Gray Wolf News "The latest in the Wolf Wars"

[bearpaw]

Jan 1, 2013
 
Wolf attacks dog at 5 Wing Goose Bay
 
January 1, 2013 The Labradorian [Canada]
 
Early this morning, Military Police in 5 Wing Goose Bay were alerted to the presence of a wolf on the base.
 
The wolf attacked a dog and a local MP officer killed the wolf with one shot. The dog survived the attack but its current condition is unknown.
 
Wildlife officials later arrived and took away the wolf’s carcass.

[bearpaw]

Jan 2, 2013
 
Hunters kill 43 wolves, 9 short of quota, during Wyoming's 1st hunting season
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS January 02, 2013
 
CHEYENNE, Wyoming — Hunters didn't take all the wolves they were allowed to during Wyoming's wolf hunting season.
 
They killed 43 wolves before the season ended Monday, nine short of the state's quota for the animals.
 
It was Wyoming's first wolf hunting season since the federal government reintroduced wolves to the Yellowstone ecosystem in the 1990s.
 
Besides those taken during hunting season, 26 wolves were killed around Wyoming in 2012 because they were considered predators.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
2 wolves spotted chasing deer through Polson yard
 
By Vince Devlin the Missoulian Jan 2, 2013
 
POLSON — Authorities say a Polson woman who reported seeing what she believed to be two wolves in her yard inside the city limits Friday was probably correct.
 
The woman said the wolves, one black and one gray, were chasing 23 deer through her yard.
 
Polson Assistant Police Chief Clinton J. Cottle said the animals were spied on the east side of Polson, in the Hillcrest area.
 
Two days later, Cottle said, police received a report of a partially consumed mule deer carcass in the same area.
 
A Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal wildlife biologist who responded to the report measured and photographed the tracks in the yard.
 
CSKT officials said the spacing between the two sets of tracks, size of the tracks and the gait of the tracks were consistent with wolf tracks.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bhmhut5
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Close to hitting gray wolf target
 
Wednesday, January 2, 2013  by Dave Dickey - Aitkin Age [Minnesota]
 
As of Wednesday, Dec. 26, hunters and trappers had registered a total of 344 gray wolves towards the target of 400. This total includes the 147 taken during the early firearms season.
 
The east central and northeast zones are closed as they have reached their targets. This leaves 56 that could still be taken in the northwest zone by the time the season would end on Jan. 31. My understanding is that the majority have been taken by trapping during the late season. All nine in the east central zone were taken by trappers.
 
We’ve had more winter to date than at this time last year but the deer herd should be in good shape going into the winter.  A late start to winter bodes well for deer to give them a good start to get through winter. 
 
With more snow on the ground now compared to last winter, it will be interesting to see how the expanding wild turkey population does. Hopefully they can adapt to the kinds of foods available to them this far north.

[skywalker253]

I love reading all the wolf news posted, but how is this relevant to Washington? This is hunting-washington.com, not hunting-national.com. It takes away from the website. Keeping the site ONLY Wa news is what make it special. IMO
Either way I am hooked and will read everything cougarpaw posts.

[bearpaw]

In my opinion I think it's important to understand what is going on in wolf management everywhere in order to know what our future for wolf management may be in WA. Additionally many of us Washington hunters go hunting in other states and what happens there directly affects our hunting opportunities there.

[bearpaw]

Jan 3, 2013
 
Montana judge's ruling allows wolf hunting, trapping to resume near Yellowstone National Park
 
By MATTHEW BROWN - Associated Press January 02, 2013
 
BILLINGS, Montana — Wolf hunting and trapping can resume near Yellowstone National Park after a Montana judge on Wednesday blocked the state from shutting down the practice over concerns that too many animals used in research were being killed.
 
The restraining order from Judge Nels Swandal allows hunting and trapping to resume in areas east and west of the town of Gardiner in Park County.
 
State officials closed the gray wolf season in those areas on Dec. 10. That came after several wolves collared for scientific research were killed, drawing complaints from wildlife advocates.
 
The move prompted a lawsuit from sporting groups and a state lawmaker from Park County, Rep. Alan Redfield, who said the public was not given enough chance to weigh in on the closures.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/aafyyxe
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Federal officials confirm 4 Mexican wolves found dead in 2012, less than previous year
 
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN - Associated Press January 03, 2013
 
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Fewer Mexican gray wolves were found dead in the wild in New Mexico and Arizona this past year, and federal officials say efforts aimed at reducing conflicts with livestock seem to be helping.
 
Officials confirmed that three of the four wolves found dead in 2012 were illegally shot.
 
In the most recent case, the carcass of a female member of Arizona's Hawks Nest pack was found in December. The cause of death is under investigation.
 
