Wolves/Elk/Wisconsin

[stephenk22]

Wisconsin has been trying to re-introduce elk for a long time.

Our latest attempt at trying to expand our herd was bringing elk from Kentucky. 5 months ago they were released.

Since then wolves have killed 3 of the elk out of the heard just this month! We started with 23 and are now down to 17 from that herd.

http://www.waow.com/story/31098438/2016/01/30/wolves-continue-to-thin-elk-herd-in-west-central-wisconsin?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WAOW_Newsline_9

 

[backsmasher23]

Sorry, I'm all for it and think it'd be awesome to have elk in this state. However, unless things change with the wolf and the location the herd was released not being next to a major highway (94) it is like throwing money down the drain.

 

[johnp]

The Jackson county elk restoration was doomed from the start .Between wolves , bears and highways. Meanwhile our Wisconsin dnr has a crew down in Kentucky right now trapping more elk to bring up here. Why go to all that work , put those animals through all that stress, spend ??? $ just to feed our poor endangered wolves ? I don't get it .

 

[beagle001]

Add it to the list of great ideas that need to be thought through.

 

[Big Fin]

Add it to the list of great ideas that need to be thought through.

It has been thought out, for a long time. Unfortunately, many options in terms of locations and numbers are not allowed on the table. As someone who has been privy to this effort due to funding from non-state partners, I wish it was not such a game of political football to get this to happen. The policy makers give you two choices; 1) follow the protocols that are set by the policy makers,or 2) walk away from the opportunity.

If it eventually succeeds, it will be due to some amazing on the ground volunteers in Wisconsin who are willing to jump through every hoop, raise money, and volunteer a lot of their time and labor. I hope it does succeed, in spite of the sideboards that have been placed on the effort.

 

[beagle001]

It has been thought out, for a long time. Unfortunately, many options in terms of locations and numbers are not allowed on the table. As someone who has been privy to this effort due to funding from non-state partners, I wish it was not such a game of political football to get this to happen. The policy makers give you two choices; 1) follow the protocols that are set by the policy makers,or 2) walk away from the opportunity.

If it eventually succeeds, it will be due to some amazing on the ground volunteers in Wisconsin who are willing to jump through every hoop, raise money, and volunteer a lot of their time and labor. I hope it does succeed, in spite of the sideboards that have been placed on the effort.

I hear you. I meant that as a bit of a spite toward the people setting unreasonable stipulations. Be much easier if there weren't so many political hoops to jump through.

 

[johnp]

The Jackson county release area is actually better for the elk as far as wintering area when compared to the Clam Lake release area . When Jackson Co . was first being considered , about 2002 , it was a wolf free zone . There is a lot of public land and not much agriculture for the elk to find trouble in . Would be about as close to as ideal elk habitat that a state with more than 5 million people and mature forests covering nearly all of the public land in the north can have . I hope things work out .

 

[backsmasher23]

If it eventually succeeds, it will be due to some amazing on the ground volunteers in Wisconsin who are willing to jump through every hoop, raise money, and volunteer a lot of their time and labor. I hope it does succeed, in spite of the sideboards that have been placed on the effort.

I agree. The policy's on this effort is where my discontent in an earlier post were made. Trust me, I'd love to eventually hunt elk in my home state. I've seen the Clam Lake herd and been around that area ice fishing too many times to count. I have driven up there to hear bugles in the fall, its amazing for Wisconsin. There are just too many factors to list how this could have been done differently.

A simple google search of how they established the Kentucky herd is pretty simple. They brought in 200 elk a year, for several consecutive years until 1500 had been transferred. They now estimate 5000 elk. Totally different habitat and the WI areas selected could maybe hold 1500-2000 elk, maybe more; its been many years since I've taken an animal biology course. However, point is I know WI raises a lot of money for elk, not sure on the figures but it seems like they should bolster one herd before they start another that is doomed.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

I find it ironic that right away folks jump on the bandwagon when wolves kill some of the elk, but not a sound was made when 3 elk were killed by diseases from ticks right from the get go

 

[stephenk22]

I find it ironic that right away folks jump on the bandwagon when wolves kill some of the elk, but not a sound was made when 3 elk were killed by diseases from ticks right from the get go

The main reason people jump to wolves is because they were preventable. Looking at the numbers wolves have now accounted for 50%+ of WI elk herd deaths

http://clamlakewi.com/elk-info/

I've personally seen the impact wolves are having on our state and its been devastating. If you want wolves I can respect that, but not without management. I don't believe state biology population estimates are even close to the numbers we have.

Since 1985 the state of Wisconsin has paid out over 1.8 Million dollars due to wolf kills.

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/wolf/documents/WolfDamagePayments.pdf

Thats a lot of money that could have gone to other things

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Does anyone know if thought had been given to introducing elk from a head that had already been exposed to wolves?

It seems like there is some evidence that an elk heard will adapt to the presence of wolves overtime, but that introduced elk are already going to be more vulnerable, and then throwing in a predator they had no exposure to could be too much for them to deal with.

 

[Big Fin]

Does anyone know if thought had been given to introducing elk from a head that had already been exposed to wolves?

It seems like there is some evidence that an elk heard will adapt to the presence of wolves overtime, but that introduced elk are already going to be more vulnerable, and then throwing in a predator they had no exposure to could be too much for them to deal with.

Wisconsin will only take elk from Kentucky, as it is the only elk state that does not have CWD. Or, at least at the time of capturing elk for relocation it was the only elk state. Given what WI has dealt with in terms of CWD, I can see their concern. And further reason why elk advocates are so protective of the Kentucky's herd staying free of CWD.

That is just one of many small items, on a very long list, that is required to relocate elk in WI.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Thanks, Randy. Now that you say that, I do remember reading about that stipulation.

I will be honest, I did not realize that island of wolves existed so far south in WI.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Hey, wolves at least make some sense. Here in Va there is a three county introduction area and outside that area you can kill an elk with a deer tag. Granted the elk that are killed usually wonder in from KY, TN, WV, but it seem counterproductive to shoot free ones when we are spending money to reintroduce. I dont have hard numbers but hunters kill a few every year.

 

[maxx]

Hey, wolves at least make some sense. Here in Va there is a three county introduction area and outside that area you can kill an elk with a deer tag. Granted the elk that are killed usually wonder in from KY, TN, WV, but it seem counterproductive to shoot free ones when we are spending money to reintroduce. I dont have hard numbers but hunters kill a few every year.

In Iowa we can shoot anything that wonders into our state that is not consider game. IE bears and mountain lions. I think a few Bears have been killed in the north part of the state but I don't think anyone has shot a mountain lion.

I haven't decided on what I would do if I saw either. Most likely it would be a mountain lion because we are south enough that I woudn't think a bear would make it this far.

 

[Don K]

I grew up hunting in that area and wolves have been there for a long, long time. Albeit not the numbers they have now.