Gray Wolf News "The latest in the Wolf Wars"

[bearpaw]

Wyoming Wolf
 
Thursday, December 13, 2012 email
 
Riverton hunter took this wolf a couple of weeks ago.  Check out the size of this thing, no wonder the North West Wyoming moose population is half of what it used to be.
 
He called in this wolf with his predator caller while hunting by himself. In the last photo the pelts hanging on the wall are a swift fox, red fox, coyote, Canadian wolf, and the Wyoming wolf.
 
 
[Note: There are more photos which can be forwarded on request.]

[bearpaw]

Montana panel votes to protect wolves in areas just outside Yellowstone
 
by Rich Landers Dec. 10, 2012 Spokesman-Review
 
After seven of Yellowstone National Park's roughly 88 wolves had been legally shot in recent weeks while traveling outside the park — including five wolves that had been radio-collared for research — Montana wildlife commissioners voted today to close some areas outside the park to wolf hunting and trapping.
 
The closures were approved on a 4-to-1 vote by Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, the Associated Press reports.
 
The most recent to be shot, the collared alpha female from the park's well-known Lamar Canyon pack, was killed last week in Wyoming. The pack is often viewed by park visitors.
 
Also shot in recent weeks were four collared wolves originally from the park but now living outside it. Three more shot in the vicinity of the park had unknown origins, park officials said.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bwjy7e9

[bearpaw]

Wolf killed on Spokane Indian Reservation
 
by Rich Landers Dec. 12, 2012 Spokesman-Review
 
A gray wolf has been killed on the Spokane Indian Reservation by a tribal member who was trapping other species, according to B.J. Kieffer, the tribe's Natural Resources Department director.
 
“The incidental take occurred (Dec. 10) within the boundaries of the reservation, and within the jurisdiction of the Spokane Tribe,” he said in a media release.
 
Washington Fish and Wildlife Department officials say the wolf is likely a member of the Huckleberry Pack, noting that its range overlaps a portion of the reservation.
 
Wolves are protected by state endangered species rules outside of the reservation.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bqyf7an

[bearpaw]

Colville Tribe: “Wolves starting to have an impact”
 
by Rich Landers Dec. 10, 2012 Spokesman-Review
 
ENDANGERED SPECIES — No wolves have been killed yet in the first regulated wolf hunting season within the borders of Washington, the Colville Confederated Tribes report.
 
Although gray wolves are still protected by state endangered species regulations, the tribe opened a season two weeks ago to tribal members, with an overall quota of nine wolves in three sections of the 1.4 million acre reservation.
 
“Wolves are starting to have an impact,” a tribal spokesman told the Seattle Times in this report.
 
http://tinyurl.com/b7r8f2n

[bearpaw]

Wolf hunt season wrapping up, only 9 wolves remain, zones closing
 
Thursday, December 13, 2012 (WTAQ)
 
MADISON, WI - As of this morning, only nine grey wolves could still be taken in Wisconsin’s inaugural hunting season.
 
The DNR said 107 of the 116 available animals have been either shot-or-trapped.
 
Zone 6, which covers the lower three-fourths of Wisconsin will be closed to wolf hunting starting at 5  p.m. 
 
That leaves Zone-Three as the only one of the original six still open.  That covers a relatively small territory in northwest Wisconsin – in parts of Burnett, Washburn, Rusk, Chippewa, Taylor, Sawyer, and Price counties.
 
Hunters have been much more successful than anyone expected in Wisconsin’s first wolf season.
 
Some experts did not think the quota would be reached by the time the season was originally scheduled to end on February 28th.
 
Instead, the season will be history once the final nine animals in the state’s quota are taken.
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Michigan House approves bill allowing gray wolves to be hunted
 
December 13, 2012 Associated Press
 
LANSING (AP) -- The Michigan House has taken a step toward allowing once-endangered gray wolves to be hunted.
 
