Wolf spotted on a forest road in
nearby Oconto County (May 17, 2012)
Dear George,
At our recent family
reunion in Birch Creek I mentioned to my sister Vicki that I’d run across a
news item about grey wolves being sighted in Menominee County. My four-year-old granddaughter V was
listening, and her eyes opened as wide as can be. She’d already heard somebody mention that a family of black
bears lived on our property (which is true), and the possibility of wolves in
the back yard was too much to contemplate.
A few decades ago grey
wolves had nearly vanished from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Only six animals were located in a
census conducted in 1973. However,
experts estimate that there are more than 600 living in the U.P. today. Half a dozen wolves equipped with radio
collars were shot and killed in the U.P. in 2010, including one in Menominee
County. Last January a resident
named Jennifer K. reported sighting a wolf outside her home in Wallace, just a
few miles north of our family property in Birch Creek (see pic below). Dan K., a Menominee County hunting
guide, said that he’d used to see a couple of wolves per year, but now he sees
about three per month. He watched
a wolf run down and kill a fawn on a Menominee County road last year. In nearby
Marinette County a local bearhunter lost track of Dixie, one of his bluetick
hunting hounds, then minutes later found her skeletal remains totally stripped
and devoured by wolves. Two dairy
farmers in eastern Menominee County had 17 of their cattle killed by wolf packs
in a recent year, and they suspect that the disappearance of multiple pets is
also attributable to wolves. One
of the farmers bought a donkey to help protect his herd since donkeys have a
keen sense of hearing and go after predators. So far the donkey just brays all day and night. Wildlife biologists state that wolves
don’t pose a threat because they’re afraid of humans, though a Menominee County
logger reports having been surrounded by a pack of eight wolves. He now carries a weapon when he works
in the forest.
Grey wolf, caught by a trail camera at
Wallace in Menominee County (Jan. 20, 2012)
Grey wolves range between
80 and 100 pounds, about the size of Old English Sheepdogs, and look like
shaggy German Shepherds. They hunt
alone or in packs of 4 to 7, preying on deer, beaver, rabbits, rodents, and
other small animals, as well as livestock, carrion, and garbage. Wolves develop strong social bonds and
may even sacrifice themselves to protect their family group. A pack of wolves has a territory of
about 100 square miles, and they can trot nonstop for up to 20 straight hours,
allowing them to cover large distances in search of prey. A grey wolf eats up to 20 pounds of
meat at a time and can go for up to a week without eating again. When they can’t find animal prey, they
eat berries, bugs, and grasses.
Map of the Grey Wolf Range: North
Central States
Up till January of this
year wolves were protected by the Endangered Species Act, but farmers and
cattle growers in the U.P. have been angered because of wolves eating their
livestock and reducing the deer population. Despite a $25,000 fine, there’s been a rash of grey wolf
killings in the U.P. in recent years.
Environmentalists disagree that wolves constitute a significant threat
to the deer herd. There are about
300,000 deer in the U.P., but only 600 wolves. It’s estimated that each wolf will consume about 15-18 deer
per year. That amounts to only
about 4% of the U.P.’s deer herd, and many of the deer consumed by wolves are
already dying from starvation, weakened by old age, or have been killed by
automobiles.
Wolf pack, Isle Royale, Upper
Peninsula
I personally think the idea
that our family property might occasionally be visited by a wolf pack is exciting. It’s scary, to be true, but that helps
lend a little emotional edge to family visits.
Love,
Dave
Sources:
“Grey Wolf,” http://news.softpedia.com
“Hunting:
Wolf threat hits home in Marinette County.” http://wolfsaga.blogspot.com
“Michigan
Grey Wolf,” www.greatnorthernoutdoors.net
“No Doubt: Deer Patterns
Change in Wolf Country,” http://forest.mtu.edu
“Rash of wolf kills in Upper
Peninsula worry federal wildlife officials,” www.mlive.com/outdoors
“Upper Peninsula Wolves Killed
Despite Being Endangered,” www.defenders.org
“Wolf Sighting in Menominee
County,” http://up.secondwavemedia.com
“Wolves versus farmers,” www.dailypress.net
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