Adrian P. Wydeven, Sarah R. Boles, Jane E. Wiedenhoeft,
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, PO Box 220, Park
Falls, WI 54552, USA; Ronald N. Schultz, Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources, 8770 Highway J, Woodruff, WI 54568, USA;
Bruce E. Kohn, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, PO
Box 517, Rhinelander, WI 54501, USA; Richard P. Thiel, Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, Sandhill Wildlife Area, PO
Box 156, Babcock, WI 54413, USA
The gray wolf (Canis lupus) was extirpated from Wisconsin
in the middle of the 1900's, but recolonized the state in the
last quarter of the century. Elimination of state bounties and
federal protection had allowed wolves from Minnesota to expand
back into Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has monitored
the state wolf population since 1979 with radiotracking, snowtracking
surveys, summmer howl surveys, and collection of public observations
of wolves. During this time period >170wolves have been livetrapped
and radio-tracked, about 2500-4500 km of snowtracking are done
each winter, and howl surveys have been done on up to 40 different
packs each year. Since 1995, volunteer trackers have also run
about 3500km of snowtracking each year.
The wolf population has ranged from 15 (1985) to 197 (1999)
during the 20 years of monitoring (1979-1999), and varied from
4 to 54 packs. Wolf packs currently (1999) occur in at least
20 Counties in northern and central Wisconsin, and occupy 8300
km2 (6% of the state) at a density of 23/1000 km2. The average
rate of increase from 1985 to 1999 was 22% annually, but the
growth is likely to decline in the future as most suitable habitat
is filled. Through GIS ananysis of wolf habitat, we have determined
that the state has about 15000 km2 of suitable wolf habitat
that could support 300 to 500 wolves.
Dispersing wolves occur much more broadly across the state.
In 1994 a disperser from Ely, Minnesota was killed 65 km north
of Madison in central Wisconsin. Another disperser from Minnesota
traveled through 27 of the 72 counties of Wisconsin in spring
1999 in less than 3 months!
The WDNR developed a recovery plan in 1989 that set a state
goal of 80+ wolves for 3 years as the level reclassification
from endangered to threatened could occur. The level of 80 wolves
was first achieved in 1995 and met the 3 year criteria in 1997,
therefore in 1999 the WDNR reclassified wolves to a state threatened
status. A new wolf management plan initiated in 1999 sets delisting
criteria at 250 wolves, and long-term management goal at 350
wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the process
of federal reclassification of wolves in Wisconsin and adjacent
states in 1999, and should complete the process in 2000. The
federal process to completely delist wolves as neither endangered
or threatened will probably be completed one or two years later,
and will be necessary before complete management authority returns
to the State of Wisconsin.
Beyond 2000: