GW:  Still way too high, since the agreed upon level has been a total of 200 wolves in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota combined!

The survey estimates 762 wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, showing a consistent population for the past 14 years

The 2024 winter wolf population survey estimate from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources found a minimum of 762 wolves in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This year’s estimate showed an increase of 131 animals compared to the 2022 estimate of 631; however, the results demonstrate a continued trend of statistical stability in Michigan’s wolf population.

“This year’s survey findings are statistically consistent with our wolf population surveys for the past 14 years,” said Brian Roell, the DNR’s large carnivore specialist. “When a wild population reaches this stable point, it is typical to see slight variations from year to year, indicating that gray wolves may have reached their biological carrying capacity in the Upper Peninsula.”

In other words, Michigan’s U.P. wolf population has achieved an equilibrium between availability of habitat and the number of wolves that habitat can support over time.

The survey, completed last winter, found the population distributed among 158 packs in the Upper Peninsula, with an average of 4.8 wolves per pack. This year’s survey represents the highest population estimate since 2012, when the department began doing the semi-annual survey. The survey is conducted during the winter because it relies in part on identifying wolf tracks in the snow.

Prior to the winter of 2007, the DNR sought to count wolves throughout the entire Upper Peninsula. However, as the wolf population increased, this peninsulawide survey method became more difficult and time-consuming, especially the process of distinguishing among adjacent packs.

As a result, the department developed and evaluated a different sampling method to reduce the search area and allow additional time to accurately count wolves in neighboring territories. The new approach uses a geographic stratification – essentially breaking up regions into small pieces and ensuring those regions have representative samples – and produces an unbiased, precise minimum estimate of wolf abundance in Michigan’s U.P. during midwinter when wolves are at their lowest point in their yearly population cycle.

The DNR is currently evaluating two other techniques for estimating wolf abundance in the U.P. One relies on a track survey similar to the department’s current method. The other uses trail cameras spread across the U.P.

If successful, these additional techniques may have advantages over the current methodology, mainly by decreasing staff time. The camera model would have the added benefit of producing estimates at times of the year other than winter.

This March 2024 Showcasing the DNR story shares more about the survey pilot programs. Read more

This year’s warm, wet spring was prime time for some of Michigan’s nuisance insect species. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently issued tips to avoid bites by ticks and mosquitoes. Bug bites can be more than just an annoyance – they can have future health implications, so it’s important to stay informed and take steps to protect yourself and others.

Every summer in Michigan, bites from mosquitoes and ticks carry the risk of spreading diseases to people and animals. Ticks are known to carry Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, while infected mosquitoes can transmit eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes collected in Saginaw County last month tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus at the DHHS Bureau of Laboratories, the first infected mosquitoes detected in 2024.

Signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease typically begin one to two weeks after a tick bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas where ticks commonly live. Early symptoms can be nonspecific and include fever or chills, rash, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications.

The easiest way to protect from mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses is to prevent bites in the first place. Try these tips: Read more

Would you know how to survive if you ever found yourself stranded outdoors? Landing in an unforeseen situation can be nerve-wracking, but learning the skills to handle it can make outdoor activities a breeze.

Besides tapping into a deeper awareness of nature, having the skills to survive outdoors can seriously boost your confidence, too. Interested in learning the basics? Check out the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy’s Bushcraft, Survival and Wild Edibles Clinic, June 28-30 or July 19-21 at Mitchell State Park in Cadillac.

You’ll learn how to find your way when no modern navigation tools are available, wilderness first aid, how to identify plants you can eat (and ones to avoid), how to safely start a fire without matches – plus how to shoot a bow and arrow and more. Read more

27 Mexican wolf pups fostered into 8 dens from 5 SAFE facilities

Wildlife officers from the Arizona Game and Fish Department removed two coyotes from the vicinity of Thomas and Hayden roads in Scottsdale Wednesday evening after receiving reports of an attack on a person walking his dog.

A third party reported that the coyote had gotten into an altercation with the dog, and the owner was nipped by the coyote when he attempted to intervene. The reporting party said one or more coyotes have been behaving increasingly aggressively toward humans in the area in recent weeks, but this is the first attack. Read more

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department responded to an aggressive bear in Underhill at approximately 6:30 am on Friday, May 24. The bear’s behavior was judged a risk to public safety, and the bear was euthanized after a period of observation.

In light of this incident, the department is reminding Vermonters of the steps necessary to proactively prevent bear conflicts. It is crucial to secure all food sources that attract bears to yards and neighborhoods including garbage, recycling, and backyard chickens and bees. To be most effective, whole neighborhoods and towns need to be consistent in keeping bear attractants secure. Read more

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) dispatched a black bear last night after it attacked a 15-year-old male in Alpine, Ariz.

The victim was sitting inside a cabin when the bear entered through an open door and proceeded to swipe at him from behind. It then left the cabin and approached other family members before entering the cabin a second time and swiping at the victim’s arm. After arriving on scene, AZGFD wildlife officers were able to quickly locate and dispatch the bear. The victim sustained injuries to the face and arm and was treated at a local hospital. Read more