Dog killings prompt calls for more wolf controls
Group advocates reducing population to 100
By Andrew Broman
The Daily Press
AREA TO AVOID ý The DNR is advising hunters with dogs to avoid hunting in an area east of Glidden. The circled area shows where wolves killed seven dogs within a one-month period.
The killing of seven bear hounds by gray wolves within a one-month period near Glidden has prompted an advisory for hunters with dogs to avoid hunting in that area.
The State Department of Natural Resources is also advising hunters with dogs to use caution in Sawyer County northeast of Ladysmith, where wolves killed a dog on Aug. 23.
The killings southeast of Glidden occurred within 2.5 miles of each other, likely because the wolves were protecting their pups, Mammalian Ecologist Adrian Wydeven said.
“This is the first time I think we’ve advised people not to hunt,” Wydeven said. “This pack seems to be especially aggressive towards dogs.”
The pack is nine to 11 wolves in size, he estimated.
Members of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters’ Association said reducing the wolf population is the sure way to stop the killings. David Withers, chairman of the wolf committee for the association, said the association is proposing that the state reduce its management goal from 350 wolves to 100 wolves.
He said this could be accomplished through public harvest.
“We’ve been laying somewhat low for a couple years now because we’ve been advised that would be the thing to do and not to make too many waves before federal delisting,” Withers said. “However, this thing has gotten to the point where we are in the immediate future going to be voicing our wishes to the DNR and the legislature if necessary.”
A Sept. 29 public hearing at the Great Lakes Visitor Center will address a proposal to remove protection for wolves under the Endangered Species Act. If protection is removed, the state could authorize euthanizing and harvesting to control population levels.
The DNR calculates between 373 to 410 wolves live in Wisconsin, not including Indian reservation populations.
A hunter who lost dogs to wolves, Rob Stafsholt, said the DNR is underestimating the population. His two hounds were killed near Glidden on Aug. 20, he said. The first three wolves were killed Aug. 4. A single dog was killed Aug. 7, and another dog killed Aug. 23.
“I’ll stay out of that particular area, but how do you stay away from where the timber wolves are?” Stafsholt said. “If they were in one little spot, that would be one thing, but your whole national forest system has wolves in it.”
Current policy allows for trapping and euthanizing wolves when they kill livestock, but not when they kill dogs hunting on public land.
Wydeven said 20 wolves have been euthanized this year for livestock attacks.
Wydeven advised that hunting dogs wear bells, noting that only one of the dogs killed this year was wearing a bell.
Stafsholt said he doesn’t necessarily believe that bells keep away wolves. He said bells could be a signal to wolves that “dinner is coming.”