Progress Report of
Wolf Population Monitoring in
Wisconsin for the Period
April - September 1997

October 9, 1997

Douglas County

  • Truck Trail Pack
  • Empire Pack
  • 35 Pack
  • Crotto Creek Pack
  • Moose Lake Pack
  • Moose Road Pack

    Burnett

  • Chase Creek Territory
  • Crex Meadow Pack
  • Riverside Pack

    Washburn

  • Stuntz Brook Pair

    Bayfield

  • Ghost Lake Pack
  • Tranus Lake Pack
  • Rainbow Lake Pack
  • Smoky Hill Pack
  • Echo Valley Area

    Iron

  • Thornapple River Pack
  • Black Lake Pack
  • Tupper Creek Pack
  • Log Creek Pack
  • Torch River Pack
  • Hellhole Creek Pack
  • Augustine Lake Pack
  • Potato River Area
  • Pine Lake Pack
  • West Firebreak Pack
  • Chippewa River Pack
  • Morrison Creek Pack
  • O'Brien Lake Pack

    Price

  • North Willow Pack
  • Limes Lake Pack
  • Price Creek Pack
  • Bootjack Lake Pack
  • Little Rice River Pack

    Lincoln

  • Averill Creek Pack
  • Ranger Island Territory
  • N. Taylor County Pack

    Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties

  • Wildcat Mound Pack
  • Bear Bluff Pack
  • South Bluff Pack
  • Sandhill Wildlife Area

    		•

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    Update of the Truck Trail Pack located in Doulas County, WI

    Collared wolves 263F (adult female) and 174F (yearling female) were monitored in the Truck Trail Pack along the Minnesota border. Wolf 263F had been monitored in this pack since July 1996, and wolf 174F was caught on May 12, 1997. Seven wolves were detected in this pack last winter. Bruce Kohn conducted 5 howling surveys in the Truck Trail Pack in August and obtained response from 2 + pups and adults on August 28. The summer home range was 42 mi z for 263F and was 36 mi z for 174F. The pack roamed the area from Highway 35 westward to about 1 mile into Minnesota, and from Moose Junction Road to north to the Black River.

    Pack update for the Empire Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Adult male 267M and yearling male 268M were monitored in the Empire Pack. Wolf 267M is apparently the father of 268M, who had been captured as a pup at the same time in 1996, but 268M lost his collar after a few weeks. Wolf 268M was recaptured on June 11, 1997, as a large yearling male at 86 pounds. The area covered by each wolf was 73 mi 2 for 267M and 67 mi 2 for 268M. The pack occurred east of Highway 35 and from County M about 15 miles northward. The Empire Pack consisted of 6 wolves last winter, and Bruce Kohn heard 3 or more pups in the pack on August 28. On September 20 two bear hunting dogs (Walkers) were apparently killed by this pack. The depredation site was about 1 mile from the pack's rendezvous site.

    Pack update for the 35 Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    No update reported during this quarter.

    Pack update for the Crotto Creek Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Adult female 266F and adult male 277M were monitored in the Crotte Creek Pack during summer. Wolf 266F had been monitored in this pack since August 1996, and 277M was caught on June 10, 1997. The two wolves occupied territories of 24 mi 2 and 32 mi 2 for 266 F and 277M, respectively, in the area south of County Road M to the St. Croix River. Adult males 194M and 500M were previously monitored in this pack, but 500M lost his collar last summer and 194M dispersed in the winter. Wolf 500M was thought for a while to be the alpha male, but he may have been replaced by 277M. The Crotte Creek Pack had 11 wolves in late fall 1996, and on August 27, 1997, Bruce Kohn confirmed presence of 3 pups in the pack.

    Pack update for the Moose Lake Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    The Moose Lake Pack northwest of Solon Springs contained adult female 210F who had been monitored in the pack since May I996. The female who may be the alpha, occupied a summer territory of 43 mi2. Only 3 wolves occurred in this pack last winter, and one adult was heard with 2 or more pups during a howling survey on August 13.

    Pack update for the Chase Brook Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    Adult female 724F was caught in the Chase Brook area on May 28. Although she appeared to be lactating, no pups were heard in her territory on 3 howl surveys in August and September. The wolf occupied a summer home range of 25 mi 2 mainly in northwest Burnett County, but also into Douglas County on the north and 1 or 2 miles into Minnesota on the west. Wolf 724F concentrated activity near a beef farm north of the St. Croix River after the translocation of wolves from the Riverside Pack including male 242M and the temporary removal of female 195F in June. From July 25 to late September most of 724F's activity were near the farm, although no depredations were reported during the period.

    Pack update for the Moose Road Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    All 3 adults in this pack were collared during the study period (adult male 155M, adult female 187F, and adult male 230M). Wolves 230M and 187F were thought to be the original alpha pair in this group; Both went off the air during the study period, after 3 years on the air for 187F and near 4 years for 230M. The areas occupied by the 3 wolves was similar: 33 mi 2 (155M), 32 mi2 (187F), 33 mi2 (230M). The pack occupied areas south of Moose Junction Road and west of Highway 35 north of Dairyland. Wolf 155M did roam more to the south in the northern edge of the Chase Brook Pack.

    No pups were detected in the Moose Road Pack during 5 surveys in August and September. A bear hunter did report a pup in the area, and apparently a wolf pup was killed along Highway 35, 3 miles north of Moose Junction on August 9. The location could be Moose Road Pack, Truck Trail Pack, or the Empire Pack, but Moose Road animals had been most consistently in the area.

    Pack update for the Riverside Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    Wolf 195F moved into the Riverside area along the St. Croix River in late January 1997. She was seen with another wolf on 6 of 7 observations in February and March. She was seen 3 more times in late March and early April, but all by herself.

    On June 28, 195F was caught with yearling (possibly 2 year old) male 242M (not previously collared) on a farm where at least 4 and perhaps as many as 9 calves were lost to wolf depradation. Initially it was planned to move both animals to northeast Wisconsin, but Ken Jonas found possible tracks of pups in the pack's territory on June 30. With help from Sarah Boles, Mary Cahow, and Adrian Wydeven, howling was done that evening to determine that at least 3 pups and no adults were present at the site. Surveying the area on July l, Boles and Wydeven observed 3 pups at a rendezvous site, with no evidence of adults nearby.

    Based on discussions with Steve Fritts, Mike Phillips, and Ed Bangs from western wolf recovery programs, the decision was made to place 195F back with her pups, but to supplement her diet with road-killed deer. Wolf 242M was to be sent 170 miles to the east to the Nicolet National Forest. Since it was not entirely clear if 242M was the father of the pups, and because splitting up a pair could break a depredation cycle, translocation of 242M seemed appropriate.

    Wolf 195F was released back to her rendezvous site on July 3. She remained within 0.5 miles of the rendezvous site for the next 5 days, but on July 9 she may have returned to the farm site about 4 miles west of the rendezvous site. She again visited the farm on July 21, although no depredations were known to occur. This was her last known visit to the farm, and it appeared that 724F and perhaps other members of the adjacent Chase Brook pack began using areas near the farm after that. Wolf 195F remained mainly near her rendezvous site with her pup, where deer carcasses were being provided once or twice per week.

    Wolf 242M was released east of the Headwaters Wilderness Area in Forest County on July 9. His initial moves were monitored by Dr. Jack Stewart and his students. By July 10 the wolf had moved 1.5 miles to the southwest, and pilot Ray Marvin found 242M 5 miles southwest of the release on July 11. No flights were done on July 12 and 13 because it was a weekend. Wolf 242M was not found on flights the next week, despite intense searches by Ray Marvin, Phil Miller, and Fred Kruger. The wolf had apparently either moved far out of range or something happened to the wolf or its collar. Pilots continued to search for wolf 242M on other wolf flights and in the Riverside area, but have been unable to locate the wolf.

    Wolf 195F apparently moved back with her pups fairly quickly. Jack Stewart and students heard 195F and 3 pups 4 times on July 5. On July 16, Northland students saw 2 pups cross a sandy road, and on August 11 Jack Stewart and students heard 2 wolf pups howl.

    On August 26, wolf 195F traveled close to the beef farm and was hit by a vehicle along Highway 35. Although not killed by the collision, she was injured very severely and was euthanized 2 days later.

    On September 7, 178M, a male wolf pup, was captured and collared by Bruce Kohn. Bruce howled at the pups on September 9, and was surprised to find that an adult accompanied the pups. Perhaps 195F had attracted a new mate since her return to the territory, or perhaps another adult had been present from the start. The second possible seems less likely because the pups and 195F were carefully monitored for the first week, and the rendezvous site was surrounded by sandy roads where tracks were easily detected. It appears that at least 2 pups from the Riverside Pack continued to survive, and perhaps a new adult has joined the pack.

    Pack update for the Crex Meadow Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    Three wolves were detected in the Crex Meadow area last winter. Sign of wolves were limited in the area during summer, and no howl surveys were conducted.