A bill designating wolves as a game species was approved Thursday on a vote of 66-43. The Senate approved the measure in November and will consider a minor House amendment before sending the bill to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature.
 
Wolves were removed from the endangered list earlier this year after rebounding from near-extinction in the upper Great Lakes region. About 700 are believed to live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
 
Supporters of the bill say it's time to allow hunters and trappers to thin the population. They say wolves are killing livestock and venturing too close to towns. The Humane Society of the United States has said it may sue to restore federal protections.
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[bearpaw]

'Famous' Yellowstone Wolf Killed Legally During Hunting Season — So Why Is the Humane Society Filing a Lawsuit?
 
December 11, 2012 The Blaze
 
A wolf frequently seen in and around Yellowstone National Park that goes by many names — 832F by researchers, “rock star” by wildlife enthusiasts, “famous” by others — was killed last week, according to the New York Times. Although shot legally during hunting season, many are upset, and the Humane Society of the United States has even filed a lawsuit against the decision that allows wolf hunting in Wyoming.
 
The alpha female wolf, which for the purpose of this story will be referred to as 832 F, was tagged by researchers with a GPS collar to track movements. According to the Times, Yellowstone wolf program project director Daniel Stahler said this wolf rarely left the park. 832F is one of eight with the collars to be killed this season, since wolves became legal for hunters in the state after being removed from the endangered species list last year.
 
Some say the wolf population in the area isn’t yet large enough to allow hunting. On the other hand, ranchers would argue thinning the pack protects livestock and other big game in the park.
 
On Friday, the humane society and The Fund for Animals filed a lawsuit in an effort to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove the wolves from the endangered species list.
 
Continued (scroll down) with links and comments:
http://tinyurl.com/amavbx9

[bearpaw]

Mont. shuts down wolf harvest near Yellowstone
 
Friday, December 14, 2012 Associated Press
 
BILLINGS, Mont. –– Montana wildlife commissioners closed down the state’s gray wolf season in some areas north of Yellowstone National Park on Monday, in response to a spate of recent shootings of animals that had been collared for scientific research.
 
The move shuts down hunting and trapping in areas to the east and west of the town of Gardiner, just days before trapping season was set to begin.
 
But wildlife commissioners did not yield to pressure from wildlife advocates to create a permanent and more extensive buffer around the park.
 
Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission chairman Bob Ream said commissioners were addressing only “the particular and unique situation” of collared wolves being shot.
 
“It seems to be kind of a compromise,” Ream said. “Is it political? Yeah, wolves are political.”
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/dx7ap48

[bearpaw]

Montana's first wolf trapping season opens Saturday

Dec. 14, 2012 by Erin Madison Great Falls Tribune
 
Montana’s first wolf trapping season begins Saturday, and more than 2,400 people statewide have been certified to participate.
 
Montana held its first wolf hunting season in 2009. In the two wolf seasons since, hunters were unable to meet the harvest quota. The Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission voted to allow trapping during the 2012-2013 season, and this year there is no statewide quota.
 
“We are clearly aiming to reduce the wolf population in Montana,” said Ken McDonald, FWP’s wildlife bureau chief in Helena, earlier this year.
 
In order to trap wolves, hunters are required to complete a six-hour class, covering some of the gear, procedures and ethics of trapping.
 
“There was tremendous demand for the classes,” said George Pauley, wildlife management section supervisor for FWP.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/c4kmbp5

[bearpaw]

One Wolf Hunting Zone Remains Open After Zone 6 Closes

Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/14/2012
 
The state's natural resources department is closing a fifth wolf hunting zone later today after the area reached its quota of total number of killings allowed in the new wolf hunting season. DNR Lands Division Administrator Kurt Thiede says Wolf Harvest Zone 6 will no longer be open for hunting and trapping of gray wolves effective 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
 
The harvest of wolves currently remains open only in Zone 3. Thiede says the department will continue to closely monitor the harvest in that zone.
 
