Volunteers needed to help monitor wolf population in the state

Wolf tracking training sessions and ecology courses set

MADISON -- The Wisconsin wolf program is looking for a few good trackers. People interested in volunteering to locate gray wolves and other forest carnivores in the coming year and help keep count on the elusive animals can learn how to track wolves during a series of upcoming training sessions.

Volunteer trackers are assigned survey blocks in forest portions of northern and central Wisconsin, and are asked to conduct three or more surveys in their assigned block each winter. Data they gather can be compiled with those of other volunteers to aid Department of Natural Resources biologists in evaluating wolf populations.

In 2006, 120 volunteer trackers surveyed 67,200-square-mile survey blocks covering 4,897 miles of snow-covered roads and trails, and detected more than 255 different wolves.

Based on volunteer and wildlife biologist surveys, in late winter 2006 biologists estimated there were 465 to 502 wolves in the state, including 449 or more outside Indian reservations. During spring and summer 2006, 29 wolves were trapped and radio-collared. By early fall, 56 wolves were being radio tracked by Wisconsin DNR pilots, including wolves captured and collared in previous years. This accounts for about one-third of the state packs being monitored by radio-telemetry, the remaining packs are monitored by DNR and volunteer trackers.

“With the expanding wolf population and reduced funding for surveys, volunteer carnivore tracking is critical to us in estimating the state wolf population,” said Adrian Wydeven, DNR mammal ecologist who coordinates the state wolf program. “These surveys are very important for completing federal delisting and planning future management of the state wolf population.”

Wolf and Carnivore Tracker Training sessions are scheduled:

There is a small fee for the classes on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2. The session on Dec. 5-6 and 9-10 will be taught by world renowned wildlife tracker Jim Halfpenny and has a fee of $175 to $210 depending on arrival time. Volunteer trackers are also asked to participate in a wolf ecology class before joining the Wisconsin Volunteer Carnivore Tracking program.

Wolf Ecology workshops are available:

If people have already taken these or similar type classes, they can take one of the tracking courses, and be signed up to do track surveys this upcoming winter.

More details about the volunteer tracking program and the wolf ecology and tracking training sessions are available on the Department of Natural Resources Web site.

Volunteers are also helpful in other ways, Wydeven said. Last fall, several volunteers conducted hunter outreach in the field and made contacts with deer hunters across several northern counties. During the spring volunteers helped with wolf trapping, radio collaring, donations of radio collars, and howl surveys as well as staffing educational booths at sport shows and other events.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Wydeven – (715) 762-1363