Nine wolves killed during deer season
Lee Bergquist
A record nine wolves were killed during Wisconsin’s fall deer-gun season.
Hunters killed five wolves in 2002 – the next highest year for wolf kills, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
Wolves continue to be a protected endangered species under federal law, though some of those protections are expected to be lifted next year.
Adrian Wydeven, a wolf biologist with the DNR, said there is no clear reason for the big increase, but he didn’t think any incidents were due to self-protection.
Hunters can kill wolves in such cases, and Wydeven believes they would report it.
But he said some hunters might be killing wolves out of frustration over state and federal protection policies.
Some members of the public believe regulations should be changed to allow more killing of wolves that kill pets and livestock.
Wisconsin estimated the 2005-2006 winter wolf population at 465 to 502 wolves and expects a similar population this winter.
Aside from self protection, it’s against the law for hunters to kill wolves in Wisconsin. Fines can total up to $5,000 and the loss of hunting privileges for up to 5 years.
Other possible reasons for the increase: Hunters mistaking a wolf for a deer; hunters shooting at a deer that is being chased by a wolf; and liberalized hunting regulations this year that “might make a hunter think that any large brown animal with four legs is fair game,” Wydeven said.
Wolves were killed in Bayfield, Douglas, Ashland, Oneida, Oconto, Chippewa, Price and Adams counties.
A $4,000 reward fund has been created for information leading to convictions in any of the cases.
The reward is being offered by the Timber Wolf Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Anyone with information can call the DNR tip hotline, (800) 847-9367 or the federal government at (920) 866-1750.