wolf hunt
They are really, really, really, good at catching fawns, and any other animal that is old, young, or weak...
Not sure how much time you spend in the Northwoods, but tourism drives absolutely everything, groceries, gas, bait, restaurants, resorts, taverns, mini-golf, go karts, fishing guides, the list is endless…
There are exceedingly few good jobs that far North – absolutely everything is driven by tourism. Many businesses are just one bad season away from going out of business. You used to see a line out the door for breakfast before the opener at restaurants, now it is hardly worth their time to open – some don’t anymore. For you and I, going up North and not seeing a deer is an inconvenience. If we want to be successful we might have to scout a little more, put a few more miles on the boots, and pay attention to the sign that we see in the woods. At the end of the day, not getting a deer impacts our life very little. For the folks who live up there, no hunters means no food on the table, no money to fill their propane tanks, and no money to put gas in their vehicles. It is really a sad deal. I was talking to a bar / restaurant owner’s wife the last time I was up who was in tears. Last snowmobile season was so cold many sledders didn't make the trip. Deer season looks like it will end the same way. Hanging on by a thread...
Do I blame the wolves? Of course I don't, but it is tough to argue that they are not a contributing factor to the low deer numbers.
A couple hundred years ago Mother Nature kept everything in perfect balance the way the Lord created it. We messed that up pretty good, and aside from hunting, there is no way to keep the deer herd in check. The wolves fall into the same category, how are we going to keep their numbers in check? I would argue the same way – hunting. The only problem is, at least from my perspective is that the balance is off a bit. On my father’s land and adjacent state forest in Vilas County I see Wolf sign 3 to 1 over deer sign.
I would think one of the easier methods to figure out what is roaming around the woods is by the tracks they leave. There are Wolf tracks absolutely everywhere, it is almost ridiculous. Try finding a deer track… That one is tough. Used to be lots of buck rubs, try to find one now. Used to be able to easily find areas where deer were bedding down, now you have to walk for hours on end over hundreds of Wolf tracks.
I do believe that the Wolf belongs in the Northwoods, no different than the deer. That is the way nature intended it. My perspective is that we need to manage both populations. Go take a walk in the Northwoods and tell me how you feel about it. You will see more Wolf sign than deer sign and likely come away with a different perspective.
It is not my intent to bash anyone for their opinion on this, this is just mine… Right now we are issuing plenty of deer tags, anyone can buy one, and there does not seem to be much concern on their numbers. I’d just like to see a similar standard for the Wolf. Let’s skinny that herd down too, or have more of both, either way would be fine with me. Just seems off-balance at the moment. Lots of Wolves, and not so many deer.
When there are a low number of does, it does not take an exorbitant number of Wolves to keep the herd thin.
