In The News

Wolves in the continental US have been delisted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of January 4, 2021. This does not include the small Mexican Wolf reintroduction in the southwest. The delisting allows states to manage wolves with oversight by the USFWS for a continuous period of 5 years.

This delisting follows a long period when wolves were again on the Endangered Species List, since Dec. 2014. During that period of time, the relisting was affirmed in court due to procedural considerations, and the Obama administration tried and failed (due to court challenge) to again delist wolves throughout the continental US.

Prior to 2014, wolves were off the Endangered Species List from January, 2012 - December, 2014, allowing the state to manage wolves. A series of listings, down listings, and delisting have plagued wolf recovery and according to social research, this teeter-totter management has degraded support for recovery and tolerance of the wolves.

According to Ty Smucker, 15 year wolf management expert for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Dept. "Recent surveys showed that although tolerance of wolves in Montana was relatively low (less than 30%) it increased slightly over just 5 years with the public hunting and trapping season." "The long delay in delisting, due to repeated legal challenges, likely did considerable damage to public attitudes toward wolves and other carnivores and increased public animosity toward the federal government..." (DistinctlyMontana.com 7/15/20)

Wisconsin DNR did not make preparations for a legal wolf harvest season, in spite of Act 169 that requires the DNR to hold a harvest season when wolves are delisted. Wolf delisting was first announced (this time) in early 2019.
How many wolves inhabit Wisconsin?  The  2019 - 2020 wolf monitoring reports counts 1034 - 1057 wolves in 256 packs, a 13.1% increase.  Using a new method that has been used in others states for years, the WI winter wolf estimate is 957 - 1573 with the most probable number as measured at the lowest point in the population cycle being 1195.

How many deer do wolves eat?  Check out the link below to review an analysis of the 2015 deer season vs. wolf deer kill by county in the Northern Forest Land


Please click the link below to see the relationship between the White-tailed deer harvest decline and the increase in unmanaged wolf population.