Have you seen any wolves?

If you've seen any wolves in the lower peninsula, the Department of Natural Resources wants to know about it.

The DNR is launching a citizen survey next week to better track how many wolves are wandering south of the Mackinac Bridge.

The survey starts Feb. 16 and runs through March 13. Anyone who sees a wolf or wolf tracks or has other evidence that a wolf has paid them a visit can report the information online or by phone.

It's not a question of whether wolves cross the frozen Straits of Mackinac to check out the lower peninsula. Officials already know they do. One was even caught a decade ago, said Jennifer Kleitch, a wildlife biologist with the DNR who is leading the survey.

The questions biologists are trying to answer are how many wolves are on the move and whether there is any evidence they're making themselves at home when they get here?

"It's important to be able to talk accurately to the public about what is going on," Kleitch said. "Documentation is a big part of this. Because unless you have the documentation, you can't say for sure what is going on. That is what we're trying to do."

The only documented wolf population in Michigan is in the Upper Peninsula, and by last count the DNR estimates there are around 630.

Reports of wolf sightings in the northern lower peninsula come in year round, Kleitch said. But officials don't have any concrete evidence — such as fur, feces, or photographs — that would confirm their presence or whether they are establishing breeding packs.

"We don't have genetic evidence of wolves in the northern lower," Kleitch said. "What we have are some photographs that appear to be wolves. We have some tracks that would be consistent with wolves, but we don't have the genetics saying they are here."

The survey is focused primarily on areas north of US-10, Kleitch said.

The DNR will send teams to investigate reports that have the best chance of producing documentation -- such as fresh tracks in the snow or feces.

For many people who live in the area, documentation would simply confirm what they've been seeing for years, said Jack Matthias, owner of Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman.

"I think they're moving south about 10 miles per year," said Matthias, who saw what he was pretty sure was a wolf earlier this winter near his property. He said it could have been a large coyote, though.

"I hear reports from people that they have seen them," Matthias said. "I don't know what more we can do to fully document that."

Thunder Bay Resort is home to a large elk herd. Matthias said he lost two elk calves a couple of years ago and suspected they were killed by wolves because they seemed too big for coyotes.

Livestock owners can receive reimbursement from the state if one of their animals is killed by a wolf. Kleitch said no wolf kills have been confirmed in the lower peninsula, and no reimbursements have been given to anyone south of the bridge.

Wolves in Michigan have been the subject of a long political battle going back decades because of their status as an endangered species.

The federal government took Great Lakes gray wolves off the endangered species list in 2012, which paved the way for a public hunting season of wolves in 2013.

A federal judge, however, ordered wolves back on the endangered species list in December. The Michigan Senate passed a resolution earlier this week asking the DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to appeal the ruling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Report wolf sightings

The Department of Natural Resources is holding a citizen survey from Feb. 16 through March 13 to track reports of wolves in the lower peninsula.

The survey is a collaboration between the DNR, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.

If you have a report of a wolf sighting or other evidence that wolves are in the lower peninsula, you can fill out an online report: http://www.michigandnr.com/wildlife/pubs/wolf_obsreport.asp

Or call the DNR's Gaylord Customer Service Center at 989-732-3541, ext. 5901

Don't wait to make your report. Officials say timely reports are best because they can be more fully investigated while evidence is fresh.

If you find what you think are wolf tracks in snow or mud, be careful not to disturb the surrounding area. Try to get several photos from various angles. If possible, put something next to the track — such as a dollar bill or a ruler — to help show the size of the print.

Is it a wolf or a coyote?





From a distance, wolves and coyotes can look very similar, but wolves are much bigger. They have longer legs and a broader muzzle, said Jennifer Kleitch, a biologist with the Department of Natural Resources. Wolves also hold their tails differently than coyotes. Wolves will hold their tails straight out behind them or straight down, while coyotes usually hold their tails at a slight angle.