There are paw prints in the snow that appear to be timber wolf tracks in Eau Claire County.

Officials say the tracks were found in a remote section of forestland in far eastern Eau Claire County and far away from homes or farms.

The tracks overlapped each other in a way that wouldn't be made by domestic dogs.

Department of Natural Revenue officials say the pack -- called the Eau Claire River pack -- consists of a mother, father and two or three pups.

Wolf expert Adrian Wydeven says it's a huge surprise to see a pack in Eau Claire County, where there hasn't been one recorded in nearly 100 years.

Wisconsin's wolf population is estimated to be as large as 455 animals.

That's five times the number of a decade ago and Wydeven says that will likely grow.