Irresponsible wolf protection, high numbers, fearless predators
That’s five-year old Hayden kissing her close friend, Jack, on our July-August cover posted at www.onwisconsinoutdoors.com and circulated in print across Wisconsin.
Good things end, we know, but the ending shouldn’t come like this for two mules that were nothing less than part of the family. Jack was killed by wolves in Bayfield County last fall. After watching the slow and horrific take-down of his companion, and Jack missing in the next stall that night, Buck died two days later from stress colic.
Jack and Buck are buried near each other on the family property. Scooter, the family horse, was relocated to be with a receptive neighbor’s horses so he wouldn’t be alone.
“Those were my kids,” Butch told OWO as he detailed the labors of love of exceptional owners like cleaning their barn daily and placing fans that would keep his animals cool. “Jack was a ‘meet me at the gate’ mule. He came to you when he saw you standing there. I do not hate wolves. But how do I replace my mules? I can’t.”
OWO received 13 reports from Wisconsin DNR and USDA-Wildlife Services detailing verified wolf attacks on livestock over 43 days beginning April 20, 2026 . The attacks on six different species of livestock occurred in six counties located in far north central, northwest, central Wisconsin and in Adams County northwest of Madison.
Domestic animals “killed, injured or harassed” included calves, cattle, chickens, a donkey, goat, and horses. You’ll find those details on page 28 in this issue. Many trailing hounds are also killed in Wisconsin during the summer months in pre-season training.
In mid-June, OWO asked a Wisconsin wolf expert and a retired conservation warden who we trust if they had photos of those livestock attacks for potential publication. We received instead a post-attack photo of Jack, killed on September 30, 2025. Later, the family who lost Jack provided OWO with our cover photo and other family photos of their mules.
We learned that Jack, the “pasture protector” at an enormous 1300 pounds and 16 hands tall, had escorted an intrusive lone wolf off his home turf two years ago. The wolf had come from school forest property that houses a classroom with students just 160 feet from the pasture.
Wolves in proper predator-prey balance, like all wildlife, would be welcome in Wisconsin. OWO has over many years strived to verify that current, irresponsible wolf mismanagement will make ‘bad endings’ frequent, increasing, and inevitable.
Take note that Jack was taken down by the head and neck only but not eaten. Wildlife professionals who verified the attack theorized that the wolves were teaching young how to hunt. Mike Foss, a bear expert and longtime OWO writer who we also feature in this issue, calls it a probable “thrill kill”, and likened this attack to as many as 15 sheep killed at single locations in western states but left unconsumed.
Look closely at our cover. Hayden is not much larger than Jack’s head. Those neighboring students are undoubtedly not much larger than Hayden. Across most of Wisconsin, that is a literal human tragedy waiting to happen if any predator becomes emboldened, or simply too hungry. Responsible hunting of wolves and keeping irresponsible federal judges from rendering wildlife decisions for Wisconsin will ensure that the wolf here remains fearful of man, its numbers properly managed, and its target food sources as intended with proper predator-prey balance.
“Every single day I still stand and look out over the pasture, but there’s nothing there,” Butch said. “Every single day.”
Publisher Note:
On June 23, 2026 a reader trail cam photo was received by OWO from Marquette County due north of Madison showing a wolf carrying a fawn. The county is just east of Adams County where a calf was killed by wolves May 13th. Clearly, the predator is migrating south in search of food.
As this story was being written June 24th, another DNR/USDA-Wildlife Services report was received verifying that wolves had injured a livestock guard dog on a property in the town of Barnes, Bayfield County on June 23, 2026. The dog is receiving veterinary care.
