State wolf numbers explode
Predator’s growth spurs calls for hunt
By Keith Uhlig
Wausau Daily Herald
A harsh winter allowed Wisconsin’s wolf pack to feast on weakened deer, sending the population surging between 16 percent and 21 percent, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
The growth — from about 550 wolves in the winter of 2007 to about 650 last winter — is prompting increased calls for a wolf-hunting season in Wisconsin.
Last winter’s population explosion was the largest since the 1970s, when wolves began naturally migrating back into the state from Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Hunting advocates, including the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, say a wolf season is needed to keep the population under control. The Humane Society of the United States and some conservation groups oppose a hunting season.
For sportsmen such as Dave Tylinski, 68, of Marathon, a wolf hunt is a no-brainer. He’s seen evidence of wolves in Lincoln County for years and says he knows of people who have had their pets attacked by wolves. He also believes the wolves are starting to affect the deer population.
“Wolves have their place, but like anything, if you don’t control them, they’ll become overpopulated,” Tylinski said.
Adrian Wydeven, the DNR’s wolf program leader, said the DNR will consider allowing hunters to kill wolves as a management tool, but it could take three to five years to implement a hunt. A wolf season would require a law to be passed by lawmakers and a set of regulations to be developed by the DNR.
A more immediate concern is reducing wolf conflicts, such as pet or cattle attacks, Wydeven said. With wolves removed from the federal endangered species list, the state has more flexibility in dealing with those problems, including giving landowners permits to shoot problem wolves and using government trappers.
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.