On October 29, the Department of Interior announced the delisting of gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in the Upper Great Lakes region at an event hosted at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, Minnesota.
“Wisconsin farmers and rural residents have dealt with nightmare situations with wolf attacks on pets and livestock and even wolf sightings as children play in the yard or wait for the school bus,” said WFBF President Joe Bragger. “We applaud the Department of Interior for this long overdue announcement that will return gray wolf population management authority back to the state DNR.”
WFBF member and District 8 Coordinator Ashleigh Calaway was asked to provide brief testimony during the Department of Interior’s announcement event.
“I had heard about wolf attacks in the Northwoods of Wisconsin but never dreamed it would happen to us,” Calaway shared. “As a farmer, I don’t want to see the wolf population eliminated, but I do want to see the wolf population managed so we can coexist in harmony.”
Wisconsin’s gray wolf population has grown from 14 in 1985 to more than 1,000 as of the latest DNR count in the spring of 2020.
Bragger added, “This is a wolf management success story. We have successfully managed the wolf population beyond the recovery goal of 350 animals statewide. We now ask that the Wisconsin DNR establish a hunting season to keep the wolf population at a healthy level.”
Butch Eucker says
Used to Deer Hunt near the Necedah Wildlife Area. Years ago there were lots of deer there. Then the wolves were introduced. The deer hunting near Necedah is now dead. Stopped spending my money there. If I want to sit in a tree stand and see nothing, I’ll sit in my back yard.