Wolves in Wisconsin
Ben Cate
Feb 16, 2011
Wolves in the state of Wisconsin have been a controversial issue for many years now. Many people believe that wolves should be in Wisconsin, and many people do not. People that are in favor of the presence of wolves vary from environmental groups, educators, members of the public, and many other people who are interested and care for the environment. People who tend not to want wolves at all in the state seem to be hunters, and farmers.
I believe that wolves should be present in Wisconsin; however I think they should not be as abundant as they are. Currently there are approximately 700 wolves in WI, several hundred more than the original plan of only around 350 wolves, and most of the wolf packs occur in Northern WI where they seem to be causing the deer numbers to drop. Many people will say that the wolves only kill a small portion of the deer herd in comparison with the number of deer hunters take from the woods each year. However, a high percentage of the deer harvested come from central and southern WI with many less deer being harvested in the north, and now with the high wolf population in the north, even less deer are being seen let alone harvested. Along with the higher wolf population, increased predation on livestock and pets has also increased, causing thousands of dollars in damages.
In my opinion people who say we do not need wolves in Wisconsin are ill informed. Wolves help keep deer populations in check, which in turn leads to less over browsing of habitat. With wolves in the state, natural vegetation has a better chance of reestablishing itself in the environment, this happens because of less browse pressure. Wolves can also help to improve the genetic integrity of a population by culling the old, young, sick, and the injured individuals, which in turn lead to a healthier and more viable population. Wolves can not only help the overall health of the environment, they also provide aesthetic value. Many people just enjoy the fact that wildlife exists, and when they do travel within the wolves range they may be happy to know that wolves roam in Wisconsin, and even happier to see one.
I do believe that the state of WI should manage our wolf population in a way that makes more people happy. I think that a season on wolves would be a healthy situation for the environment, and a smart one for local economies. With a wolf season in place, the state could generate money through application fees, and license sales. Small towns in the Northern portion of the state would also stand a chance of increasing revenue through sales of hunting equipment, lodging, and other expenses involved with traveling. I do believe that wolves in Wisconsin are a good thing, however I believe we should have them in a more limited supply.
3 comments:
Ben I do like your input on the wolf situation here in Wisconsin. I guess I myself have not seen an issue with the wolves because I live in the south central part of the state.
Nonetheless, it has been a topic of debate and I think allowing a limited harvest is a good idea! The population has exceeded the DNR’s expectations and therefore should be regulated more closely. I know people have wanted this to happen for quite some time...whats the hold up?
One of the main holds on the implication of a harvest is the Federal government who currently have the wolves listed as an Endangered species. WI has the wolf listed as a protected non-game species, but currently has little if any control over the population. The state of WI even has to get approval from the Federal Government to exterminate a problem wolf.
I can't believe in the 2011, the WDNR can't come up with a working system for a lottery or application type tag drawing for wolf hunts! They have found a way to manage almost every other huntable species (except sandhill cranes, but thats an entirely different issue). Yet, we can't quiet get a grasp on how to handle the wolf issue. I for one would be a supporter for opening up a season similar to the sturgeon spearing season on the winnebago system. Open up a time frame to hunt them, sell a certain quanity of tags, set an appropriate harvest goal, and close the season when the goal is met or time expires. Seems like a no brainer to me (although im sure it is way more complicated than that)! With that said, I do agree there needs to be wolves in the state and they need to be managed to keep the food chain in check. Hopefully this issue gets resolved in the near future.
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