Wolves on endangered list becoming issue in Wisconsin

State reparations paid for lost livestock at all-time high

The Wisconsin DNR is looking for some volunteer trackers.  

It wants to get a good count on wolves in the state this winter with volunteers doing the counting.

Last year, estimated wolf numbers jumped by 16 percent to around 900 as the animals were, once again, listed as endangered by the feds. The state is suing the feds to have them removed. 

Numbers of livestock and hunting dogs killed by wolves also jumped but, because of their endangered status, there’s no wolf killing allowed – a bit of a challenge, says David MacFarland, the DNR large carnivore biologist.

“Those conflicts are up this year from where they were last year,” MacFarland said. “So we’ll continue to monitor that and try to deal with them from where we can.

“We have a variety of non-lethal tools that we’re applying on farms that are experiencing the conflict. Using that to try and minimize the risk to livestock to the extent that we’re able.”

Records are being set this year in Wisconsin for the amount of money paid out to farmers and others due to the state’s wolf population. At last count, the total of reparations paid by the state for all of the domestic animals killed or maimed by wolves was up around $200,000 – a 50-percent jump from last year.