Wolves leave only trace of heifer in Dovre pasture
By: Anita Zimmerman
Runkle’s heifers were grazing on Arlene Hoveland’s property in Dovre Township, and he planned to move them out Oct. 24.
But when the time came, there were only 11 animals instead of 12. What remained of the missing heifer was lying nearby.
It was a 15-month-old Holstein cross, an animal Runkle estimates weighed 750 pounds. In fewer than 12 hours, the heifer was reduced to a back bone, a few ribs and some random pieces of hide.
Recognizing the attack as the work of wolves, Runkle got on the phone with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They came out to the property to examine the remains and document their findings.
Among Northern Wisconsin wildlife, only wolves would do such a thorough job, Runkle was told.
Adrian Wydeven, a Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist and wolf specialist, believes other scavengers might have also snatched some of the kill, but most meat would have gone to the wolves.
It would take a whole pack of wolves to consume the animal so quickly, he adds. Wolves eat only up to 20 pounds of meat in a sitting or 30 pounds over the course of one night.
There are no documented packs living near Dovre, but two calves were killed about 14 miles west of there in September. Wydeven believes a new pack might have moved into the area.
Wolf numbers are high right now. According to Wydeven, the animals slip on and off the federal endangered species list, and animal activist groups use legal technicalities to keep them listed.
In years when wolves aren’t listed as endangered, farmers are given permits to remove problem animals; in years when they are listed, anyone caught killing a wolf can be fined from $2,000 to $5,000. The federal fine is up to $25,000.
Runkle has been asking neighbors about their sightings since the incident. He says a lot of locals doubt the presence of wolves, but others reported seeing one or more in the area.
One neighbor told Runkle he’d noticed a pack of wolves between 3 and 3:30 p.m. that afternoon.
Runkle himself has seen three wolves on separate occasions, and neighbors have had wolves on their decks and near their homes.
Barron County’s North Blue Hills area is part of a caution zone that extends around the perimeters of the Rusk County Forest to just beyond the Red Cedar Lake, slightly past Birchwood. Since the pack near Dovre isn’t documented, the area isn’t a caution zone.
That could change if more kills are reported, Wydeven adds.
A hunting dog was killed in the caution area in 2008, and bear hunters are urged to stay near their dogs, especially near bear baits or remains from wolf kills.
Homeowners in caution zones are encouraged to keep dogs kenneled at night, release them in well-lit, fenced-in areas and avoid leaving dog or deer food outside.
While some Dovre residents will be leery of leaving their animals outside from now on, Runkle isn’t concerned about the predators.
“It wouldn’t bother me to put heifers in there again,” he said.
The Department of Natural Resources is currently seeking volunteers to track carnivores. Participation requires one tracking class and a wolf ecology course. For information, visit dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/volunteer.
To report a wolf kill, call (800) 228-1368. There is a reimbursement program for farmers who lose stock.