Through the first six months of 2020, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports a sharp increase in the number of wolf conflicts. Specifically, there were 64 reports through the end of June with 34 of those reports confirmed compared to 37 reported and 16 in the first half of 2019. Five of those reports were wolf threats to human safety.
“Numbers can fluctuate from year-to-year due to a variety of reasons,” Brad Koele, Wisconsin DNR wildlife damage specialist, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But it appears some of our standard abatement tactics are no longer working.”
The DNR offers landowners a variety of non-lethal wolf deterrent tools including lights, noise, flags and other approaches.
Wolves in the Great Lakes states remain on under federal protection even though they are well above objective in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation agrees with federal wildlife managers that wolf populations are recovered and should be managed by state wildlife agencies.
(Photo source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)