened
By Anita Weier
October 9, 2003
The death of a wolf near Spring Green late last month is just the latest
bit of news to put the state’s growing wolf population in the spotlight.
The very success of bringing back the timber wolf is now sparking
discussion of changing the rules governing its protection.
Timber wolves, also known as gray wolves, are listed as a threatened
species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the state Department of
Natural Resources. The state, though, is considering changing the status
to protected, which offers more options for handling nuisance animals,
said Bill Ishmael, a DNR wildlife biologist based at Spring Green.
Biologists estimated that the Wisconsin wolf population totaled about 335
before spring 2003 pup production.
About 77 wolf packs are scattered across the northern third of the state
and about 15 packs are located in the densely forested areas of central
Wisconsin. The known wolf packs closest to Spring Green are in northern
Monroe and Juneau counties, about 75 miles away, officials said.
A pack usually includes a breeding pair and their pups, yearlings and
older offspring, and sometimes one or two unrelated adults. Wisconsin
packs range from two to 12 wolves in winter.