Wolves and Hunting Dogs in Wisconsin
A Guide for Reducing Conflict Between Wolves and Hunting Dogs

Europeans began settling Wisconsin in the early 1800's, and at the time as many as 3,000 to 5,000 wolves may have existed in the area. However, Europeans often had much more negative attitudes toward wolves, and soon began programs to eliminate wolves. A state bounty was placed on wolves in Wisconsin in 1865, and lasted until 1957. By 1900, wolves had disappeared from southern Wisconsin. In 1950, less than 50 wolves remained in extreme northern Wisconsin. In 1957 wolves were listed as a protected species, but the wolf population was down to a handful of wolves, and in 1960 it was considered extinct. In 1967 and 1974 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the timber wolf a federally endangered species. In 1975, wolves began to re-colonize Wisconsin in the northwest portions of the state, along the Minnesota border. Wolves were not reintroduced into the state, but moved in on their own. Wisconsin listed the timber wolf a state endangered species in 1975.

In 1999 wolves were reclassified to state threatened status with 205 wolves in the state. By 2002 wolves were distributed across much of the heavily forested portions of northwest and north central Wisconsin, and were starting to spread into forests of the northeastern part of the state. Wolves were federally reclassified to threatened on April 1, 2003, but on January 31, 2005 wolves were relisted as endangered due to a lawsuit. A new process to delist wolves in Wisconsin and other states in the western Great Lakes region was begun by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service in 2006, and wolves were removed from the federal list in this region on March 12, 2007.

Today, Wisconsin's wolf population is 540 with 436 in the northern forest region, 72 in Wisconsin's central forest region, and 32 in other portions of central Wisconsin.

As with other wild canids, wolves are very territorial. Wolves guard their territories from other wolves, coyotes, and domestic dogs. Wolves are probably most aggressive toward strange wolves and dogs when wolf pups are small at den and rendezvous sites, during the breeding season in January and February, and when they are protecting a fresh kill. 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. Hound dogs used for hunting bear, coyotes, bobcat, and raccoons, are perhaps at greatest risk of being attacked by wolves. Dogs used for bird hunting are less likely to be attacked. Wolves normally avoid people and are less likely to approach dogs that are in visual or auditory range of humans.

Hounds often hunt some distance from hunters, and their baying sound may also present a challenge to the territorial wolves. Highest risk of wolf depredation to dogs seems to occur in July through September, and a moderately high risk occurs in December. These periods signal the summer rendezvous period, and the approach of the winter breeding season.

Avoidance of wolves, by hunters with dogs is the best way to minimize conflict, but because wolves are so wide spread, total avoidance may not be possible. Although wolves do have large territories, they do concentrate a lot of activity in specific areas, such as the rendezvous sites. One of the keys for minimizing wolf problems with dogs is to avoid areas with concentrated wolf use.

Move 2 or 3 miles from any rendezvous site, if possible, before releasing dogs. Avoid releasing dogs at baits recently visited by wolves. When looking for bear sign at a bait, make sure to also look for wolf tracks. Be familiar with your own dog's tracks, so that you can distinguish it from any wolf tracks. If a specific bait site is receiving a lot of wolf use, discontinue using it until wolves have left, and concentrate on an alternative bait site....