Wolves policy under review
By Brian Reisinger and Nick Halter
An early move by President Barack Obama is touching on a volatile issue for northcentral Wisconsin: wolves.
Obama’s administration last week ordered a halt to changes in regulations that would remove gray wolves from the endangered species list.
The move won praise from some animal and environmental advocates who hope wolves will remain protected in Wisconsin and elsewhere. But farmers and ranchers in the Wausau area and Northwoods aren’t pleased.
“They just harass the hell out of you,” said Taylor County rancher James Tlusty of Westboro, who lost five head of cattle to wolves in the past two years. “It’s a problem.”
DNR wolf expert Adrian Wydeven said there are about 550 gray wolves in Wisconsin. The ideal population would be about 350.
More than 350, he said, and loss of habitat and competition for prey can force wolves to attack livestock and pets. During the last couple of years, Wydeven said, about 30 farms have suffered wolf losses, and in 2008, 20 dogs were killed by wolves.
“It does make it more difficult for us,” he said. “We’re disappointed (the process to delist wolves) has slowed down.”
The DNR is applying for a federal permit that would allow it to manage the wolves, but Wydeven said it is restrictive and can be a lengthy process.
Eric Anderson, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, said proper harvesting of wolves, either through state action or an eventual open hunt, would preserve the wolf while minimizing damage caused by the animals.
Despite its notorious status, the wolf provides important balance to the area’s ecosystem, he said, allowing other animals to thrive naturally.
“They’re what we call a keystone predator,” he said.