"The harvest trend in Zone 6 has been slow during the initial wolf season. But harvest picked up during the deer season, with half the quota harvested during that time, " Thiede said.
 
The state wolf harvest quota for Zone 6 was set at 18 wolves and the closure process was initiated when the 18th wolf was harvested on Wednesday.
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Wolf bill approved by state legislature
 
December 14, 2012 The Mining Journal and The Associated Press
 
MARQUETTE - Legislation reclassifying gray wolves as a game species is on its way to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's desk.
 
The measure, which could one day lead to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission allowing a wolf hunt in Michigan, won final state Legislature approval early today. Senate Bill 1350 was introduced by state Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, in October. A similar measure was introduced in the House by Rep. Matt Huuki, R-Atlantic Mine.
 
The legislation passed today designates wolves as game species, authorizes establishment of the first open season for wolf and allows the NRC to issue orders establishing wolf hunting seasons in the state. The NRC would also dictate methods of take, bag limits and other provisions of wolf hunting or trapping seasons.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/crqgfnc

[bearpaw]

Wolf trapping begins Saturday in Montana, but areas around Yellowstone closed
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 15, 2012
 
BILLINGS, Montana — Trappers can harvest gray wolves in Montana starting Saturday, as the state's first wolf trapping season gets underway since the animals lost federal protection last year.
 
State officials say about 2,400 people are eligible to participate after taking a required wolf certification class.
 
Montana had about 653 wolves at the end of last year. State wildlife officials are trying to drive down that number through aggressive hunting and trapping seasons.
 
Some areas north of Yellowstone National Park were closed in advance of trapping over concerns that too many collared wolves had been shot by hunters.
 
Statewide, at least 92 wolves have been killed so far this season.
 
Wolf trapping and hunting continues in Montana through the end of February.
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Residents asked to report any wolf sightings
 
By MARK SPENCLEY dec. 15, 2012 Cheboygan News
 
For the next several months, wolves and a potential wolf hunt will be hot-button issues, but right now the snow on the ground also provides a valuable tool for biologists studying the area wolf population.
 
Wolves are polarizing. Some see them as rightful shareholders in northern Michigan’s wild kingdom while others see them as unwelcome invaders. Regardless of opinion, the more information scientists have on the wolf population the better.
 
In order to gather as much valuable information as possible, Department of Natural Resources biologists are heavily reliant on area residents participating in the process, according to Jennifer Kleitch, DNR biologist who works on area wolf research.
 
“We really want people to let us know if they think they’ve found wolf sign,” she said.
 
Continued:
http://www.cheboygannews.com/article/20121215/NEWS/121219592

[bearpaw]

Dec 16, 2012
 
Montana Joins Idaho In Wolf Trapping
 
by George Prentice on Sun, Dec 16, 2012 Boise Weekly
 
Montana joined Idaho Saturday as the Big Sky State launched its 2012-2013 wolf trapping season. Idaho's trapping season began Nov. 15.
 
This morning's Missoulian reports that Montana trappers weren't allowed to place any traps before Dec. 18, so they didn't expect a rush of activity this weekend.
 
To date, Montana hunters have killed 93 wolves in a rifle season that continues through Feb. 28. Montana officials said they would forgo a quota this season after seeing 166 kills during the 2011-2012 hunting season.
 
On Dec. 10, Montana officials ordered hunters to silence their guns in some areas north of Yellowstone National Park, in the wake of the killings of eight wolves fitted with GPS collars, that were found just outside the Yellowstone park limits.
 
Idaho Fish and Game reports that rifle hunters have killed 116 wolves this season while trappers have taken another seven. The Idaho hunting season runs through March 31 in most parts of Idaho, except the remote area west of Montana's Bitterroot Mountains, where hunters can remain active until June 30.
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Wolf trapping season begins; protest held in Missoula
 
Dec 16, 2012 By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian
 
Montana’s 2012 wolf hunt shifted to a new gear on Saturday as trapping became a legal way to take the predators.
 
