More wolves detected in Presque Isle County
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources dispatched wildlife biologists and conservation officers to Presque Isle County last week to follow up on a report of suspected wolf tracks in Ocqueoc Township. Albert and Lillian Domke were out walking their property in the early morning when they observed the tracks and immediately knew they were from a large canine-type animal.
They both regularly walk in the morning and discovered the tracks in some fresh snow and soft mud along their property line. “We saw the tracks came from the east across the property around the old school house,” Domke explained.
“HE WENT along the fence, then he came across the road and right across the yard. We have a burn barrel sitting out there and he circled around eight feet from it, then went along the fence in the back. “The conservation officers said they also found other tracks down across the forty, they figured he traveled north from there. The officers told me there were two, maybe three sets of tracks down there, one large animal and one or two smaller sets. “It might be they were part of a family with that female that got shot before. That would be my guess,” he concluded.
The DNR experts confirmed that tracks found in the area appear to be from two and possibly three gray wolves. Northeast Field Supervisor for the DNR, Glen Mathews, said the tracks indicate one large animal and one or two smaller companions. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the gray wolf has returned to much of its historic range in the Upper Peninsula.
ONCE REDUCED to only a few individual animals on Isle Royale, the winter minimum population is now estimated at 360 animals in the UP. DNR Wolf Coordinator from the UP, Brian Roell, said gray wolves are also known as timber wolves. Their color ranges from black, grizzled gray, and rust to white. He noted that the wolves have round erect ears. Their tail is held down, long and straight, it never curls, like many domestic dogs. The animal has a big muzzle and massive, long legs with extremely large feet. Males are larger than females. They are usually about 30 inches tall and weigh 57-130 pounds. Wild wolves are known to live an average of four to five years.
WOLF TRACKS have four toes on each foot with visible claw marks. Their tracks are quite large, ranging from four to five inches wide. It is often hard to tell the difference between wolf tracks and those of large dogs. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) notes that the return of the gray wolf to Michigan has raised questions about their impact on the deer population in the state. The NWF partnered with the Michigan United Conservation Clubs to develop a fact sheet on “Wolves and Deer in Michigan” to dispell myths that wolves are eating all of the deer. In the Upper Peninsula, wolves account for only seven percent of the overall deer mortality, while hunter harvest accounts for 47 percent, and over-winter stress accounts for 41percent of overall deer mortality.
EXPERTS NOTE that the gray wolf plays a vital role in the health and proper functioning of ecosystems. Wolves can play an important role in culling the deer herd of sick, weak, and old deer, allowing more of the healthier animals to reproduce and thrive. Minnesota
Mathews said DNR wildlife specialists continue to monitor Presque Isle County to learn more about the movements of the wolves. The DNR will be conducting a winter wolf track survey in the northern Lower Peninsula this year to get an estimate on the number of wolves in the area.