MICHIGAN WOLF MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATED 2015 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Printed by Authority of: PA 451 of 1994 Total Number of Copies Printed........................... Wildlife Division Report No. 3604 Cost Per Copy: .................................................$5 Total Cost: .............................................. .... $ June 11, 2015 Michigan Department of Natural Resources IC2041 (June 11, 2015) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) appreciates the valuable contributions offered by many individuals, agencies and organizations during the development of this plan from 2006 – 2008 and the update to this plan in 2014-2015 We thank the thousands of Michigan residents who helped shape the content of this plan through their participation in public wolf meetings held throughout the State, through the input and opinions they shared during public-comment periods, through their involvement in focus-group discussions, and through their participation in public-attitude surveys. We express our appreciation to the members of the Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable for their dedication and hard work as they developed a set of principles to help guide wolf management in Michigan. Those principles are directly reflected in the management strategies outlined throughout this document. We extend a special thanks to Dr. R. Ben Peyton, now retired faculty member in the collaborative Partners in Ecological Research and Management program between the Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the DNR. As the facilitator of the Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable, Dr. Peyton rose to the challenge of building consensus among group members and played an integral role in the success of the group. In addition, he and his colleague, Peter Bull, conducted an extensive study of attitudes held by Michigan residents regarding wolves; their data were an indispensable component of the planning process. We thank our Federal, State and Tribal agency partners for their cooperation in wolf management and for the information and feedback they offered during the development of this plan. We especially acknowledge the contributions of the USDA Wildlife Services, whose expertise and assistance has been and continues to be a critical component of the wolf management program in Michigan. Finally, we thank members of the Wolf Management Forum for their continued involvement in wolf management in the State through implementation of the 2008 plan and contributing their comments on how to improve the 2015 updated plan. A contribution of Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, Michigan Project W-147-R Equal Rights for Natural Resource Users The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) provides equal opportunities for employment and access to Michigan’s natural resources. Both State and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, height, weight or marital status under the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, as amended (MI PA 453 and MI PA 220, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire additional information, please write the MDNR, HUMAN RESOURCES, PO BOX 30028, LANSING MI 48909-7528, or the MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS, STATE OF MICHIGAN PLAZA BUILDING, 1200 6TH STREET, DETROIT MI 48226, or the OFFICE FOR DIVERSITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS, US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, 4040 NORTH FAIRFAX DRIVE, ARLINGTON VA 22203. For information or assistance on this publication, contact: MDNR, WILDLIFE DIVISION, P.O. BOX 30444, LANSING, MI 48909-7944, -or- through the internet at “ http://www.michigan.gov/dnr “. This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. TTY/TTD (teletype): 711 (Michigan Relay Center). COVER ART BY KEITH GROVE Keith Grove has had a lifelong interest in wildlife and has promoted this interest as a specialty throughout his 25-year career as an award-winning, commercial illustrator. After completing a commission for three white-tailed deer oil paintings for a series of prints that sold out in a national catalog, Keith decided it was time to concentrate on his own wildlife subjects. Using alkyd oils and a realistic style, Keith tries to “tell a story” by capturing unique, cameo moments of wilderness life. A graduate of the college of Associated Arts, St. Paul, Keith has also studied classical realism and continues to expand his knowledge of computer graphics and large-format printing techniques for the production of his own giclée prints. For more information, contact Keith at [email protected]. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS DNR Michigan Department of Natural Resources LP Lower Peninsula MSU Michigan State University UP Upper Peninsula USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service NRC Michigan Natural Resources Commission TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose of Plan ......................................................................................................1 1.2 Context of Plan .......................................................................................................1 2. PLANNING PROCESS ............................................................................................................3 2.1 Intra- and Inter-agency Scoping...........................................................................3 2.2 Public Meetings and Comment Period ................................................................3 2.3 Focus-group Meetings ...........................................................................................4 2.4 Public-attitude Surveys .........................................................................................4 2.5 Review of Science Relevant to Wolf Management in Michigan ........................5 2.6 Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable ...........................................................5 2.7 Plan Writing ...........................................................................................................6 2.8 Public Review and Comment ................................................................................6 2.9 2015 Plan Update Process .....................................................................................6 3. WOLF BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY .....................................................................................7 3.1 Wolf Taxonomy ......................................................................................................7 3.2 Physical Description...............................................................................................8 3.3 Social Structure and Behavior ..............................................................................8 3.4 Reproduction ..........................................................................................................9 3.5 Causes and Rates of Mortality ..............................................................................9 3.6 Immigration and Emigration ..............................................................................10 3.7 Wolf Food Habits .................................................................................................10 3.8 Ecological Function ..............................................................................................11 3.9 Wolf Habitat .........................................................................................................12 4. WOLVES IN MICHIGAN .....................................................................................................12 4.1 History ...................................................................................................................12 4.2 Recent Population Size and Distribution ...........................................................14 4.3 Isle Royale .............................................................................................................15 5. WOLF MANAGEMENT GOALS ........................................................................................16 5.1 Maintain a Viable Population .............................................................................16 5.1.1 Definition of ‘Viable Population’ ..............................................................16 5.1.2 Need to Maintain a Viable Population .......................................................17 5.2 Facilitate Wolf-related Benefits ..........................................................................18 5.2.1 Benefits Valued by Michigan Residents ....................................................18 5.2.2 Providing Benefits through Management ..................................................19 5.3 Minimize Wolf-related Conflicts ........................................................................20 5.3.1 Need to Minimize Conflicts .......................................................................20 5.3.2 Effective Conflict Management .................................................................21 5.4 Conduct Science-based and Socially Acceptable Management .......................21 6. WOLF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ............................................................................22 6.1 Increase Public Awareness and Understanding of Wolves and Wolf- related Issues. .......................................................................................................22