Wolf News
June 01, 2007
MADISON – The Department of Natural Resources has re-established a caution area for individuals training bear dogs this year after wolves injured a dog being trained for bear hunting in southwestern Lincoln County about 12 miles west-southwest of Merrill. A map of the caution area is available at this page. This area is the known home range of the Big Rib/South Averill Creek wolf pack, and bear dog trainers have been cautioned about this area previously.
The DNR maintains a listing of all state caution areas at Department of Natural Resources web pages.
The wolf attack apparently occurred when the dogs got too close to the pack's rendezvous site, where the pups are left behind during summer months. The Big Rib/South Averill creek pack consisted of 5 wolves last winter before pups were born in the spring. This pack has previously been involved in depredations on dogs in 2006
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 state wolf packs attack dogs.
“Dogs owners really need to be cautious and aware of wolf packs in the areas where they’re training their dogs. Wolves are very protective of rendezvous areas and pups kept at these sites,” said Wydeven.
The gray wolf was removed from the federal endangered and threatened species list in March 2007 and is now protected under state law as a protected wild animal. Landowners may shoot wolves discovered in the act of killing, wounding or biting a domestic animal such as livestock or pets on land that they own. Such shootings must be reported to the DNR within 24 hours and the wolf carcass must be turned over to the DNR. It is still illegal to shoot a wolf for any reason on public land or someone else’s land while hunting.
Currently there are about 138 wolf packs in the state, and more than 114 occur in areas open to hunting and training of hounds. The late winter 2007 estimate of Wisconsin’s gray wolf population is between 540 and 577 animals.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides reimbursement for dogs killed by wolves, and lists areas of caution where dog depredations have occurred, to encourage hunters to exercise extra caution if they plan to hunt or train hounds in these areas. Bear hunters should try to avoid releasing hounds in areas with lots of wolf sign, and near known depredation sites. Hunters should try to stay as close to dogs as possible in areas where wolves are roaming. The DNR does not attempt to trap or remove wolves that kill dogs on public or industrial forest lands.