Jackson County wolf pack to be trapped after becoming too familiar with humans
Officials have confirmed that a wolf from the Bear Bluff Pack in Jackson County injured a German shorthair pointer on Sept. 18, and officials say the pack has become too familiar to humans and will be trapped.
According to the DNR, the report indicates that the wolf approached a hunter within 50 feet, and when he got in his vehicle, was right in front of the vehicle. This is believed to be the first verified attack by wolves on a bird-hunting dog in a bird hunting situation in Wisconsin.
There have been numerous incidents of close approaches by wolves to people by this pack, and there has been extensive work done by WDNR and USDA-Wildlife Services to create aversive conditioning and attempt to haze the wolves away from cranberry beds and areas of human activity.
But the pack has become overly habituated to people. As a result, lethal control actions for this pack are beginning to used to address human safety concerns. Trapping of wolves will begin, and hunters with dogs using the area will need to be cautious of both wolves, and avoid areas with traps. General areas with traps will be posted along forest roads ahead of locations where traps will be set.
The Bear Bluff pack responsible for the attacks, included five wolves last winter, and a yearling female and adult female were captured and collared in this pack this summer. Pups were produced in the spring as well. The recent attack was the first attack in a hunting/training situation for this pack in 2010.
The caution area includes Cranberry Road on the east, Highway 54 along the north, Lone Pine Lane and Goodyear Road on the west, and the Jackson/Monroe County line and Highway HH on the south.
Hunters are urged to exercise great caution if they intend to use this area.