A coalition of farmers, ranchers and sportsmen has launched a new statewide public awareness campaign about the dangers posed by wolves. Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association spokesman Bob Welch says the over population of the species is putting pets and livestock at risk of being taken or left unhealthy because of fear. He says depredation is also being seen in the state's wildlife population.
Welch says the group blames wolves for injuring and killing livestock and domestic animals and says the animal could soon threaten humans. He says something needs to be done to control the population of wolves. The group supports a management plan that allows the DNR to use lethal and non-lethal force to trim the state's wolf population to 350. But the DNR won't get that authority until the federal government drops the wolf as an endangered species later this spring.
A new public service announcement promoting the group's message will begin airing on TV stations statewide sometime in the next month.
WSAU's Matt Lehman contributed to this report.