Northern Wisconsin farmers have struggled with gray wolves attacking livestock in recent years, and are trying new fencing for protection.

Managing the gray wolf population has become a major topic of controversy in the region. The animal is currently protected by the Endangered Species Act, and Wisconsin’s wolf management plan has been widely debated for years.

In Wisconsin, that debate has reached all the way to Governor Tony Evers’ desk. Earlier this year, Governor Evers vetoed a bill that would have required the Department of Natural Resources to establish a statewide population goal as part of the wolf management plan.

Conservation groups have argued that any management plan needs to be flexible to balance the needs of the recovering species with the needs of Northern Wisconsin farmers. Hunting and fishing groups have called for a population goal as low as 350 wolves, with a total estimated population of between 800 and 1,200 right now.

For now, some farmers are turning to “predator-proof” fencing. According to a Wisconsin State Farmer report, officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are installing the fences at various farms.

The fences are 74 inches high with a 42 inch apron the lays flat on the ground, preventing the wolves from digging under the fence. Officials say that the fences have been installed on six Northern Wisconsin farms already, and those farms have not lost any livestock behind the fence.

While the fences have been successful in protecting livestock from the gray wolves, there are still significant issues. Putting up the fencing is still too expensive for many farmers, costing about $9 per linear foot. Additionally, the fencing may protect one farm’s livestock but gray wolves searching for food may simply be redirected to another nearby farm that does not have the same level of protection.

Without a realistic alternative to protect their livestock, Northern Wisconsin farmers will likely continue to push for changes to the state’s wolf management plan.

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