Wolf population increased 4% over last year in Wisconsin and farm conflicts declined

The population of gray wolves in Wisconsin was estimated at 1,007 last winter, a year-over-year increase of 4%, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The number of wolf packs was down slightly, from 288 in 2021-22 to 283 in 2022-23.

The number of Wisconsin farms with confirmed wolf conflicts also declined. The agency noted 18 farms had wolf conflicts with livestock during the reporting period, the lowest number in 15 years.

The DNR produces an annual report on the state's wolf population. On Monday the agency published on its website its most recent wolf monitoring assessment. It covers April 15, 2022, through April 14, 2023.

The DNR's latest wolf assessment shows the species' population in Wisconsin has increased slightly after a Feb. 2021 hunting and trapping season killed 218 wolves.

However, the 2022-23 estimate is still 16% lower than the record high of 1,195 in 2019-20.

No wolf hunting or trapping season has occurred since February 2021 due to a successful in-state lawsuit by wolf advocates in October 2021 and a federal district judge's decision in February 2022 that returned the wolf in Wisconsin and many other states to protections of the federal Endangered Species Act.

The DNR's 2022-23 wolf report comes a week before the agency is set to present its draft Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan to the Natural Resources Board.

The draft plan, which if approved would be the first update to the state's wolf management document since 2007, is founded on "adaptive management." It would set harvest objectives and issue kill tags in each of six management zones and does not set a statewide wolf population goal. As such it is extremely similar to Wisconsin's black bear management plan.

The Wisconsin wolf population estimate is derived from a statistical calculation called a pack occupancy model. The DNR converted to the model in 2020; from 1979 to 2019 it used a minimum wolf count.

The estimate produces a look at the state's wolf population at its annual low in late winter. Wolf populations typically double in spring with the birth of pups and then begin a year-long decline due to various sources of mortality, according to wolf researcher David Mech.

The DNR's population estimate includes data inputs from winter tracking surveys, information from GPS-collared wolves to estimate area occupied by wolf packs, average pack territory size and zone-specific average winter pack sizes.

During winter 2022-2023, 17,903 miles of track surveys were conducted, averaging 32 miles per survey. Of the total miles tracked: DNR staff tracked 10,926 miles, USDA staff tracked 1,763 miles, tribal staff tracked 586 miles, U.S. military staff tracked 27 miles and volunteers tracked 4,601 miles. All 148 active survey blocks were tracked during the reporting period.

The average pack sizes ranged from a high of 4.31 wolves per pack pack in Zone 1 in northern Wisconsin to a low of 2.41 in Zone 6 covering most of the southern portion of the state.

The average home range of the state's wolf packs was estimated at 65 square miles, similar to the previous year's survey.

The DNR reported 32 wolf mortalities during the monitoring period; 21 (66%) wolves were killed by vehicle collisions; 8 (25%) were killed illegally; and the cause of death could not be determined for three (9%).

Citations were issued in three of the illegal wolf killings, according to the DNR.

There were 26 incidents of wolf depredation to livestock and 3 incidents of wolf harassment to livestock confirmed on 18 farms during the monitoring period. This is a decrease in the number of confirmed livestock depredations and in the number of farms affected compared to 2021-22.

The number of farms affected is the lowest in 15 years, according to the report.

Farms with confirmed incidents in 2022-23 included nine farms classified as chronic wolf depredation farms. A chronic farm is defined as having verified wolf depredation in two or more years in the past five years.

Livestock depredations included: 22 cattle killed and two injured; five bison harassed; 10 chickens killed; and fivesheep killed. Most wolf depredations on livestock occurred during the months of May, July, and August.

There were 18 incidents of non-livestock depredations and five incidents of non-livestock threats during the monitoring period, including 18 dogs killed and seven injured while actively engaged in hunting activities and one dog killed and one injured outside of hunting situations. Consistent with recent years, all or nearly all of the hunting dogs killed were hounds during the bear training or bear hunting seasons.

There were two verified incidents classified as human health and safety conflicts. Both incidents involved wolves observed multiple times during daylight hours in close proximity to occupied dwellings and human activity. Non-lethal abatement and increased vigilance was the recommended abatement for both incidents.

No wolf attack on a human has been confirmed in Wisconsin in modern history, according to the DNR.

For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov.