By Rachel Tilseth
In 2000 I was assigned a winter wolf tracking block in Douglas County WI and began to learn how important the county is to WI wolves.
Photograph of Landscape in Douglas co.
Dick Thiel (a young college student) traversed the western edges of Douglas county in search of wolf sign in the 1970s. Thiel wanted to prove wolves were establishing wolf packs and staying in WI. He found wolves had established home ranges in Douglas county. This was the beginning of WI Wolf Revery Project. Thiel documents this history in his book “Keeper of the Wolves.” http://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/3513.htm
Flash forward today where Thiel is still involved with WI wolf populations as one of the scientists that wrote a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services cautioning that vital information is missing from DNR wolf slaughter Statistics: http://www.timberwolfinformation.org/wi-scientists-vital-information-missing-from-dnrs-wolf-slaughter-statistics/
Today Douglas county continues to be important wolf habitat.
Douglas county has the highest density of wolves and people with 56% of the citizens wanting to live by wolves. Interestingly enough, Douglas County has the oldest populations of wolves and the most tolerant showing that WI can coexist with wolves. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/wolf/documents/WolfAttitudeSurveyReportDRAFT.pdf
I spent 13 winters tracking wolves in Douglas county WI never tiring of its wild views and wildlife.
This blogger never tires of the beautiful vistas found in this remarkable WI county where people and wolves have coexisted since the 1970s.