The wolves of Minnesota are one of conservation's greatest success stories. Of the 48 contiguous United States, only Minnesota-with a wolf population at an estimated 2,600-has managed to protect and sustain a viable wolf population over the past two decades. Today, the wolf is close to being removed from the federal government's endangered species list. But while some applaud the wolf's return, others worry about the human cultural costs of maintaining such a large population, and others wonder if that population is too high for the wolf's own good. Edited by renowned expert "wolfman" Dr. L. David Mech and comprising the work of several researchers who have studied Minnesota wolves, "The Wolves of Minnesota" is an authoritative account of the background of the wolf in Minnesota. It features the fascinating story of the comeback of the wolf in Minnesota and examines the cultural costs of the comeback of the animal, to the point where the question is not "Will we ever hear the howl of the wolf again?" but "How many howls are enough?" "The Wolves of Minnesota" examines the animal and its packs and populations, the past and present ranges of the species in Minnesota, the rich history of the scientific research about it, the biology of the wolf, the wolf's prey, wolf-human interactions, and the future of the wolf in Minnesota.

In this book, we document and evaluate the recovery of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The Great Lakes region is unique in that it was the only portion of the lower 48 states where wolves were never c- pletely extirpated. This region also contains the area where many of the first m- ern concepts of wolf conservation and research where developed. Early proponents of wolf conservation such as Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson, and Durward Allen lived and worked in the region. The longest ongoing research on wolf–prey relations (see Vucetich and Peterson, Chap. 3) and the first use of radio telemetry for studying wolves (see Mech, Chap. 2) occurred in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region is the first place in the United States where “Endangered” wolf populations recovered. All three states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan) developed ecologically and socially sound wolf conservation plans, and the federal government delisted the population of wolves in these states from the United States list of endangered and threatened species on March 12, 2007 (see Refsnider, Chap. 21). Wolf management reverted to the individual states at that time. Although this delisting has since been challenged, we believe that biological recovery of wolves has occurred and anticipate the delisting will be restored. This will be the first case of wolf conservation reverting from the federal government to the state conser- tion agencies in the United States.

An engrossing story of the return of wolves to Wisconsin and the wonder, frustrations, humor, and everyday hard work of the field biologists who tracked, monitored, and protected them. This new edition brings the story into the twenty-first century, recounting the unexpected growth of the wolf population, conflicts with humans, changes in state and federal policies, the establishment of a state wolf-hunting season in 2012, and a forecast for the future of wild wolves.