Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan - Executive Summary

by the Wisconsin Wolf Advisory Committee

The Wisconsin Wolf Advisory Committee reports to the Bureau of Endangered Resources Director and Division of Lands, Land Leadership Team of the Department of Natural Resources. Plans prepared by the Wolf Advisory Committee are subject to approval of the Natural Resources Board.

The gray wolf returned to Wisconsin in the mid-1970's and was listed as a state endangered species in 1975. A state recovery plan, initiated in 1989, set a goal for reclassifying the wolf from state endangered to threatened once the population remained at 80 or more wolves for 3 consecutive years. By 1999, the population had increased to 197 wolves, and had been at 80 or more since 1995. Therefore the Wisconsin DNR, has reclassified wolves from endangered to threatened, and developed this plan to manage wolves as a threatened and eventually as a delisted species. Efforts have also begun to federally reclassify or delist the gray wolf by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

This plan will delist the wolf from state threatened to a nonlisted, nongame species when the wolf population reaches 250 animals based on late winter count across the state in areas outside Indian reservations. A management goal of 350 is recommended.

Fourteen strategies were developed for managing wolves. These include:

1. managing wolves in 4 different management zones;
2. intensely monitoring wolf populations through threatened status and delisted status;
3. monitoring wolf health;
4. cooperatively managing wolf habitat;
5. controlling nuisance wolves and reimbursing landowners for losses caused by wolves;
6. promoting public education about wolves;
7. establishing regulations for adequate legal protection of threatened and non-listed encouraging interagency cooperation;
8. establishing a system for program guidance;
9. encouraging programs for volunteer assistance on wolf conservation;
10. recommending future research needs;
11. regulating wolf-dog hybrids and captive wolves;
12. establish a protocol for handling wolf specimens;
13. encouraging reasonable ecotourism of wolves and their habitats.

Four zones will be used to manage wolves (Figure 8). Management actions will vary according to wolf population status (see Table 1 below).

Table 1.
Management actions as prescribed by the DNR wolf plan for specific zones (see details in text)

* Federal downlisting to threatened status must first occur before these actions can take place.
** Lethal Controls would rarely be authorized on/or adjacent to large bloacks of public land in areas of primary wolf habitat.
*** Federal delisting must first occur before these actions can take place.

* Federal downlisting to threatened status must first occur before these actions can take place.
** Lethal Controls would rarely be authorized on/or adjacent to large bloacks of public land in areas of primary wolf habitat.
*** Federal delisting must first occur before these actions can take place.

* Federal downlisting to threatened status must first occur before these actions can take place.
** Lethal Controls would rarely be authorized on large bloacks of public land in areas of primary wolf habitat.
*** Federal delisting must first occur before these actions can take place.

Zone 1 consists of Northern Forest deer management units and Menominee County. Limited lethal control would be allowed on problem wolves, but generally lethal control would not be exercised on wolves inhabiting large blocks of public land in areas of suitable wolf habitat.

Zone 2 includes Central Forest deer management units. Limited control would be allowed for handling nuisance wolves, but lethal control would normally not be conducted on large blocks of public land.

Zone 3 consists of areas south of Zone 1 and surrounding Zone 2. Protection would be provided for dispersing wolves but more liberal control would be allowed for handling nuisance wolves.

Zone 4 represents areas with little or no wolf habitat where liberal control would be allowed on problem wolves.

Wolf population and health monitoring would remain intense for the foreseeable future and will include radiotelemetry tracking, wolf howl surveys, and track surveys. Management activities for Wisconsin's wolf population shalll be based on a late winter count.

Cooperative management of wolf habitat will continue to be recommended for a threatened and delisted wolf population in suitable habitat. Habitat management would include access management, vegetation management, protecting corridor habitat, and protecting den and rendezvous sites. Management of wolf packs living within Native American reservation boundaries will be coordinated with tribal governments.

Depredation control activity will focus on preventive methods while also providing adequate control of nuisance wolves. Once wolves are reclassified as federally threatened, wolves that are verified habitual killers of livestock may be euthanised. Lethal wolf control activity will not be carried out generally in large blocks of public land in areas of suitable wolf habitat. Once wolves are state and federally delisted, euthanization of depredating wolves may be permitted by landowners or occupants of the land. Proactive depredation control may be used by government trappers in areas with historical wolf problems after the population level of 350 has been exceeded.

Public education about wolves will continue to be an important strategy of wolf conservation in Wisconsin. Education will involve preparation of special education material, work with cooperating organizations to promote education on wolves, provide special training on wolf management to agency personnel, and continue agency presentations on wolves. The efforts will emphasize the positive aspects of wolves to Wisconsin's forest ecosystems.

Specific regulations will need to be developed for wolves listed as threatened or delisted. Regulations will focus on maintaining a high level of protection, even for a delisted wolf population.

Cooperation among various federal, state, county, local and tribal governments will be an important aspect of future wolf conservation in Wisconsin. A Wisconsin DNR Wolf Advisory Committee will continue to incorporate a diverse group of individuals to address policy and management concerns.

The Wolf Advisory Committee will annually review wolf management in Wisconsin with a citizen stakeholder group. Policy or management changes will be recommended to the Department of Natural Resources Land Leadership Team for Natural Resource Board approval. A public review of the plan and management goals will be conducted every five years by the Department of Natural Resources.

Volunteer programs will be used to provide education on wolves and assist with wolf population surveys.

Research will continue to be used to address management concerns as wolf populations increase and emphasis will be on developing accurate and economical survey techniques, as well as continued evaluation of future impacts on wolf populations and their habitats.

Legislative authorization will be sought to expand the agency's authority to control free-roaming wolf-dog hybrids.

Wolf Management costs will increase from a base level of $130,000 yearly at approximately 10% per year from a base year of 1997-98, for the next five years; this does not include depredation costs. License fees from hunting, fishing or trapping will be used for wolf management only if the species is open for public harvest. Full reimbursement should be made to owners who have lost pets or livestock to wolves; normal costs are estimated at $20,000 to $40,000 per year when wolves have reached management goals. The cost of removing depredating wolves and either translocating them to suitable habitat or euthanizing them is estimated at $15,000 to $30,000 per year. Therefore the total cost of wolf management activities is estimated at from $165,000 to $200,000 per year.

By its nature, the gray wolf interests not only traditional hunters but many persons who are interested in nature viewing, photography, hiking and nature study. As an apex species, the management of wolves impacts other forest species. It is appropriate for funding for wolf management to come from alternative funding sources instead of traditional license fees or strictly from endangered resources funding.

New funding sources need to be identified to provide the Department of Natural Resources the resources to continue reimbursement at fair market value for losses and to maintain a sufficient depredation response program as well as maintaining sufficient monitoring of the wolf population.

Next Section: Wisconsin Wolf Advisory Committee