However, state Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials don’t expect a rush of activity over the weekend. Trappers could not place traps before Saturday, and may leave them unchecked for up to 48 hours. They must report any kills within 24 hours.
 
Experienced trapper Mike Day of Missoula said he didn’t expect much success at all from the state’s new trapping program. Between the unhelpful weather and the difficult rules, he doubted the wolves had much to fear.
 
“We’re going to have a bunch of dingbats running around with great big traps not knowing what they’re doing,” Day said on Friday. “It’s designed to fail.”
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/cjknttv
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Enviros Worry About Arizona's Control Of Wolves
 
By Associated Press Sun December 16, 2012
 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists pushing for the release of more Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico say they're worried federal regulators are allowing Arizona to control the process and severely limit releases.
 
The Phoenix-based director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter says the Fish and Wildlife Service has made it clear it wants state wildlife agencies to take the lead. Sandy Bahr tells the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/SzuFne ) that's led to no releases at all in the past four years.
 
Arizona is now proposing to release between one and three captive wolves next year to replace three lobos illegally shot between November 2011 and July 2012 in Arizona.
 
The first wolves were released in 1998 with an expected population of 100 by 2006. Instead there's about 60.
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Wis. Judge to Revisit Wolf Hunt Case This Week
 
12/16/2012 Associated Press
 
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Madison judge is scheduled this week to revisit a lawsuit challenging the use of dogs in the state's wolf hunt.
 
A group of humane societies filed suit in August alleging the state Department of Natural Resources failed to enact any meaningful restrictions on how hunters can use dogs to track wolves, setting the stage for bloody wolf-dog fights in the woods.
 
Dane County Circuit Judge Peter C. Anderson has temporarily barred wolf hunters from using dogs while he considers the case. He is scheduled to hand down an oral ruling on Thursday afternoon.
 
Hunters haven't had much trouble killing wolves without dogs. Hunters have reached DNR-imposed kill limits in all but one wolf management zone.
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Predictions of rampant wolf poaching fizzle
 
Illegal wolf-kills remain same despite state's inaugural hunt
 
by Patrick Durkin Dec 15, 2012 Green Bay Press Gazette
 
Many folks predicted Wisconsin’s inaugural wolf season this year would trigger a poaching boom and put gray wolves back on the federal government’s endangered species list.
 
Even more predicted Northwoods hunters would kill record numbers of wolves accidentally during November’s nine-day gun-deer season. Why? Because it’s legal for the first time since 1986 to shoot coyotes in the northern third of Wisconsin during deer season. From 1987 through 2011, coyote hunting was forbidden in the Northwoods during deer season to prevent mistaken-identity wolf shootings.
 
Both predictions fizzled. The Department of Natural Resources reported seven illegal wolf-kills statewide during the 2012 gun-deer season, the same number reported during the 2011 season. That’s two fewer than in 2006 and one fewer than in 2009.
 
Further, most hunters apparently can tell wolves from coyotes. The Northwoods’ illegal wolf kill during deer season was three, the same as in 2011. In fact, the DNR recorded 25 wolf poachings statewide for all of 2011, but 17 so far in 2012, said Bill Vander Zouwen, the agency’s wildlife management section chief.
 
Continued (2 pages):
http://tinyurl.com/btucdbp
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Wolf-coyote confusion can happen anywhere in state
 
By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel Dec. 15, 2012
 
As the gray wolf has increased its population and range in Wisconsin, a new reality has become clear: A wolf can be seen anywhere in the state.
 
The animals' propensity for long-distance travel earned the phrase "wolves eat with their feet."
 
As wolves disperse and look for new territories, they have been documented in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties.
 
