Wolves of Wisconsin: Endangered or Endangering?
Eric Scharenbrock
11/02/2011
The current status of the wolf in Wisconsin is endangered. Studies have shown that the gray wolf is abundant within Wisconsin. In fact, wolves are overly abundant in WI. According to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Wisconsin's gray wolf population has jumped 26%,” between the years 2008 and 2009. The population change went from 540 wolves in 2008 to as many as 680 wolves in 2009, and over the winter in 2011, the wolf population soared at about 800 wolves. It is believed that such a drastic change was caused by a severe winter that allowed the wolves to hunt deer more effectively. The original federal wolf population goal was 100 wolves. On a more personal note, I have seen 4 wolves in 2009 while I was deer hunting. Is the population of wolves affecting the deer populations? Many hunters would agree that the wolves are partially to blame for the low harvest rates. I believe that wolves are partially to blame along with a variety of other factors such as baiting making deer more nocturnal.
Wolves not only attack deer, but they also will attack livestock and even pets. According to UW-Madison Professor Adrian Treves, who is the head of the Carnivore Coexistence Laboratory, wolf attacks on livestock are “highly localized and may be predictable.” In 2010, record numbers of wolf attacks on livestock were recorded at 47 farms reporting at least 75 animals killed and 6 injured. Wolves not only have been having an impact on livestock, but peoples’ pets have also been being killed by wolves at record numbers. There are 23 recorded cases of dogs that have been killed by wolves. How would you feel if the US Government were protecting something that killed your pet and friend? In fact, there have even been record numbers of human safety cases which resulted in 19 wolves and 1 wolf-dog hybrid being captured and euthanized. Is this going to be a trend in the future? If so, why shouldn’t we try to stop it now?
The most recent reasoning of the US Fish and Wildlife Service for not delisting the wolf from the endangered species list is because they believe that a new species of wolf is present in the Upper Great Lakes Region. That species is the eastern wolf which was considered a subspecies of the gray wolf. I feel that regardless of whether it’s a subspecies or a new species, some type of wolf management plan needs to be implemented. The US Fish and Wildlife Service lacking the competency to be able to determine a new species from a subspecies should not be a reason to continue endangering livestock, pets, and even people. Over the past 25 years, more than 1 million dollars has been spent in paying for damages caused by wolves. Of the 1 million dollars, more than two hundred thousand dollars were spent just last year. This is frustrating because that loss could have been prevented if the US Fish and Wildlife Service would cooperate with their initial wolf management goal. The wolf population needs to be controlled and the wolf needs to be removed from the endangered species list. I don’t know how the wolf should be controlled, but if it isn’t, the wolf will be endangering cattle, dogs, and people throughout Northern Wisconsin for years to come.
Articles
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/wolf/pdfs/Wolf-Delist-Comment-6-30-11-Signed.pdf
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/wolf/pdfs/wolf_damage_payments_2010.pdf
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/45452492.html
3 comments:
In the case of wolves attacking livestock and pets, this is a risk that should be taken into consideration when going into that situation. Yes, I would be upset if my dog was killed by wolves, but that is the way of things. People need to accept the fact that they are sprawling out into areas that were once wild and with fragmentation of land on the increase so are the chances of encounters with wolves. These are the consequences of our actions. The wolf has always been looked upon by the White man as disruptive and evil when they are just trying to survive. A person has a higher chance of surviving a plane wreck than being attacked by a wolf, who isn't infected with rabies.
To determine if there is a sub-species of the Grey Wolf would probably cost well over $1 Million, which is why that study hasn't been performed. Overall, wolves are just something that we have to learn to live with.
I am not simply disagreeing with you. As a matter of fact, I find your reasoning rather sound. Yet your questions are just that. They are questions not answers.
The wolf is a keystone species in the Wisconsin ecosystem. They do take sufficient amounts of game but in this supposed hard winter you wrote about,wolves were almost certainly feeding soley on weakened and starving animals. They were not taking the prime 12 pointers that hunters prize. Genetically, the wolves are correcting what our hunting has done to skew the gene pool. Moreover, wolves are only successful 10% of their hunts and do not only prey on whitetails.
I agree something should be done, however, but opening a hunting season is far too rash of a response. Perhaps a highly regulated trapping season. The problem we run into here is that there is no good answer yet. So many people are completely for or against this animal that neither side can legitimately develop a reasonable plan. Compromise will eventually be struck.
Unfortunately, wolves are going to continue to kill dogs, incidents will continue to happen between people and wolves, and farmers will cry wolf when their livestock are attacked. This happens around the contry with more commonality and with multiple different apex predators. It is part of being outdoors and, frankly, its natural.
Though I disagree with some of your statements, you have solid points. These are issues, and populations will need to be controlled. By whom and how is the question. Until someone develops a reasonable plan and proves it will maintain a healthy population of wolves (because we do need them), I will support their protection lest they be dessimated again.
Good post, and comments, on a continuing conflict. I will be interested in seeing what happens here. Take a look at what recently transpired in Idaho--I think it will be similar here.
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