Hunting Dog Depredations by Wolves in Wisconsin - 2007

Each year, with the beginning of the Wisconsin bear hound training season, bear hunters are reminded to exercise caution if they plan to train hounds or hunt bear with hounds. In 2007, wolves have killed 10 hunting dogs and hunters are urged to use the caution area maps below to help reduce conflicts during the upcoming hunting season.

Packs use rendezvous sites from mid June to late September, after the pups are big enough to leave their den. Adult wolves are very defensive of pups at rendezvous sites and will attack other predators, including dogs, that get too close to the rendezvous site or the pups.Some hunters have had success with bells on dog collars to reduce wolf attacks, but some dogs with bells have been attacked by wolves.

A pack will use from 2 to 3 to as many as 6 or more rendezvous sites during the summer. The exact locations vary from year to year and throughout the summer. The sites are usually forest openings or edge areas, with lots of wolf tracks, droppings, and matted vegetation.

Cautions for Bear Hunters with Hounds:

• Learn from DNR web or local wildlife biologist locations of any possible wolf attacks on dogs in your hunting area


• Attempt to stay as close to dogs as possible


• Avoid releasing dogs at bear baits recently visited by wolves


• Avoid areas with high concentrations of wolf tracks, scats, and remains of wolf kills


• Learn to recognize your own dog tracks so that you can distinguish them from wolf tracks


• Use bells or beepers on dogs

For more information on reducing conflicts between wolves and hunting dogs see "A Guide to Reducing Conflict Between Wolves and Hunting Dogs".

Along with attacks on hunting dogs, two attacks also occurred on pet dogs near peoples homes this summer. On August 5, two German short-hairs had gotten lose from their owner near Poplar in Douglas County, and were attacked by wolves on neighbors land. One dog finally died from the injuries. On August 23 a man walking his yellow lab near his home in Iron County near Winchester, had the dog attacked by wolves. The dog was treated for its injuries by a local vet and survived.

Guidance for pet owners in wolf range near near forested areas:

• Do not leave pets outside overnight unless they have a sturdy kennel


• Avoid feeding deer near your home


• Don't leave cat or dogs food outside at night


• Don't deposit table scraps or animal products near home sites


• Keep pets on a leash or in visual/ auditory range on walks and vocalize regularly including use of whistles


• Don't allow dogs to roam at large


• Avoid releasing dogs outside for bathroom breaks after dark except in areas with good lighting or fenced

The following maps are established caution areas:

Douglas County Caution Area - Lake Nebagamon Pack

On December 20th, 2 Mountain Cur hounds were attacked and killed while bobcat hunting in Douglas County northeast of Solon Springs. A 5-year old male and 3-year old female were killed. The Department has established a caution zone and hunters are urged to exercise caution if they plan to hunt with hounds in the area outlined below.

Price County Caution Area - Hoffman Lake Pack

The Department is aksing hunters to be cautious in while bear hunting in northern Price County. On Sunday, September 30th the Hoffman Lake Pack killed a 7 year old male Plott hound. This pack was previously implicated in the August 18th depredation of two bear dogs. Hunters are urged to exercise caution if they plan to hunt with hounds in the caution area outlined on the map below.

Sawyer County Caution Area - Tupper Creek Pack

The Department is reissuing a caution area for Sawyer County. On September 22, a 5-year old male bear hound was attacked by wolves and killed, probably by the Tupper Creek Pack. This attack occured very near to a July 26th depredation where wolves killed a plot hound while training to hunt bears. The Tupper Creek Pack territory is northwest of the Haystack Corner Pack territory that was implicated in attacking two bear dog training hounds on July 11th. Hunters are urged to exercise extra caution if they plan to hunt with hounds in the Sawyer/Rusk County area outlined on the map below.

Price County Caution Area - Skinner Creek Pack

The Department is asking hunters to exercise caution if planning to train or hunt in the caution area outlined on the map below. On September 14, a female Walker bear hound was killed by the Skinner Creek Wolf Pack. This pack consisted of 6 wolves last winter and has recently been implicated in killing a calf. The pack in the southern Skinner Creek area has included both wolves and apparent wolf-dog hybrids, which the Department and USDA-Wildlife Services has been working to control. Hunters are urged to exercise extra caution if they plan to hunt with hounds in the Price County caution area below.

Lincoln County Caution Area - South Averill Creek/Big Rib Pack
The Department has reestablished a caution area in Lincoln County after wolves killed one bear training dog and injured another. The depredation, which occurred in southwestern Lincoln County, was apparently by the South Averill Creek/Big Rib Pack which also attacked dogs and sheep in nearby Marathon County last year. The caution area follows a road boundary from Rib Lake east on Highway 102, then north on Wilderness Avenue, east on Four Mile Road, then south on New Wood Road, then south on County E and continue south into Marathon County on Highway 107, then west on County F, then north on Highway 97, then west on Highway 64, and north on County C to Rib Lake. Hunters are urged to exercise caution if planning to train or hunt in the caution area outlined on the map below.

Iron County Caution Area - Morrison Creek Pack
The Department has established a new caution area in Iron County after to bear hunting dogs were injured by the Morrison Creek Pack, which numbered 2-3 wolves last winter. On August 26, two female Plott hounds were injured while training just west of Hurley. Neither dog required veterinary treatment. Based on the amount of wolf sign present at the site, biologists concluded that the attack occurred at a current or recently used rendezvous site. These sites are used after the pups are big enough to leave their den. Adults are very defensive of pups at these rendevous sites and will attack any predator that comes near the site. The caution area follows a road boundary from Hurley south on Highway 77, then north on Highway 22, and then east on US Highway 2. Hunters are urged to exercise caution if planning to train or hunt in the caution area outlined on the map below.

