Mornin' to everyone preparing their bowels for the Bacon Cheddar Bubble Waffle at the Wisconsin State Fair. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

What we’re barking about this week:

• New wolf management plan 🐺 

• Great Lakes restock 🐟

• This bird hasn’t been seen in 178 years… 🐦

Wisconsin’s New Wolf Plan

Gulp. As the “Midwest Nice,” polite ‘Scons we are, we often avoid controversial subjects, such as:

Ketchup or mustard on a hot dog?

Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers?

Fleet Farm or Blain’s Farm & Fleet?

But this one we just have to address—after 24 years, the DNR has finally unveiled a new wolf management plan.

And we read the whole thing so you don’t have to.

The hair-raising high-points:

• Raises wolf population ‘guide’ of 350 (from 2007) to ~1,000

• Does not set a population ‘goal’ (disappointing GOP lawmakers/conservation groups)

• Instates buffer zones around reservations and reduces kill registration times from 24 → 8 hours

• Overall, most 'Scons support a population larger than 350 wolves, per polling

What’s the plan, Stan?

Essentially, when wolves aren’t under federal protection (which they currently are), Wisconsin law mandates an annual wolf hunt to manage the population. Wolf jerky, anyone?

This plan helps guide how many wolves should be harvested if/when the wolf hunting season returns.

Originally passed in 1999, the original plan aimed for a statewide population of 350 wolves—at a time when there were already 250 wolves in the state.

Now, the agency looks to bump the population ‘guide’ to 800 - 1,200, as there were 972 wolves across 288 packs in winter 2022 (and the population appears to be stabilizing).

The new plan maintains six wolf management zones, each having its own unique harvest quotas to increase, decrease, or maintain.

In short, the DNR would like to go from a state of “wolf recovery” to long-term stewardship and sustainable management.

What do Wisconsinites say?

Farmers:

• Concerned about attacks on livestock and would like to see stricter control of wolf populations. However, livestock attacks have mostly declined year-over-year, and the DNR sees less than 50 reports of attacks across the state’s 64,000 farms

Hunters/Conservation groups:

• Not stoked. The plan does not state a population goal, just a population guide. That means that when wolf tags are issued, they won’t be based off a hard #, instead leaving it up to interpretation

• DNR Large Carnivore Specialist Randy Johnson thinks that’s a good thing, as the optimal wolf population number can change with time. He says a goal also doesn’t account for how wolves are spread throughout the six management zones

• The plan does make room for hunting dog training during the hunting season

Indigenous groups:

• In favor of elements of the wolf management plan, as they (and others) thought the last one wasn’t thorough enough. This plan helps beef things up and addresses wolf hunting on/near reservations (as well as hunting problematic wolves)

The everyday cheese-lovin’ ‘Scon: 

• Per a poll in 2022, most ‘Scons support a wolf population of more than 350 wolves, including the current range. But you can deep-dive more public ‘Scon sentiment here.

What’s next?

The plan still needs approval from the Natural Resources Board, which will lay eyes on it come October. If passed, it goes to the Legislature, then the Gov for approval.

And again, this plan really doesn’t come into play unless the wolf is not federally protected.

Side note: Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany have both introduced bills this year to delist the wolf as an endangered species.

Now get out ‘der!

Other great Wiscampsin reads…

Cougar Sightings On The Rise

Wisconsin's Elk: A Conservation Success Story

Wisconsin's apex predator returns: The revitalization of the gray wolf

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Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Interesting insights from last weeks poll!

23% of readers are in Business, another 23% are in Education, and 18% of you’s are in Healthcare.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🐟 Great Lakes Fish Restock: Since the start of 2023, the DNR has stocked almost 3 million fish into the Great Lakes as part of its mission to buff up fish numbers and conservation. We’re talking rainbow trout, muskellunge, Chinook salmon, and more. Click here to see the full breakdown. Three million fish and we still can’t get a nibble, cripes!

🦌 Sandhill Archery Hunt: The DNR is offering a unique opportunity for Wisconsin bowhunters as they open up a special permit for deer hunting in the Sandhill Wildlife Area in Babcok on September 30th/October 1st. The hunt will help the DNR study deer density in the area (and fill your freezer!). Apply here by August 14th.

🐦 Rare Bird Spotted: Birdwatchers are squawking over a bird that hasn’t been seen in 178 years (and apparently it was just a carcass that time). The Roseate Spoonbill was spotted in Green Bay by a birdwatcher who laid an egg over the citing and now “feels like a celebrity.”

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Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the trail… Gah! Let’s see YOUR muskie photo, eh?