For Wisconsin hunters in 2012-'13, that bears repeating, especially if you hold a small-game license and are targeting coyotes.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bnx8ecv

[bearpaw]

Dec 17, 2012
 
Did MT break law in closing wolf season?
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! December 16, 2012
 
Questions have arisen about whether the Montana Wildlife Commission violated public participation laws when it recently voted to close wolf hunting seasons adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The commission took action on this item which had been listed as an "informational" item on its agenda.
 
For details, click on the link below.
 
Helena Independent Record
http://tinyurl.com/cj5loms
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Wyoming hunters take 58 wolves
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! December 16, 2012
 
With two weeks remaining in the wolf hunting season, hunters have harvested 39 wolves in Wyoming's trophy game area, and an additional 19 wolves in the predator zone, according to information provided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 at 3 p.m.
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Third wolf lawsuit filed
 
by press release December 16, 2012
 
The Humane Society of the United States and The Fund for Animals filed a lawsuit in federal court on Dec. 7, 2012 challenging the decision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove wolves in Wyoming from the federal list of endangered species.
 
"The agency's decision to strip Wyoming wolves of federal protection is biologically reckless and contrary to the requirements of the Endangered Species Act," said Jonathan Lovvorn, senior vice president and chief counsel for animal protection litigation at The HSUS. "Wyoming's regressive wolf management plan is reminiscent of a time when bounties paid by state and federal governments triggered mass killings that nearly exterminated wolves from the lower 48 states."
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/cuo649e
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Environmental groups concerned about plans to release just a few Mexican wolves in Arizona
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 16, 2012
 
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Environmentalists pushing for the release of more Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico are worried federal regulators are allowing Arizona to control the process and severely limit releases.
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made it clear it wants state wildlife agencies to take the lead, said Sandy Bahr, the Phoenix-based director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter. Bahr tells the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/SzuFne ) for a story in Sunday's editions that has led to no releases at all in the past four years.
 
Arizona is now proposing to release between one and three captive wolves next year to replace three lobos illegally shot between November 2011 and July 2012 in Arizona. Only wolves killed in Arizona since the start of 2011 would be eligible for replacement. At least 12 wolves were killed illegally in New Mexico from the start of 2009 through 2011.
 
The proposal follows an Arizona Game and Fish Commission policy that says the agency will only support replacing wolves killed illegally or that have died from "natural events," such as vehicle collisions or lightning strikes.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/d9p649y
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Conservation group maintains wolf hunt contest is illegal
 
Energeticcity.ca December 17, 2012
 
A local contest offering prizes for hunters who kill the biggest wolves is back in the spotlight as a conservation group says the provincial government is breaking the law by not intervening. Despite being told by B.C. Gaming that the contest is legal, lawyers from West Coast Environmental Law, on behalf of Pacific Wild, are maintaining it is against the law.
 
Now in its third year, the contest is designed to encourage hunters to help reduce the number of wolves in the area, which has become a province-wide problem. Pacific Wild's Ian McAllister says, "British Columbians should be furious that our government continues to allow wolves to be killed for money, prizes and other illegal lottery schemes when it is clearly against the law to hold a contest of this nature."
 
West Coast Environmental Law calls the contest a "lottery scheme", saying it should require a licence from the province to be legal, and could "undermine responsible management of wildlife". Previously,  Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources Operations, has been quoted as saying it does not break any provincial wildlife regulations, and provincial gaming officials have said it does not need a permit as it is skill-based.
 
In a previous interview with Moose FM/energeticcity.ca, an organizer of the contest explains that it came in part at request of the Peace Region agricultural community who were having livestock killed and rural residents losing pets, as well as wildlife on the decline because of the predators. The province has also come up with a wolf strategy to try and reduce some of their numbers, and has considered lifting bag limits in certain areas. The most wolves that have ever been brought in to the contest in one year is 13.
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Calm urged after wolf attack claimed
 
Global Times 2012-12-18 By Sun Xiaobo
 
Reports of wolf attacks on their sheep by some herders in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region following record-breaking snowfalls have led experts and netizens to urge a cautious approach to deal with the pack animals which are under State protection.
 
The Xinhua News Agency reported that a pack of starving wolves attacked herders' sheep in the region's Xilingol League.
 
Qian Shujun, a herder from the Abag Banner, said he lost five sheep in an attack and several others were wounded. "So far the loss has exceeded 5,000 yuan ($801.5) and it will be 10,000 yuan if the wounded die."
 
An official with Abag bureau of agriculture and husbandry told the Global Times that wolf attacks are supposed to be reported to the bureau. "We haven't received any reports of wolf attacks."
 
Continued:
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/750698.shtml

[bearpaw]

Dec 18, 2012
 
Wolf attacks Alaska trapper driving snowmobile on creek; rabies treatment given as precaution
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS December 18, 2012
 
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — An Alaska trapper fought off a wolf that lunged and bit into his arm as he drove his snowmobile down a frozen creek.
 
Lance Grangaard, 30, of Tok suffered a 3-inch wound to his arm and will be treated for rabies as a precaution after the attack Thursday about 30 miles from Taylor Highway in eastern interior Alaska.
 
Grangaard told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (http://bit.ly/V2Ok9u) in a story Monday that he was "putting along" on his snowmobile when he saw the wolf out of the corner of his eye.
 
"I turned in time to stick my arm up," Grangaard said. "A single black wolf grabbed my arm and started jerking on me ... I made a big jump and managed to get on its back."
 
Man and the wolf slammed down on the ice.
 
"He let out a yelp and bucked me off," Grangaard said. "He ran off 15 or 20 feet and he turned around. I screamed at him and raised my arms and he took off."
 
The wolf's canine teeth ripped through Grangaard's parka sleeve and three layers of clothing.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/cgvg3un
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Montana wildlife commission's closure of wolf hunt areas questioned
 
The decision made Monday by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission to close wolf hunts in areas bordering Yellowstone National Park may have violated state law in that the item on the agenda was identified as informational and not an action item.
 
Helena Independent Record; December 14, 2012
 
http://tinyurl.com/br9fcn2
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Scientist mourns loss of alpha female wolf in Yellowstone pack
 
Doug Smith, the biologist who radio-collared wolf 832F, the alpha female of the Lamar Canyon pack in Yellowstone National Park, was saddened to learn that the wolf had been killed by a hunter, but acknowledged that wolf hunting is essential to maintaining tolerance for the predators.
 
NPR.org; December 12, 2012
 
http://tinyurl.com/d99yg8b
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Hunters kill two wolves collared for research in Wyoming national park
 
Thirteen wolves have been killed in hunting areas that border Grand Teton National Park, including two radio-collared wolves, and while wildlife managers said they're not concerned about the loss of wolves that roam the park, they are concerned about the emotions the killing of radio-collared wolves may evoke.
 
Jackson Hole News & Guide; December 12, 2012
 
http://jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=9341

[bearpaw]

Dec 19, 2012
 
Wolf attacks trapper on snowmachine near Tok
 
by Tim Mowry/News-Miner Fairbanks Daily News Miner Dec 17, 2012
 
FAIRBANKS — A wolf attacked a Tok trapper on his snowmachine last week about 30 miles off the Taylor Highway, biting through the man’s parka and three layers of clothing to put a 3-inch gash on his arm.
 
Lance Grangaard, 30, said he was “putting along” on his Ski-Doo Tundra on Thursday afternoon, coming down a frozen creek, when he saw the wolf out of the corner of his eye.
 
“I turned in time to stick my arm up,” said Grangaard, who was trapping with his father, Danny, in a remote area off the Taylor Highway known as Ketchumstuk. “A single black wolf grabbed my arm and started jerking on me.”
 
Afraid the wolf was going to pull him off his machine and maul him, Grangaard went into attack mode himself.
 
Continued w/photo and list of wolf attacks:
http://tinyurl.com/chhyyjw
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Wolf hunts cause friction in Montana
 
December 17, 2012 Brooks Hays - GIMBY
 
Wolf hunting is attracting scattered protests in Montana, where the animals have recently lost federal endangered species protections.
 
