Posted: 9/12/2007 6:13:04 PM EDT
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A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit Crystal Falls in Michigan's UP. It was 360 miles from my home in Chicago. A coworker has a cabin on a small lake and he let us use it. The family and I really loved the place. Weather was great. He told us that we would probably hear the coyotes howling at night. Which we did, for three of the five nights we were there. But what we heard sounded like a classic pack of wolves howling. We had NEVER heard the howling of either animal in the past. Upon our return an internet search of the howling of both animals made us think that what we heard was, in fact, wolves. Long story but what is the chance that it WAS wolves? Thanks in advance. Also, someone said to me that the whole UP goes up for sale after each summer. A realistic statement? For sale signs all over in the 3rd week of August. 
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| I couldn't tell you how many but there are wolves in the UP, and there are rumors of wolves in the northern lower as well. As far as the up going up for sale each fall I know that vacation property around here always seems to go up for sale in the fall and is sold in the spring. |
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The number of wolves in the UP is increasing. Distinclty different from a coyote. I saw one last November. The whole UP has been for sale for a few years now. It's not seasonal as some would have you believe. You can find Casinos boarded up vacant. Even during deer season, the number of visitors is way, way down. Lots of empty hotel rooms. |
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6th - Michigan is an economic disaster right now. Jobs and college grads are fleeing the state like it's on fire. We have a state government which is very oppressive to small business, and the heyday of US automakers & manufacturing is long gone. Hell even Pfizer picked up and left. Michigan is becoming nothing more than Chicago's weekend playground. My wife and I are lucky insofar as our business is 1) quite recession proof and 2) has nationally based clientele. So for us we are somewhat insulated from the local economic conditions. But we know a lot of folks who are having a real tough time these days. There are more empty houses / for sale signs than I have ever seen. I've been here for about 12 years. I'm originally from Chicago, but escaped back in '90. Michigan - It's a great place to visit....  |
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Last December, while snowmobiling, my father-in-law and I surprised one in an open field. He ran, and we hung back and watched him run. Quite an experience. My father-in-law has lived there his entire life, and had never seen one in person, only heard them. Mike F |
...the herds are especially thinner on public lands, but don't shoot no wolf! They'll hang ya! (after confiscating all yer guns, car, etc...)|
I think I saw one in Roscommon last November. I was doing the Stalk, and crossed about 75 yards in front of me. It was at least two and a half times size of my female Alaskin Husky. Paw prints were larger. It could have been a large cyote. As I know they are in the area. Nothing like calling them at 11pm, and having three packs answer. Distinct answers from the North, South, and East.  You could here them fighting over something off to the East.
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Simple answer, yes too many wolves in da U.P. eh. Yes there are wolves in the northern lower as well. Near Rogers City (2005?) a fellow was trapping for coyote & caught a wolf. The DNR wanted to press charges but later chose not to because they had not officially confirmed, at that time, that there were wolves in the northern lower. In fact as recently as three days before the trapping incedent, the DNR officially denied the presence of wolves in the LP. Shortly afterward the DNR admitted there were _at least_ three wolves known to be in the area. One was a tagged female that had been released near Marquette. It is believed she walked across the ice. Wolves have decimated the deer herds in the western U.P. The days of seeing 10-15 deer per day are gone. You're lucky now if you see one or two & those are very easily spooked. I did see one wolf last November during firearm season. It was big & there is no mistaking them for a coyote. It looked right at me while I was on my stand & it did not care that I was there. No demonstration of fear of man what so ever. That strikes me as a dangerous situation. IMHO our own DNR has ruined the deer herd by bowing to the tree huggers and reintroducing a pack predator back into our woods.  FWIW, the DNR is still turning a blind eye to the existance of Cougars in MI as well. 
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Is there very much work up there ? |
No, not at all. Just like the rest of michigan, except there are even less companies up here due to the smaller towns. Although what you do for a living does have some say in what is available. |
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I would be curious to see some published statistics on the Wolf population and Deer heard size in both the upper and lower penisulas. The "statistics" I have been hearing smack of gun store tales. From many places besides here. It is fact that the deer population is way up in the state, once upon a time you were only allowed one deer per year. The wolf population is also growing, I believe this is a good thing. A pack has a fairly large range and it wouldn't be unusual to hear them. Yes, the DNR will bend you over for shooting a wolf. Rightfully so in my opinion. Joe |
Here you go |
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Interesting read and thanks for the link. I only perused the section on population but if my math is correct. It is estimated there are 509 wolves in the UP, round up to 600. An average adult wolf will kill about 15-18 deer per year. This number is from a wolf site so even if it is 50% deflated that would be about 22-27 per year. 13200-16200 on the high side. I would have guessed the numbers to be lower but considering there are about 5500 vehicle crashes with deer in the UP that would drop the kill numbers dramatically as I am sure a wolf wouldn't pass up an injured deer. Word has it there may be limited tags available for wolves as early as 2012. Granted that is unsubstantiated information but would be cool. Joe |
The wolves overall don't have a huge impact on deer numbers, winter kill off and hunting are far more. The problem is that a pack of wolves moves in and through an area they decimate the local deer population in no time. So on a Macro scale it is little impact, but on a micro scale it is a huge impact. In some other ereading I've heard experts quoted that about 600 is a good level for the U.P., with 900 carrying capacity. If they are saying 509 now, and you know that estimate is low, then population control needs to start very soon. I can personally say, that back when we first purchased out property there were LOTS of deer, I can remember seeing at least 40 at one time in a 1.5 acre field over the winter. Around '03 we started seeing signs of wolves and the deer population has declined alot, to the point that you might see 25 at one time if your lucky. This last year seems to have gotten better, and we have seen less signs of wolves and no physical spottings. In previous years when the deer population was really down, at least one was spotted each season. |