Two hunting dogs were attacked by wolves in Wisconsin this summer

On July 3, just a few days into Wisconsin’s hunting dog training season, two hunting dogs were attacked by wolves on two separate occasions in the northern part of the state. One of the dogs, a two-year-old bluetick trailing hound, was killed, while the other dog, a four-year-old Walker trailing hound, was injured, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Both attacks occurred in Bayfield County.

“When I mapped them, the two destructions were about 10 miles apart,” said Brad Koele, DNR wildlife damage expert. Outdoor living. “One happened early in the morning, around 5 a.m. The other happened a little later, around 10 a.m.”

Koele says the DNR received reports from the dogs’ owners later that same morning, and follow-up investigations by USDA Wildlife Services confirmed that both dogs had been attacked by wolves. This is standard procedure, Koele explains. Because gray wolves are federally protected in Wisconsin, all investigations into suspected wolf attacks on livestock, pets, and hunting dogs are conducted by the federal government. If a wolf attack is confirmed, the animal’s owner is eligible for compensation through the DNR’s wolf control programwhich Koele supervises.

The USDA research reports, which were obtained by Outdoor living Demonstrate through a public information request that both attacks occurred after the dogs’ owners released them near a fresh black bear sign.

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The previous attack on Walker’s dog on July 3 occurred in the Chequamegon National Forest. Shortly after releasing several dogs onto a black bear trail, the owner heard the dog being attacked from the road. The owner ran to the scene and saw two wolves attack the dog, biting its back and tail. The owner chased the wolves away and took the dog to a veterinarian, who performed a successful surgery and expects the dog to make a full recovery.

The wolf’s other attack, on July 3, occurred on land near the Red Cliff Reservation, where the owner released the bluetick and four other dogs on a freshly touched bear bait. (The report does not specify whether the land was public or private.) About 30 minutes into the chase, the owner saw on his GPS that two of the dogs had stopped moving, while the rest had scattered. The owner followed the signal and found the carcass of the bluetick dog, which had already been eaten by wolves. Another dog was hiding under a nearby log.

“I observed a 20-yard drag trail leading to the dog’s remains,” the USDA investigator wrote in the report. “The dog was largely consumed, with only the chest, both forelimbs, and head/neck remaining.”

Because of the simple findings of the investigations, Koele says both hunting dog owners can be compensated for their losses. The owner of the bluetick hound is eligible for up to $2,500 in compensation, which is the maximum amount set by the state for a hunting dog or pet killed by a wolf. The owner of the injured Walker hound is also eligible, and Koele says there is no limit on compensation for veterinary expenses.

“According to state law, [hunting dog owners] are eligible for compensation for death or injury. So they would submit veterinary bills to us and we would reimburse them for that,” Koele explains. “In the past, we’ve had animals that were injured and later died from those injuries. So in that case, we would pay for both the dog and the veterinary care that the animal received for those injuries.”

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Wolf attacks on hunting dogs are relatively common in Wisconsin. The state is home to a thriving population of more than 1,000 gray wolves in six management zones, according to the DNR’s most recent monitoring report from 2023.

“We see this devastation every year, and if we look at our numbers, we have killed 28 hunting dogs [by wolves] and seven injuries last year,” Koele said. “We’ve only just started our bear training season, so hopefully we don’t have too many of these events. But you know, it’s pretty normal that we see these events.”

The area around Bayfield County, which falls under Zone 1, is home to the highest wolf density in the state, with an estimated 360 gray wolves in 70 or more packs. Not coincidentally, this is also where most wolf attacks on hunting dogs, pets and livestock occur. (The DNR keeps a close eye on these events with an updated map (which shows exactly where they are happening.) Of the 26 wolf attacks the agency confirmed between April 2022 and April 2023, 22 occurred in Zone 1 and 18 were dogs killed during active hunting.