    Pack update for the Stuntz Brook Pack located in Washburn County, WI

    The Stuntz Brook Pack continued to occupy an area of wildland west of U.S. Highway 53 and south of Minong. Wolf 199M occupied a 15 mi2 territory in the area last year before going off the air. Last winter the pack consisted of 5 wolves, including the first pups successfully raised in the territory. A large adult male, wolf 265M (94 lbs) was caught in the Stuntz Brook territory in May 1997. The wolf occupied a territory of 29 mi 2 , and he may have become the new alpha male in this pack. He traveled across Highway 53 to the east once during summer. On August 26, Bruce Kohn heard 3 or more adults, and 3 pups in this pack.

    Pack update for the Tranus Lake Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Wolf 194M and 255F settled into the Tranus Lake area in February 1997. On April 28, wolf 255F was found dead. She had died from peritonitis caused by the decay of a fetus that she had been unable to expel from her abdomen during parturition. Wolf 194M remained in the Tranus Lake area until May 22, when his signal was lost.

    Wolf 194M was found dead on the west side of U.S. Highway 51 and about 6 miles south of Tomahawk, in Lincoln County on August 28. The straight line distance from Tranus Lake was 104 miles. Although there have been several cases of collared wolves from northcentral Wisconsin dispersing to northwest Wisconsin, this was the first documentation of a northwest wolf moving into the northcentral area of Lincoln and Oneida County.

    Pack update for the Rainbow Lake Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Wolves have occupied the area around the Rainbow Lake Wilderness area since 1985. This is the oldest known pack for Bayfield County, although at times there was no more then one wolf in the area. Last winter an adult female, perhaps the alpha, was found dead in early March 1997 with a severe case of mange. Three wolves had occurred in the pack over winter, and her death probably eliminated pup production for 1997. Only limited wolf sign was found in the territory over summer. Wydeven found no wolf sign in the area on August 15, and Ron Schultz found sign of one wolf on the western side of the territory on August 16. Probably only 1 or 2 wolves remained in the area during summer.

    Pack update for the Flag River Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Two wolves were detected near the Flag River in northern Bayfield County last winter. Only limited activity was done in the area during the period. The area north of the Moquah Barrens in the northern Chequamegon Forest was examined on July 16, 1997, for wolf sign. Only a single set of tracks were found. Apparently there has been a pack in the area for at least 2 years, but the animals have been difficult to locate in summer. No howl surveys were conducted in the area.

    Pack update for the Smoky Hill Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    The Smoky Hill Pack that occurred in the southwest corner of Bayfield County consisted of 7 wolves last winter. Wolf 259F (two year old female) occupied portions of the territory (28 mi 2), but also traveled well outside the pack's territory. Movements of 259F ranged from northside of Nelson Lake to the middle of the Rainbow Lake Wilderness Area (22 miles apart). Wolf 259F visited the middle of the Rainbow Pack area on July 9, and was on the south edge of the territory on August 28. The extensive movements by 259F indicate that she was probably preparing to disperse from the territory.

    Two howling surveys were conducted by Sarah Boles in this pack, and on August 21 she located 3 adults and 3 or more pups.

    Pack update for the Ghost Lake Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Two wolves were detected last winter in the Ghost Lake area of southeast Bayfield County west of Clam Lake. Ron Schultz conducted 16 trap nights in the area in June 18-26 without any success. Sarah Boles howled in the Ghost Lake area twice in July and on July 19 heard a single individual. Perhaps only one wolf survived from winter.

    Pack update for the Echo Valley Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    No update reported for this quarter

    Pack update for the Thornapple River Pack located in Sawyer County, WI

    Five wolves were detected in the Thornapple River area of eastern Sawyer County last winter. Ron Schultz and Adrian Wydeven live trapped the pack in late May and early June, and caught yearling female 239F on June 6 after 46 trap nights. The female weighed only 46 lbs at the time of capture, about 10 lbs. less than the average for yearling females. Perhaps her growth had been stunted by mange or some other disease.

    Three howl surveys were conducted in the pack during summer, and 2+ pups were heard on July 15, and one or more pups were heard on July 22.

