How Many Wolves Live In Northern Minnesota And Where Are They?

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding wolves in Minnesota as of late. Recent reports have shown a substantial decline of the wolf population at Voyageurs National Park. Sightings are on the rise though, just a few weeks back the large canines were spotted strolling through the grounds of a local school in the town of Ely, sparking worry and discussion from the area's residents.

This begs the question: Just how many wolves live in Minnesota, anyway? And is their population growing or declining?

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Wolves first showed up in what is now Minnesota thousands of years before humans showed up. It was a time in which the canines thrived, due to the fertile hunting grounds. Later on, when the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) arrived, humans and wolves lived side by side and shared a deep kinship.

Not long after European Americans came into Minnesota, the wolf population plummeted. By the 1940s, Minnesota wolves had been nearly eradicated due to hunting, trapping and poisoning. The state's far northeastern counties were some of the last refuges in the entire U.S. for gray wolves.

After being listed as endangered in 1974, the local population began to recover and eventually, wolves started to slowly expand their range throughout the state.

These days, most experts believe (including a wide-ranged study by the Minnesota DNR) that there are approximately 2,919 wolves in the northern part of the state. There are likely more packs than ever, but fewer wolves in each pack than years past.

Where the wolves are living is equally intriguing.

The same DNR study that calculated the number of wolves in the state also showed what types of land-cover each pack prefers the most:

• 38.2% Woody Wetlands
• 17.5% Deciduous Forest
• 10.9% Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands
• 11.3% Mixed Forest
• 5.3% Evergreen Forest

Specifically, these are the areas where most packs reside:

• Superior National Forest
• North Shore and Arrowhead Region (Near the towns of Duluth, Hibbing, Grand Rapids, Virginia etc...)
• Boundary Waters Wilderness Area (Including Ely and the Surrounding Area)
• Leech Lake Reservation
• Heavily Forested Areas of Northwestern MN
• Voyageurs National Park (Decline in Numbers But Officials Say Population is Stable)

To learn more about about the wolves of Minnesota, their history and relationship with humans, check out the International Wolf Center Website.

Story Sources: Kare 11 Website, MPR Website, Minnesota DNR Website, International Wolf Center Website