Biologists from state and federal agencies monitor wolves to collect information on: how many wolves exist in an area (population), the size and location of their territories, location of den and summer home sites(rendezvous sites), where wolves travel (dispersal and movement patterns), and birth and death(mortality) rates. Biologists use this information to manage wolf populations for each state in the Upper Great Lakes region. The state of Michigan monitors the over 300 wolves found in the Upper Peninsula's mainland (excluding Isle Royale National Park). The State endorsed a Wolf Recovery and Management Plan in 1997 to guide the state in its wolf recovery and management efforts. Isle Royale National Park, a Michigan island in Lake Superior is home to the world's longest running wildlife research project that studies wolf and moose interactions. Since the study began, the wolf population has fluctuated between 14 to 50 wolves. The state of Wisconsin monitors the over 300 wolves found throughout the northern third as well as the central forested regions of the state. Wisconsin endorsed a Wolf Management Plan in 1999 to guide the state in its wolf management efforts. The state of Minnesota manages over 2,500 gray wolves found throughout the northern region of the state. During the winter of 1997-98 the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimated there were 2,400 wolves, increasing at 4.5% per year.

Wolf Monitoring Techniques

Wolves are live-trapped using foot-hold traps designed to hold the wolf in place by its foot without serious injury. Biologists set the foot-hold traps in wooded and shaded areas where they are able to locate wolf sign such as scat. Biologists check the traps daily and sometimes even twice a day during hot weather. After a wolf is caught, the biologist gives the animal a shot of a medicine to tranquilize the animal. This enables the biologist to handle the wolf during a health examination. Biologists will also weigh the wolf and take a blood sample that is sent to a lab for further analysis.

Biologists will fit a radio collar around the wolf's neck. This collar sends signals to a radio telemetry receiver carried by the biologist.

Wolf biologists use the receiver to locate the collared wolf and other members of its pack (telemetry aids in deciphering how many wolves are in each state). Biologists have learned a wealth of information about wolves from using the radio telemetry collars.

Join Jim, our wolf biologist, on a radio telemetry monitoring survey within the Ottawa National Forest to locate our radio-collared gray wolf. Learn about the various natural habitats found in the northern ecosystem and experience the richness of the north country!