    On July 31, 1996, a report was received of a wolf injured by a vehicle on Highway 70 west of the Flambeau. Two additional reports were received of a limping wolf that day. Later that fall reports of a limping wolf came from County Road W west of the Flambeau River near the Thornapple River Pack rendezvous site and south of the previous locations. On July 22, 1997, several observations were again reported on a limping wolf on County Road W. Adrian Wydeven and Nancy Cervantes went to the location, and were able to locate the wolf by howling, but were unable to observe it. Observations of the limping wolf along County W, and Highway 70 were again being reported over the next few weeks. Wolf 239F also started spending time along Highway 70 after August 8. Between mid August to the end of September, 48 reports were received of 239F, the limping wolf, and a healthy noncollared wolf along Highway 70. The wolves had apparently become habituated to the roadway and fed on grasshoppers, voles, blackberries, and occasional road killed deer along the roads.

    On August 24, Wydeven observed Wolf 239F for 1 hour 14 minutes along a 0.5 mile of Highway 70. The wolf showed little fear of people or vehicles, and the wolf was chased off the road 8 times. Outside of being somewhat thin, the wolf showed no obvious sign of disease or abnormalities. Schultz and Wydeven attempted to capture the wolf on August 26 when she was observed with a second wolf. Both wolves ran off before capture was attempted. Two deer carcasses were left in the area to draw the wolves away from the highway. On August 24 a yearling male wolf was killed by vehicle on County Road W, nine miles east of Winter, and near the western edge of the Thornapple River Pack. The wolf had a healthy coat but weighed only 47 lbs., about 15 lbs less than average for yearling males.

    It was unclear why members of the Thornapple River Pack were becoming habituated to feeding along roadways, or why these wolves born in 1996 were of such small size. The last two winters have been severe in northern Wisconsin, but deer population seem to still be healthy. Perhaps there has been a decline in the local deer herd that is reducing food for wolves, or perhaps these wolves are recovering from mange or other disease.

    Pack update for the Tupper Creek Pack located in Sawyer County, WI

    The Tupper Creek Pack south of Winter was first verified last winter when 6 or 7 wolves were detected in the pack. The pack probably already existed last year when Ron Schultz caught a 14 lb mangy male pup in this pack territory. At the time it was assumed to be the Thornapple River Pack, but another rendezvous site for that pack was later found over 10 miles to the northeast.

    Ron Schultz and Adrian Wydeven trapped the Tupper Creek area in late May 1997 and caught 276M, a yearling male, on May 23 after 19 trap nights. He weighed only 50 lbs., and occupied a summer territory of 25 mi2.

    John Olson, DNR Furbearer Specialist, observed 6 pups along a gravel road in the pack area on July 27. Sarah Boles and Wydeven observed 3 pups at the site on a howling survey on July 28; 3+ adults and 3+ pups (probably 5-6) responded to howl survey. A man from Ojibwa observed 10 wolves along Highway 27 near the western edge of this pack territory, on September 27; probably the whole pack was observed.

    Pack update for the Log Creek Pack located in Ashland and Sawyer Counties, WI

    Two wolves were detected in the Log Creek region of northeast Sawyer and southern Ashland County last winter. Three howl surveys were conducted during the period, and 3+ pups were heard on August 17 and August 28, along with 2 adults. No live trapping was done in the territory.

    On August 9 or 10, a 4-year old Plothound was apparently killed by members of this pack when bear hunters were training their dogs in the area. The dog probably passed very close to the pack's rendezvous site, and the dog remains were found about 2 miles from the rendezvous site.

    Pack update for the Torch River Pack located in Ashland County, WI

    Alpha female 258F and her daughter 240F were monitored in the pack during the summer. Wolf 258F had been monitored in this pack since June 1996, and 240F was caught by Ron Schultz on June 23, 1997, after 32 trap nights. The pack territory occurred southeast of Clam Lake, mostly south of Highway 77 and east of County Highway GG. Summer home range was 53 mi 2 for 258F and 31 mi 2 for 240F.

    Sarah Boles and Adrian Wydeven conducted a howl survey on August 10 and located 3+ adults with 3+ pups. Both collared wolves were at the rendezvous site, with the pups.

    Pack update for the Black Lake Pack located in Sawyer County, WI

    Tracks of 2 breeding wolves were found in the area west of County Highway GG and south of Clam Lake. A howl survey by Botes and Wydeven located 2 or 3 wolves on August 23, but the distance was too great to detect if pups were present. This pack is located immediately west of the Torch River Pack, but the Torch River wolves were 13 miles to the northeast a day earlier.

    Pack update for the Hellhole Creek Pack located in Bayfield and Ashland Counties, WI

    Three wolves occurred in the Hellhole Creek area north of Clam Lake. Ron Schultz had 144 trap nights of livetrapping in the pack and caught a 19 lb female pup (241F) on June 23. She was too small to fit with a radio collar. No adults were caught in the pack. Sarah Boles conducted 3 howl surveys in the pack in July and August, and on August 3 heard 2 adults and 4 pups. One of these pups was observed along a Forest Road.

