(This story first appeared in the Sunday edition of the Wisconsin State Journal.)
With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the verge of removing the gray wolf from endangered status, more calls are being heard in Wisconsin for a hunting season on the once rare animal.
Adrian Treves, a researcher with UW-Madison who surveys public opinion on wolves, said his work shows growing concern about the number of wolves and their presence in populated areas.
“There is a dramatic increase in the number of people who have heard or seen wolves on their lands,” Treves said. “That’s feeding their fears.”