Gray wolf population strong in central Wisconsin
By B.C. Kowalski
For the Wausau Daily Herald
Wisconsin gray wolf populations are strong, according to a recent Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources report.
According to the Wisconsin Endangered Resources Report No. 140, 72 wolves were found dead in the state in 2010, including three found in Portage County, two in Wood County and one in Marathon County.
All the wolves were killed either in car crashes or were shot illegally, according to the report.
In 2010, there were 13 wolves sighted in Marathon County, with 10 in Wood and eight in Portage County.
Tom Meier, DNR biologist at the Mead Wildlife Area in Milladore, said the population in the area has been steadily increasing.
“It’s hard to say how many animals there are at any given time,” Meier said.
The report lists active packs in all three counties. Mead, located on the border of Wood and Portage counties, has a pack of about 10. Other wolves will wander in and out of the area, since wolves have large territories.
Though wolves are becoming more common in the area, they also tend to stay away from people, Meier said.
In Portage County, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Wildlife Program Chairman Tim Ginnett said there have been wolves in the area for several years. For example, he saw one wolf on a trail camera in Custer about five years ago.
Meier said there also have been reports of wolves in Nine Mile Forest Recreation Area in Rib Mountain.
People tend to see evidence of wolves more often than seeing the animals themselves, Meier said.
“There’s a certain allure to wolves,” Meier said. “The fact that we still have areas in the state wild enough and big enough to hold animals like that — we’re lucky.”