Wolf Attacks Bird Dog in WI
An artist's rendition of the incident?
Hunters Cautioned
The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reported that “a wolf from the Bear Bluff Pack in Jackson County injured a German shorthair pointer on Sept. 18, and officials say the pack has become too familiar to humans and will be trapped.”
After that, the paper’s report is sketchy. It only talks about the hunter – a DNR report “indicates that the wolf approached a hunter within 50 feet, and when he got in his vehicle was right in front of the vehicle” – not the dog, whether the dog was protecting its master or whether the wolf was aggressive, whether the hunter tried to frighten it off, etc.
Though “this is believed to be the first verified attack [was it an attack?] by wolves on a bird-hunting dog in a bird-hunting situation in Wisconsin,” the paper reports that “there have been numerous incidents of close approaches by wolves to people by this pack, and there has been extensive work done by WDNR and USDA-Wildlife Services to create aversive conditioning and attempt to haze the wolves away from cranberry beds and areas of human activity.”
The state now has a “caution area” in which hunters should be careful: Cranberry Road on the east, Highway 54 along the north, Lone Pine Lane and Goodyear Road on the west, and the Jackson/Monroe County line and Highway HH on the south.
It would have been illegal to shoot the wolf, but we sure would have considered it. Or at least shooting over it, presuming our undies were still dry!
Note: Authorities confirmed that Eau Claire is not a pastry and that pastries had nothing to do with the incident. [Okay, we’re just kidding about that part.]
Category: WI
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I hunt grouse and woodcock all over the northwards. We see wolves much more frequently now than ever before. They will frequently mark their territory by leaving a huge pile of dropping in the middle of logging trails. You know it;s a wolf when the pile is full of deer hair and bones. This particular pack is not afraid of hunters or dogs. Had a close call last fall when my dog happened upon one of the dens. Upon closer inspection, there was a large grey wold bedded down inside. H did not budge but we sure got out of there in a hurry.
Sorry, my comment should have said “north woods” but spell check changed it to northwards.