Wolf study finds fewer car-deer collision

Plus: Invasive tree-killing pests, State Park passes, and Wisconsin bats

Author

Forrest Koslowski
January 08, 2026

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Mornin’ to everyone who heard that the Pettit Center indoor Olympic speedskating oval in Milwaukee is going solar. 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.

This week’s weekly:

💀 Invasive tree-killing pest is heading for Wisconsin, experts say

🦇 Wisconsin bats need your back

🌲 State park passes switch to 12-month pass model

🐺  STORY OF THE WEEK: Are WI wolves making Wisconsin roads safer?

💀 Invasive tree-killing pest is here to stay in Wisconsin, experts say LINK

  • The Emerald Ash Borer is "highly likely" to be in every single Wisconsin county now. It’s basically the uninvited houseguest that just won't leave, and it's putting our state's 800 million ash trees on high alert.

  • State officials are sounding the alarm because once these little guys move in, they have a nearly 100% fatality rate for ash trees. Since we use ash for everything from baseball bats to your favorite campsite shade, losing them is a major bummer for the ecosystem.

  • The silver lining? You can play hero. Experts are asking us to keep a close eye on our trees and, most importantly, stop moving firewood. Buy it where you burn it, folks—don't give these beetles a free ride to your favorite state park.

  • Our local bats are the unsung heroes of the Northwoods, acting as nature’s best (and free!) pest control. Licia Johnson is leading the charge to show that these little guys are way more "cute neighbor" than "creepy vampire."

  • It hasn’t been easy being a bat lately—White Nose Syndrome has been doing a number on their numbers. But there's a light at the end of the cave: a recent Bat Festival drew hundreds of fans, showing that Wisconsinites are finally stepping up to protect our fuzzy flyers.

  • If you want to learn how to be a better "bat-man" (or woman), head to Rocky Reef Brewing Company in Minocqua this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. You can grab a brew and learn everything from bat biology to how to safely usher one out of your cabin without losing your cool.

🌲 State park passes switch to 12-month pass model LINK

  • Big news for your windshield: Wisconsin State Parks have officially switched to a 12-month rolling pass model. Instead of every pass expiring on December 31, your new sticker is now valid for a full year from the month you buy it. No more "wasting money" if you don't buy yours on January 1st!

  • This year’s pass is a total collector's item, featuring a special design to celebrate the 125th anniversary of our state park system. It’s got a classic Northwoods vibe—complete with a black lab named Max—commemorating our first park, Interstate, which opened way back in 1900.

  • Pro tip: If you’re still rocking a 2025 pass, check the fine print—many are valid through the end of this month. When you do upgrade, it’s still a steal at $28 for the year, giving you 365 days of access to over 60 of the best backyards in the state.

Please give our sponsors a click!

Let’s be honest: in Wisconsin, "Friday" is just a synonym for "Fish Fry."

To help you navigate our state’s sea of tartar sauce, Venture Wisconsin just published the 2026 Fish Fry Destinations Guide. This isn't just a list; it’s a crowdsourced "best of" from 400 local legends.

The Hook: Each guide features 108 locations across the state offering $10 off your bill of $40+ (as long as someone orders the fish!).

It’s basically a fish fry treasure map that pays for itself by the third stop.

🐺 STORY OF THE WEEK: Are WI wolves making Wisconsin roads safer?

In Wisconsin, few topics spark as much debate as the gray wolf. Whether the conversation is happening at a DNR hearing or over a stool at the local tavern, opinions on wolf management are usually split right down the middle. However, a recent study from researchers at UW-Madison is introducing a new, data-driven angle to the discussion: how wolves might be impacting the safety of our highways.

The study found that the presence of wolves in a county is associated with an average 24% drop in deer-vehicle collisions. For anyone who has ever had a heart-stopping encounter with a buck on a dark Northwoods road, that’s a number that commands attention.

The researchers describe this phenomenon as a "landscape of fear." It’s not necessarily that wolves are significantly thinning out the deer population (though they do hunt them); it’s more about where the deer choose to hang out. Wolves often use man-made corridors like roads and trails to travel quickly through the forest. Because deer are survival experts, they tend to steer clear of these high-traffic predator routes, staying deeper in the brush and further away from the pavement.

For Wisconsin drivers, this unintentional "guarding" of the roads could result in over $10 million in saved damages annually across the state. The study points out that this benefit is most noticeable in the northern and central parts of the state where wolves are most established.

Of course, this doesn't settle the larger debate regarding livestock depredation or hunting quotas, but it does highlight the complex ways a top predator ripples through our daily lives. As we continue to navigate the future of wolf management in Wisconsin, this research serves as a reminder that every inhabitant of the woods—from the largest predator to the driver behind the wheel—is part of a deeply connected system.

Whatever it takes to - you guessed it - get out 'der.

WISCAMPSIN WEEKLY POLL

Last Week's Stumper We asked how much a 200+ lb Black Bear sow’s cub weighs at birth. You all struggled with this one—only 26% of you got it right!

The Correct Answer: C) 10 to 12 ounces. The Takeaway: It defies logic, but a newborn cub is roughly the size of a squirrel or a can of soup. They do all their growing after birth, nursing on rich milk while the mother sleeps.

Wisconsin is the birthplace of the modern snowmobile. In what northern town was the first practical "motor toboggan" patented in 1924?

Give it a gut check.

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