Hunting dog depredated in Price County, Town of Spirit

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced the creation of a wolf caution area due to the depredation of a hunting dog in Price County, just north of the Taylor County line.

On Friday, July 26, USDA-Wildlife Services verified that wolves killed a Plott trailing hound in the Town of Spirit. The attack occurred east of the Spirit lakes, south of CTH YY (as it runs east-west) and the Spirit River and near the intersection of the Price, Taylor and Lincoln borders.

The caution area is a four-mile zone around the depredation spot and includes a portion of all three counties.

Dog owners are reminded to exercise caution in wolfoccupied areas. Conflicts between hunting dogs and wolves are most common during the bear training and hunting seasons. Dogs have also been depredated pursuing other wildlife including fox, coyotes, bobcats, rabbits, snowshoe hare and upland birds.

As with other wild canids, wolves are very territorial and will guard their territories against other wolves, coyotes and domestic dogs. Wolves are probably most aggressive toward strange wolves and dogs at den and rendezvous sites when their pups are small, and when protecting a fresh kill. Wolf packs have pups in spring and then later will use rendezvous sites from mid-May to late September, after the pups are big enough to leave their den. Adult wolves are very defensive of pups at rendezvous sites and will attack other predators, including dogs, which get too close to the rendezvous site or the pups.

Anyone suspecting a wolf attack in northern Wisconsin should call 1-800-228-1368.