Wisconsin DNR apologizes for not consulting with tribes on the killing of 9 wolves – WPR

Reports outline incidents leading up to the euthanization of wolves in Price County
An intertribal agency is objecting to the state’s decision to kill nine wolves in northern Wisconsin without consulting tribes, prompting an apology from the head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, or GLIFWC, raised objections Monday. The commission represents 11 tribes in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin regarding their treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather in ceded territory, which spans the northern third of Wisconsin. 
The DNR decided to euthanize nine wolves in Price County due to verified human health and safety threats reported between July 2025 and August of this year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services trapped and euthanized the animals in late August and early September. 
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Conrad St. John, chair of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, said that decision showed a lack of respect for tribes and their authority to cooperatively manage natural resources with the DNR in ceded territory.
“There was no consultation with the tribes about the planning of the euthanization … and we weren’t notified until after the euthanizations had occurred,” St. John told WPR. “There were never any reports given to the tribe on threatening behaviors to any humans or livestock in that area.”

A DNR spokesperson said such decisions aren’t made lightly by state wildlife professionals. The agency said they consider animal behavior, their proximity to people, potential escalation, previous mitigation efforts and state and federal law.

“I am deeply sorry for the DNR’s lack of communication with Tribal Nations and GLIFWC in this process and, as I discussed with the tribes and GLIFWC at annual consultation, I am committed to improving our collaboration and communication with the tribes around wolf conflicts going forward,” DNR Secretary Karen Hyun said in a statement.

Wolves are considered a brother to Chippewa tribes in Wisconsin. St. John said their belief is that what happens to wolves will happen to Native people.

The commission and tribes have worked with the DNR for decades on natural resource management following a 1983 federal appeals court decision that upheld their rights to hunt, fish and gather in ceded territory, said Jenny Van Sickle, the commission’s outreach specialist.
“It just doesn’t make sense that their concerns about this pack were so grave, but never met a threshold where they were compelled to bring it up to GLIFWC or to any of the Wisconsin tribes,” Van Sickle said.
Prior to euthanizing the wolves, the DNR recommended numerous non-lethal measures to deter the animals, including increased lighting and human activity. But the agency said that didn’t resolve the issue.

The DNR said there were six verified human health and safety conflicts in the area, noting  verified wolf conflicts are posted publicly on its website. The agency said notices are also sent to an email list that includes GLIFWC and tribal biologists, saying numerous notices of the conflicts in Price County occurred this year and last.

A DNR spokesperson said the agency didn’t receive any requests from tribes or GLIFWC for further information.
The agency’s current policy on wolf conflicts doesn’t include tribal collaboration since the incidents occurred 20 to 40 miles from the nearest reservation. The commission highlighted a 2019 executive order from Gov. Tony Evers that directs state agencies to consult with tribal governments on matters that may affect tribal nations.

While wolves generally pose little threat, the DNR said the pack demonstrated unusual behaviors that showed a lack of fear toward humans for over a year.

“Sometimes lethal removal is a necessary action to prevent further escalation such as habituated wolves becoming aggressive or even attacking someone,” a DNR spokesperson said.

There’s been no documented wolf attacks on humans in Wisconsin in modern history. Only two fatal wolf attacks on humans have occurred across North America in the last 20 years. Researchers have documented at least 26 fatal wolf attacks worldwide from 2002 to 2020. 
WPR obtained and verified wolf investigation reports completed by USDA Wildlife Services in August about human health and safety threats in the town of Flambeau.

In one report, a man provided security camera footage showing an adult collared wolf came within 6 to 8 feet of his house on two nights. Another referenced a wolf entering a clearing within 20 yards of where a man was mowing — the man said he feared his family and dog may encounter wolves while walking on trails. Another man reported spotting an uncollared juvenile wolf watching him from 45 feet away when he drove his UTV to place bear bait at the edge of the woods on his property.

Wildlife Services had previously verified human health and safety incidents at or near the sites last year, according to the reports. 
In the incidents, Van Sickle noted no one was harmed. She pointed to federal regulations about endangered species that pose a “demonstrable but nonimmediate threat” to human safety. The regulations state killing may only occur “if it has not been reasonably possible to eliminate such threat by live-capturing and releasing the specimen unharmed in an appropriate area.”
“If they were able to trap these wolves, then the law says they should have first pursued relocation,” Van Sickle said, adding the taking of any life should be a last resort.

The DNR said relocation was considered, but not feasible.

“In this case, relocation was not possible due to the constraints of available suitable habitat, the number of wolves in the pack, and the risk of relocation harming other wolf packs or causing exacerbated behavior from the wolf pack,” a DNR spokesperson said.

The DNR is now working to transfer remains of the wolves to GLIFWC.

St. John said tribes want to give the wolves a proper burial. Even so, he described the transfer as a “slap in the face” since tribes were given no input on managing them.
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