The gray wolf was again center stage Tuesday as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released what it hopes will become the state’s wolf management plan.
There’s wide agreement an update is long overdue. The last plan dates back to 1999. But that’s pretty much where consensus ends.
Hunters want a set wolf population limit. They point to the original plan, which set the limit at 350 wolves.
Whereas conservationists think the state can sustain a higher number of wolves, and want to protect the animal.
Last November, when the DNR took a first stab at updating the management plan, a target population limit was eliminated altogether.
Tuesday, large carnivore specialist Randy Johnson said the DNR will use numbers to guide its decision, but is still not setting a wolf population limit.
"Advancements in science and our biological understanding suggests maximum carrying capacity for wolves in the state is likely to be some 1,200 to 1,300 wolves. This approach is expected to generally maintain statewide wolf abundance and distribution at levels comparable to recent years," he said.
Johnson said Wisconsin likely has between 800 and 1,200 wolves.
Republican lawmakers disagree with the DNR’s proposed strategy. They’ve introduced bills that would mandate a statewide wolf population goal.
At the moment, wolves in Wisconsin are federally protected. If that protection is lifted, the DNR must coordinate an annual harvest. The last time that happened was in 2021. The harvest was criticized for exceeding the quota by 83%.
Randy Johnson said the revised management plan factors in a future harvest.
"We would bring together our wolf advisory committee, which consists of stakeholder groups, tribal partners, agency partners to look at the data. … We can look at different population modeling and projections and basically through that process develop harvest targets, or quotas," he said.
Johnson said the DNR intends for this to be the final plan, with a goal of the Natural Resources Board approval at its October meeting.
And while no official public comment is scheduled between now and then, Johnson said the agency is open to making changes "if they’re compelling."
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