Wolf Population Decrease

Plus: man drowns rescuing eagle, grouse/pheasant results in, State Natural Area

Author

Forrest Koslowski
July 02, 2026

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This week’s weekly:

🦅 Necedah man drowns trying to rescue injured eagle

🐦 2026 grouse and pheasant survey results are in

🌾 State Natural Areas turn 75 this year

🐺 STORY OF THE WEEK: Wolf Population Sees Slight Decrease

🦅 Necedah man drowns trying to rescue injured eagle LINK

  • Robert Marti, 72, of Necedah, drowned in Lake Petenwell in Adams County last Wednesday after setting out to rescue an injured eagle he'd spotted the day before.

  • He had called the DNR and a raptor rescue facility, and both planned to respond the next morning. Investigators found a fishing net and eagle feathers near his body. He wasn't wearing a life jacket and got stuck in underwater debris just offshore.

  • His death is the third drowning in the region this month, following two in Waukesha County.

🐦 2026 grouse and pheasant survey results are in LINK

  • The DNR's spring surveys are out. Pheasant observations came in at 0.73 birds per stop, down a touch from 2025 but above the 5-year average for the third year running.

  • Ruffed grouse drumming activity fell 11% statewide, with the biggest declines in the Driftless and Central priority areas. Biologists expected it. Grouse numbers tend to bottom out in years ending in 4, 5, and 6.

  • For hunters, pheasant prospects are looking solid this fall, and the grouse cycle is running right where the biologists said it would. Right on schedule, oh yah.

🌾 State Natural Areas turn 75 this year LINK

  • Wisconsin's State Natural Areas Program hits 75 this year. Created by the Legislature in 1951, it's the oldest and largest program of its kind in the country, caring for nearly 700 sites with help from more than 60 partners.

  • These sites protect the best examples of Wisconsin's native communities, some globally rare, like tall grass prairie, pine barrens, and oak savanna. Over 90% of the state's listed plant species and 75% of listed wildlife species live within them.

  • Nearly all are open to the public for hiking, hunting, birding, and photography, and the DNR is always looking for volunteers to clear brush, collect seed, and fight invasives. No experience needed.

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🐺 STORY OF THE WEEK: Wolf Population Sees Slight Decrease LINK

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has released its annual wolf monitoring report for the late-winter period of 2024–2025, revealing a stable yet slightly reduced gray wolf population across the state.

According to the data, the current population is estimated at 1,162 wolves distributed among 321 distinct packs.

This figure represents a 5% decrease from the previous year's estimate and sits approximately 3% below the five-year average for the state.

Wildlife management officials indicate that this minor decline does not signify a threat to the species' sustainability.

Randy Johnson, the DNR’s large carnivore specialist, noted that the population appears to have reached its "biological carrying capacity." This ecological term means that the local environment and available habitat in Wisconsin's northern and central regions have reached an equilibrium capable of naturally sustaining this number of apex predators, stabilizing population growth.

To gather these population estimates, the DNR utilizes a combination of advanced technology and fieldwork.

Data collection relies on monitoring animals fitted with GPS collars, conducting extensive winter track surveys in the snow, and compiling observations from wildlife professionals and the public.

These combined methods allow biologists to track territory sizes, pack distributions, and reproductive success.

The latest findings confirm that despite the marginal year-over-year decrease, Wisconsin’s wolf population remains secure and well-distributed across its established habitats, continuing to fulfill its role within the state's ecosystem.

Now get your plates sorted and get out 'der.

WISCAMPSIN WEEKLY POLL

Last Week's Trivia Check

We asked about the true origin of the Bald Eagle's name, and you guys are officially ready for the Fourth of July! A solid 55% of you correctly knew your Old English vocabulary.

The Correct Answer: It comes from the Old English word "piebald," which simply means "white patch."

The Takeaway: Our national bird isn't losing its hair! The name actually stems from the Old English word "piebald," which was used to describe animals with stark white patches of feathers on a dark background. So, historically speaking, they are "White-Headed" Eagles!

This Week's Trivia

It is Fourth of July weekend, which means half of Wisconsin is currently cruising the lakes on a pontoon! If you are up north, you have a great chance of spotting a baby Common Loon hitching a ride directly on its parent's back. While it makes for an adorable photo, it is actually a brutal survival tactic.

Aside from simply resting, what is the primary biological reason that newborn loon chicks ride on their parents' backs?

Give it a gut check and click a response below:

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Well, how'd we do this week?

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