    Pack update for the Brush Creek Pack located in Bayfield and Ashland Counties, WI

    Five wolves were detected in the area around McCarthy Lake and Brush Creek last winter. Only limited surveys were conducted in the pack during summer. Little wolf sign was found when Ron scouted the area for wolf activity and thus no live trapping was done. One howling survey was done in the area on July 26 and no wolves were detected.

    Pack update for the Augustine Lake Pack located in Ashland and Iron Counties, WI

    Alpha female (229F) and her mate occupied the Augustine Lake territory southeast of Mellon. No pups from last year apparently survived. The wolf occupied a summer home range of 26 mi2. No howling surveys were performed in this territory, but based on concentration sites of radio locations it seems pups were probably produced.

    Pack update for the O'Brien Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Wolf pack activity was found in the land east of O'Brien Lake in 1995, but was not detected in winter 1996-1997. Two pups were observed by a forester east of O'Brien Lake in July 1997, therefore the area may again be occupied by a wolf pack.

    Pack update for the Pine Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Wolf 253 occupied an extensive area around Pine Lake and Moose Lake in Iron County. The Pine Lake Pack consisted of 2 or 3 wolves last winter. During the summer period, wolf 253F had a home range of 54 mi2, and crossed Highway 51 at least 8 times. A single howl survey was conducted in the Pine Lake Pack on August 7 and no pups were detected. Also the scattered locations of 253F, suggests that pups were probably not present in this pack.

    Pack update for the Chippewa River Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Five wolves were detected in the headwaters of the Chippewa River of eastern Ashland, and western Iron Counties last winter. During sign surveys in summer, only limited evidence of wolf were found, therefore no live trapping was initially done. Only a single wolf was detected on a howl survey on August 1 l. On August 17 two bear hunters lost 2 Walker hounds to wolf depredation while training their dogs on bear in the area. Conservation Warden Greg Langrehr and Adrian Wydeven examined the site and located 2 or 3 adults and 3+ pups on August 18 by howling. Apparently the dogs had passed through or near the wolf rendezvous site while the dogs were chasing a bear, and were found dead 1.7 miles from the rendezvous site. Another member of the hunting party lost 2 dogs nearby 2 weeks earlier, but only one dog carcass was examined, and was initially thought to be bear depredation. Fifty-three trap nights were conducted in the Chippewa River Pack in early September, but was unsuccessful.

    Pack update for the West Firebreak Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Tom Dolittle reported that the West Firelane Pack on the Bad River Indian Reservation consisted of 4 adults and 2 pups. Live trapping attempts in June were unsuccessful. The pack was spending a lot of time on the south side of the reservation near Copper Falls State Park.

    Pack update for the Morrison Creek Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Tom Dolittle reported that wolf-dog hybrids might occur in the Morrison Creek Pack along the Lake Superior shoreline in the Bad River Reservation. A canid with wolf like appearance, but some dog-like character was observed in this pack area in early summer. Tom will attempt to live trap in the pack to get verification of the animal's identity. Four canids (wolves?) occurred in this pack territory last winter.

    Pack update for the Limes Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Last winter a single wolf was detected in the Randall Lake area of southern Iron County. On July 4, Ron Schultz and Linda Gorman howled at 2 adults and 2+ pups near Miles Lake in nearby Pine County, and die group was dubbed the Miles Lake Pack. Wolf 243F, the alpha female was caught on July 12 after only 9 trap nights in the territory. She was a large female (78 lbs) but did suffer from severe hair loss, probably due to mange.

    On July 8 and 10 remains of dead wolf pups were found along a logging road in the Miles Lake Pack area. Necropsies on the carcasses were inconclusive due to advanced decomposition, but antibodies for parovirus and mange mites were found in scats. Therefore it appears likely that a combination of parvovirus and mange were factors in the death of the pups.

    Wolf 243F roamed extensively and showed no areas of concentration during summer. The wolf did not respond to a howling survey on August 13, therefore it appeared likely that all her pups had died.

    Pack update for the Potato River area located in Iron County, WI

    No update reported for this quarter

    Pack update for the Price Creek Pack located in Price and Sawyer Counties, WI

    Three year old female 237F roamed 24 mi 2 in the Price Creek Pack area of western Price County and eastern Sawyer County. Her activities had become more concentrated than previous years, and perhaps she had become the new alpha female of the pack. No pups were detected during limited howling surveys in July and September. Three wolves had occurred in this pack last winter.