Footloose Montana, an anti-trapping group, organized a small street demonstration in Missoula over the weekend, as Helena’s Independent Record reported.
 
“Myself, I’m a strong supporter of fair-chase hunting and bow-hunting,” Footloose Montana's director Filip Panusz told the Record. “But trapping is not fair chase. It’s not a clean kill. The animal suffers, maybe for days. You don’t know your target, so you could catch all kinds of other, non-target species. And you’re using bait, which is an unfair advantage that’s not allowed in any other kind of hunting.”
 
But hunters argue that trapping, done properly, is humane. "When the trap is sized appropriately for the animal, it's nothing more than a set of handcuffs," Jim Muscat told Bozeman TV station KBZK. "I've caught myself and it startles me. But it doesn't crush my bones or cut my skin or anything like that."
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/d2y9zuq
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Silencing The Wolf
 
'Culture war' killing ends storied life of alpha female
 
18 December 2012, EarthJustice
 
She never had a real name. Scientists called her 832F. To her fans, she was known simply as ’06 after the year that she was born. But for anyone who had ever seen the large, sleek gray wolf roaming the Yellowstone plains, she was the epitome of all things free and wild.
 
Last week, ’06 was killed by an unknown hunter just outside of the park. She was still wearing her radio collar.
 
The death of ’06 is a stark reminder of the culture war in the Northern Rockies between those who recognize the gray wolf’s right to exist and role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem, and those who view the creature as a threat to livestock and public safety that must be mercilessly exterminated.
 
For scientists and conservationists working to restore the gray wolf to the Northern Rockies after a century-long absence, the loss of ’06 was a huge blow. She was the alpha female of the Lamar Canyon pack—Yellowstone’s most famous wolf pack. Visitors described how the strong and agile she-wolf was able to singlehandedly take down large elk to feed her litter. One observer recalled watching ’06 outsmart 16 invading wolves from a rival pack, luring them away from a den of vulnerable pups. The Lamar Canyon pack now faces the real possibility of disbanding if another leader does not fill the void.
 
Continued:
http://earthjustice.org/blog/2012-december/silencing-the-wolf
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Environmentalists criticize Arizona's control of wolves
 
12/17/2012 Associated Press
 
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Environmentalists pushing for the release of more Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico are worried federal regulators are allowing Arizona to control the process and severely limit releases.
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has made it clear it wants state wildlife agencies to take the lead, said Sandy Bahr, the Phoenix-based director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter. Bahr tells the Albuquerque Journal (http://bit.ly/SzuFne ) for a story in Sunday's editions that has led to no releases at all in the past four years.
 
Arizona is now proposing to release between one and three captive wolves next year to replace three lobos illegally shot between November 2011 and July 2012 in Arizona. Only wolves killed in Arizona since the start of 2011 would be eligible for replacement. At least 12 wolves were killed illegally in New Mexico from the start of 2009 through 2011.
 
The proposal follows an Arizona Game and Fish Commission policy that says the agency will only support replacing wolves killed illegally or that have died from "natural events," such as vehicle collisions or lightning strikes.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/crobh7y
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Gray wolf strays back into Tehama County
 
By JULIE ZEEB - Tehama County Daily News Dec 18, 2012
 
One of California's most famous recent visitors strolled back onto the radar Monday in northern Tehama County after several days of no satellite reading.
 
OR-7, the gray wolf that left Oregon and became the first and only wolf to have been sighted in California since 1924, first visited Tehama County for a few days in July.
 
His last known whereabouts prior to showing up in Tehama County Monday was Plumas County where all of his satellite readings appeared, amongst several no days of no reading, according to the California Department of Fish and Game blog: californiagraywolf.wordpress.com.
 
