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 to help keep count of the elusive animals can learn how to track wolves during a series of upcoming training sessions.
In Wisconsin, wolves are a protected wild animal under state law and an endangered species under federal law.
Volunteer trackers are assigned survey blocks in portions of northern and central Wisconsin forests, 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 2007, 123 volunteer trackers surveyed 64 survey blocks covering 4,162 miles of snow-covered roads and trails. Volunteers averaged 3.4 surveys per block, covering 64 miles, conducting 11.7 hours of tracking per block, and detected more than 274 different wolves.
“With the expanding wolf population and reduced funding for surveys, the volunteer carnivore tracking program is critical for us to get accurate counts of Wisconsin’s 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.”
In late winter 2006, DNR biologists counted 540 to 577 wolves in the state, including 528 or more outside Indian reservations. During spring and summer 2007, 20 wolves were trapped and radio-collared. By early fall, more than 43 wolves were being radio tracked by Wisconsin DNR pilots, including wolves captured and collared in previous years. Normally about one-third of the state packs are monitored by radio-telemetry, the remaining packs are monitored by DNR and volunteer trackers.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer tracker must first take training to be assigned survey blocks for carnivore tracking.
Wolf and Carnivore Tracker Training sessions are scheduled:
* Nov. 3, Ashland - at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College Campus off Hwy 13.
* Dec. 1, Babcock - at Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, 1 mile north of Highway 173 along County Road X.
* Dec. 8, Tomahawk - at Treehaven UW-SP Field Station on Pickerel Creek Road off County A.
Training sessions run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applicants should register two weeks before a chosen session. There is a small fee for the classes.
First time trackers are also asked to take a basic wolf ecology course. The courses are offered for a fee through the Timber Wolf Information Network for a fee on the following dates. Contact the facility directly for more information and course rates.
* Jan. 19-20, Babcock - Timber Wolf Winter Tracking & Ecology, Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, County Highway X, 715-884-6333
* Feb. 1-3, Tomahawk - Wolf Ecology, Treehaven, W2540 Pickerel Creek Ave., 715-453-4106
* Feb. 16-17, Babcock - Timber Wolf Winter Tracking & Ecology, Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center, County Highway X, 715-884-6333
* Feb. 29, Tomahawk - Mar. 2 - Wolf Ecology, Treehaven, W2540 Pickerel Creek Ave., 715-453-4106
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