    A livestock owner at a resort in the western part of the Price Creek Pack area reported loss of 3 calves in April. Ed Zydzik of USD-Wildlife Services was able to verify probably loss of one calf due to wolf depredation. The same producer had some 5-6 calf losses in 1995 from this pack.

    Pack update for the Bootjack Lake Pack located in Price and Oneda Counties, WI

    Alpha female 225F occupied a relatively small area of 12 mi2 during the summer in the Bootjack Lake Territory. The pack occurred mainly in northwest Oneida County, but also included some travel into eastern Price County. Three or more adults and 2+ pups responded to howl surveys on July 28 and 30.

    Pack update for the Wilson Flowage Pack located in Price and Oneda Counties, WI

    Two wolves were tracked in the area around Wilson Flowage in the Park Falls District of Chequamegon National Forest, last winter. Two howl surveys were conducted in the general area during summer, and on July 17 a single wolf was detected.

    Pack update for the Little Rice River Pack located in Price and Oneida Counties, WI

    Three wolves roamed the south side of the Willow Flowage last winter. Ron Schultz conducted 199 trap nights of live trapping in the area during August 18-30 without success. Two animals were heard howling while trapping in the area.

    Pack update for the Averill Creek Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    Six wolves were tracked in the Averill Creek Pack of western Lincoln County last winter. Volunteer Gary Peterson conducted 10 howl surveys in the pack territory, and heard howls from wolves on 4 surveys. Only a single pup was heard on July 6 and August 17, and apparently 2 or 3 adults were present. Travis Booms and other volunteers conducted howl surveys in northeast Lincoln County on August 3 and 11. No wolves were heard on either survey.

    Pack update for the Ranger Island Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    No update reported for this quarter

    Pack update for the North Taylor Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    Forest Service Biologist Suzanne Adams conducted a howl survey on the Medford District of the Chequamegon National Forest on August 1 l. She heard a possible response from 2 wolves in the northwest corner of the forest.

    Pack update for the North Willow Pack located in Price County, WI

    : Two wolves established a new territory in the area north of the Willow Flowage last winter. A howl survey was done by Ron Schultz and Linda Gorman in the north Willow area, and 2 adults and 3+ pups were located. Therefore, the new pack was successful in producing pups. Live trapping in the area resulted in the capture of alpha female, 244F, on July 23 following 39 trap nights. The collar used on this female was donated by Greg Topp of Hayward and was nicknamed "Maggie" as Greg had requested. The female roamed areas on the north side of the Willow Flowage.

    Pack update for the Wildcat Mound Pack located in Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    Two adult male wolves 238M and 274M were monitored in this pack in the Black River State Forest during the period. The signal was lost on wolf 238M in early May after being on the air for about 2 years. Wolf 274 occupied a 34 mi2 summer home range in the Wildcat Mound area.

    Six howl surveys were conducted by Linda Nelson, Dick Thiel and others in the territory during summer. On July 29 Dick Thiel heard 3 + adults and 3 + pups in the pack. Seven wolves were detected in this pack last winter.

    Pack update for the South Bluff Pack located in Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    Four to five wolves were tracked in the South Bluff Pack last winter. Live trapping was conducted in portions of the perceived pack area in May, but the wolf caught (275F) ended up moving back to the Bear Bluff area. Wolf 275F did use western portions of the South Bluff Pack, and wolf sign was somewhat limited in the area. Perhaps the Bear 8luff Pack has displaced the South Bluff Pack.

    Pack update for the Bear Bluff Pack located in Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    Seven wolves roamed the Bear Bluff area of eastern Jackson and western Wood County last winter. Ron Schultz and Adrian Wydeven livetrapped the Bear Bluff and South Bluff areas in early May. On May 12 adult female 275F was caught in the northwest corner of Juneau County. A total of 126 trap nights occurred in central Wisconsin. The area was originally thought to be in the South Bluff Pack, but 275F soon moved into the Bear Bluff area. During the summer period, wolf 275F occupied an area of 45 mi2 in Jackson, Wood and Juneau Counties. Two howl surveys were conducted in the Bear Bluff Pack and 4 + adults and 2-3 or more pups occurred in the pack.

    Pack update for the Sandhill Wildlife Area located in Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    No update reported for this quarter


    *source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Progress Report of Wolf Population monitoring in Wisconsin for the period January - March 1997. By Adrian P. Wydeven.