Since leaving his pack, the Oregon native has traveled back and forth across the California-Oregon border at least four times, roaming more than 2,500 air miles since leaving his Oregon pack with 1,500 of those in California.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/c44cz6b

[bearpaw]

Dec 21, 2012
 
Mato Woksape Fasts for Wolves at Idaho State Capitol
 
by Andrew Crisp on Thu, Dec 20, 2012 Boise Weekly
 
Sitting on the steps of the State Capitol today, Mato Woksape of Corvallis, Ore., is midway through his third day of prayer fasting in opposition to the hunting and trapping of gray wolves in the U.S., including Idaho.
 
"I’m performing the Sun Dance prayer, which was performed for the buffalo," said Woksape.
 
Woksape began his vigil at sunrise on Tuesday, Dec. 18. He plans to go without food until sunset, Friday, Dec. 21, drinking only water when he "feels ill." He believes the decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list in the Northern U.S., and the subsequent hunting of those animals, is to protect mining and gas-drilling operations.
 
"We've identified three factors for why they're killing the wolf," he said. "The tar sand in Alberta, wells permeated by chemicals from natural gas extraction, and the third threat of mining in Minnesota and Michigan."
 
Asked if wolf tags had anything to do with the loss of farm animals, Woksape said he didn't believe wolves were the cause of many of those deaths.
 
"I don't see it as a ranching issue," said Woksape.
 
Representing anti-wolf-hunt groups like Howling for Justice, Howl Across America and the Northwest Wolf Alliance, Woksape said he speaks with tribes across the U.S. to protect their land against wolf hunting and trapping.
 
Source with photo:
http://tinyurl.com/cmz8gym
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USFS, Montana trappers work together to keep wolf traps away from ski trails
 
After cross-country skiers expressed concerns that their dogs might encounter wolf traps along some trails in the Bitterroot National Forest near Montana's Lake Como, the forest supervisor signed an order requiring traps be set 150 feet away from all trails, and the Montana Trappers Association said it was urging trappers to not set traps near high-use recreation areas.
 
Missoulian; December 21, 2012
 
http://tinyurl.com/ch866sm
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Wolf hunt approved for tribal members
 
The Star December 21, 2012
 
Colville Tribal members are able to hunt gray wolves in designated areas through Feb. 28, or until the quota of nine wolves is met.
 
Business Council Chairman John Sirois said recently the decision has been a long time coming and has been controversial.
 
The tribes’ reason for the wolf hunt is that the predator is denting the local population of both deer and elk herds, Sirois said.
 
The tribes elected to allow a wolf hunt in order to protect the tribes’ food supply. Many tribal members and families rely on deer or elk for their winter meat, Sirois pointed out.
 
“Wolves are starting to have an impact,” Sirois stated. “We decided it was much better to manage the population so we can keep the numbers down a little bit. We would rather do that than what the state Fish and Wildlife did and take a whole pack out.”
 
continued:
http://tinyurl.com/cl6jwkl
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New Coalition Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Gray Wolf's Thrilling Return to California
 
December 21, 2012 NRDC by Damon Nagami
 
One year ago, a gray wolf from Oregon’s Imnaha pack, OR7, crossed over the state’s southern border and became the first wolf to roam California in more than eighty years. Earlier this fall, I blogged about environmental groups’ efforts to secure additional protections for this important endangered species, and a critical first step the California Department of Fish and Game is taking toward that goal.
 
Today, the news for OR7 and gray wolves in California gets even better. More than two dozen organizations working in the Pacific Northwest and California, including NRDC, have announced the formation of the Pacific Wolf Coalition, an alliance committed to recovering wolves across the region. The coalition’s press release can be found here. Our group will work toward the restoration of populations of wolves across their historic habitats in numbers that will allow them to re-establish their critical role in nature and ensure their long-term survival.
 
We are thrilled to be working with these other prominent wildlife protection groups to make sure OR7 and his eventual pack mates thrive in California and roam our state freely as they did decades ago.
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