Gray wolves are present in Wisconsin, and their presence represents a significant conservation success story for the state’s wildlife. The state’s wolf population, which was once completely eliminated, has rebounded and is now considered biologically healthy and secure. These apex predators are an important component of Wisconsin’s forest ecosystems, primarily preying on white-tailed deer and beaver.
Current Distribution and Habitat
Gray wolves in Wisconsin are primarily concentrated in the northern portion and the Central Forest region. These areas provide the dense forest cover and lower human population densities necessary for wolf packs to establish and maintain territories. Wolves are territorial animals that live in family units, or packs, with an average territory size of approximately 60 square miles. Neighboring pack territories seldom overlap significantly, which naturally regulates the density of the wolf population. The most recent estimates suggest the state is home to approximately 336 packs.
The History of Wolf Recovery
Before European settlement, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 wolves existed throughout the area that is now Wisconsin. Intense persecution, driven by a state bounty program enacted in 1865, and the decline of their natural prey led to a drastic reduction in numbers, resulting in the species being considered extirpated by 1960. The tide turned with the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973, which provided new protections. Following this, wolves from the recovering population in Minnesota began to naturally expand their range into northern Wisconsin, and the first breeding pack was confirmed in Douglas County in 1978. The state listed the gray wolf as endangered in 1975 and developed its first Wolf Recovery Plan in 1985. This plan set a recovery goal of 80 wolves for three consecutive years to trigger a reclassification to threatened status, a goal first achieved in the winter of 1994–1995.
Population Monitoring and State Management
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tracks and assesses the health of the state’s wolf population year-round. Population numbers are monitored during the winter, which represents the low point in the annual cycle before the spring birth of pups. The most likely estimate for the overwinter 2024–2025 period was 1,226 pack-associated wolves within the occupied range. Historically, the DNR relied on minimum count methods using winter track surveys and radio-collaring, but since 2020, the agency has shifted to a statistically advanced scaled occupancy model. This model incorporates data from systematic winter tracking surveys and GPS-collared wolves to estimate the total area occupied by packs, and then uses the occupied area and average pack size to provide a total population estimate.
Legal Protections and Living Alongside Wolves
The legal status of gray wolves in Wisconsin has fluctuated repeatedly between federal and state protection over the past two decades. Following a federal court ruling in February 2022, gray wolves across the lower 48 states were relisted under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), which prohibits lethal control, including hunting and trapping. The state actively manages human-wolf conflicts, primarily concerning the depredation of livestock and pets. The DNR partners with USDA-Wildlife Services to investigate reported conflicts and maintains a wolf depredation program to provide compensation payments for verified losses caused by wolves. Non-lethal deterrents are also promoted to minimize conflicts between wolves and human activities.