Washburn County Caution Area - Wolf Lake Pack
On August 18, Washburn County's Wolf Lake Pack injured a female bear training hound in the southeast corner of the county. Four wolves were detected in this pack last winter and it is suspected that the attack occurred at a rendezvous site, where adults are extremely protective of their pups. The caution area follows a road boundary from Birchwood west on County D, then north on County M, then north on County B, then east on State Highway 70, then south on Sissagabama Road, and south on County F. Hunters are urged to to exercise caution during the upcoming hunting season or when training dogs.

Price County Caution Area - Hoffman Lake Pack
On August 18, wolves killed two 4-year old Wallker bear training hounds in Price County near its boundary with Ashland and Iron counties. The area of caution is within a road boundary starting from Park Falls and follows Agenda Road north to North River Road, to Creamery Road to County F, east to Turtle Flambeau Dam Road, then across the Flambeau Flowage to North Flowage and south to Highway 182, and back west to Park Falls. The depredation was apparently from the Hoffman Lake pack. Hunters are urged to exercise caution with dogs if planning to train or hunt in the caution area outlined on the map below.

Rusk/Sawyer County Caution Area - Tupper Creek Pack
On July 26, wolves killed a 7-year old Plot hound, which was being used in training on bears. The depredation was probably by the Tupper Creek Pack whose territory is northwest of the Haystack Corner Pack (see second map below). Hunters are urged to excercise great caution with dogs if planning to train or hunt in the caution areas in northern Rusk and southern Sawyer counties.

Rusk County Caution Area - Haystack Corner Pack
On July 11, 2007, wolves apparently killed a 2-year old male Plot hound and caused minor injuries to a female Plot hound in northern Rusk County. The hounds were being used in training on bears. This appeared to be in the home range of the Haystack Corner Pack that has been involved in depredations on dogs in the last few years. Four wolves were detected in the pack last winter. The attack site was somewhat to the southeast of the center of the pack, and might represent wolves splitting from the main pack or creation of a new pack. Usually such attacks on hounds occur during mid June to late September when the dogs get too close to the wolf pups at rendevous sites, although it is not yet known if there was a rendevous site nearby. Hunters are urged to exercise great caution with dogs if planning to train or hunt in the caution area shown below in northern Rusk and southern Sawyer counties.

Lincoln County Caution Area - Big Rib / South Averill Pack
On July 7, 2007 wolves injured an adult female Trig Walker hound near the Big Rib River in southwest Lincoln County. These were apparently members of the Big Rib/ South Averill Creek wolf pack that also killed 3 hounds, and injured 1 hound in 2006. The pack consisted of at least 5 wolves last winter. The wolf attack apparently occurred when the dog got too close to the pack's rendevous site, where the pups are left behind during the summer. Three pups were detected near the July 7 dog attack site, indicating wolves were using the area as a rendezvous site for their pups.

The DNR has designated a “Caution Area” in areas roamed by this pack in southwest Lincoln County and portions of northern Marathon, and eastern Taylor Counties. The Caution Area is bounded by County F on the south; Highway 97 and County C on the west; Highway 102, Wilderness Road, Tower Road, and 4-Mile Road on the north; and New Wood Road, County E , County M and Highway 107 on the east. The Big Rib pack detected in the lower portions of this area last year, appeared to have combined with the South Averill Creek pack last winter, thus areas roamed by both packs are included in the caution area. The depredation on July 7 occurred in the southern part of the caution area, south of Highway 64 and near the Rib River.

This was the first attack by wolves on dogs during the current bear hound training season. Historically, wolf attacks are rare in Wisconsin; fewer than 10 percent of the state's wolf packs attack dogs.

Lincoln County Caution Area
Wolves killed a hunting dog April 7 in an area about nine miles east-south-east of Tomahawk in the Harrison Hills near the Otter Lake Campground. The dog was one of four its owner was exercising in the area.

In past years a wolf pack had resided in the Harrison Hills area. Adrian Wydeven, Park Falls, Department of Natural Resources mammalian ecologist is in charge of the state's wolf management program. He said it is highly unusual for wolves to attack bird dogs. The reason for this attack, he said, may be that wolves had a den with newly born pups nearby and the dogs unwittingly ventured close to the den. Wolf pups are normally born in early or mid April in Wisconsin.

In such circumstances the wolves would be protective of their pups and den and would be reluctant to flee from the area, he said. A wolf caution area has been established near the site by the Department of Natural Resources to warn individuals to exercise greater caution if they train or run their dogs in this area. Pet owners will want to stay close to their dogs and maintain verbal contact with their dogs. Areas with lots of wolf activity (tracks and droppings) should be avoided.

The caution area is bounded on the north by County Highway D, on the east by County Highway B and State 17, on the south by Dudley Road and on the west by County Highway J, Grundy Road and County Highway H.

Wolves have been delisted from the federal Endangered Species List and are managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a protected species. Anyone who believes he or she may have wolf depredations can contact the United States Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services directly at 1-800-228-1368 in northern Wisconsin, or 1-800-433-0663 for central and southern Wisconsin.

Interactive map of wolf pack territories (exit DNR)