Eight wolves were found dead in 2011. Three were shot, two were hit by vehicles, and three died of natural causes.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/be68a2w
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Gray wolf takes to California but is unlikely to find a mate here
 
The young male from Oregon has remained in the Golden State since spring and covered about 3,000 miles. He's also shown exceptional homing abilities.
 
By Bettina Boxall, Los Angeles Times January 1, 2013
 
Like many out-of-state visitors, the lone gray wolf that trotted across the border from Oregon has taken a liking to California.
 
He went back and forth between the two states a handful of times after his initial crossing into Siskiyou County on Dec. 28, 2011. But since spring, the young male has remained in the Golden State, loping across forests and scrublands, up and down mountains and across rural highways in California's sparsely populated northeast.
 
The first wild wolf documented in California in nearly 90 years, he has roamed as far south as Tehama County — about halfway between the border and Sacramento — searching for other wolves, and a mate.
 
"I guess he's being the Lewis and Clark of wolves in California," said wolf advocate Amaroq Weiss.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bepb5lc
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

[bearpaw]

Jan 4, 2013
 
Wisconsin judge allows wolf hunting with dogs but blocks training
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS January 04, 2013
 
MADISON, Wisconsin — A Madison judge has ruled people can hunt wolves with dogs but blocked them from training dogs to go after the animals.
 
A group of humane societies filed a lawsuit earlier this year alleging the Department of Natural Resources failed to place any real restrictions on how wolf hunters can use dogs. Anderson temporarily banned the use of dogs while he weighed the case.
 
Anderson ruled Friday the DNR had an obligation to tweak a pre-existing rule that allows people to train dogs on wild animals to address problems that would arise between dogs and wolves. He found the rule is invalid and can't be used to support training on wolves.
 
But he said the DNR had no duty to impose restrictions on actually hunting wolves with dogs.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

[bearpaw]

Jan 5, 2013
 
Wyoming wolf hunt season closes
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 4, 2013
 
Hunters harvested 43 wolves of the quota of 52 during the 2012 wolf hunting season in the trophy game areas of western Wyoming, in addition to the 26 wolves killed in the predator zone. The hunting season is now closed in the trophy game areas.
 
Idaho hunters took 131 wolves in the 2012 hunting season, in addition to the 26 wolves trapped in that state. The trapping season remains open through March in some parts of that state.
 
Montana hunters have taken 102 wolves in the archery/general season, in addition to the 30 wolves taken in the trapping season. Both hunting and trapping seasons for wolves remain open in areas of that state.
 
Wolf hunting seasons are now closed in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hunters harvested 395 wolves in Minnesota, and 117 in Wisconsin.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Judge orders Montana to reopen wolf season
 
by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks January 4, 2013
 
A district court judge Wednesday reopened wolf hunting and trapping seasons in two areas north of Yellowstone National Park. The areas were closed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission on Dec. 10 in response to concern that hunters were taking wolves with collars that supplied scientific information to YNP researchers.
 
The areas ordered to reopen are within Wolf Management Unit 390 near Gardiner. District Judge Nels Swandal's order suggested that FWP failed to offer sufficient public notice about the closure and set a hearing for Jan. 14. The suit challenging the FWP Commission's decision was brought by several sporting groups and a state representative from Park County.
 
In July, however, when the wolf hunting and trapping seasons were adopted, in response to public comment the FWP Commission additionally directed FWP to conduct a review of the overall harvest prior to the Dec. 15 opening of the wolf trapping season to determine if season adjustments would be needed. At the time, FWP noted in press releases and on its website that the FWP Commission can close the wolf season at anytime. Montana's wolf hunting regulations also identifies FWP Commission authority to close the wolf season.
 
Montana's wolf hunting and trapping seasons are open through Feb. 28. So far, hunters have taken 102 wolves and trappers have reported taking 30 wolves. The recovery of the wolf in the northern Rockies remains one of the fastest endangered species comebacks on record. In the mid 1990s, to hasten the overall pace of wolf recovery, 66 wolves were released into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho.
 
The minimum Montana wolf population estimates at the end of 2011 include 653 wolves, in 130 verified packs, and 39 breeding pairs. The minimum wolf count is the number of wolves actually counted by FWP wolf specialists, and likely is 10 to 30 percent fewer than the actual wolf population.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Wolves in Polson, Montana
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 4, 2013
 
A pair of wolves appears to have taken up residence within the city limits of Polson, Montana, preying on deer herds there. Residents have reported spotting the wolves in their yards.
 
For more, click on the link below.
 
Lake County Leader
http://tinyurl.com/ah76sql
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

[bearpaw]

Jan 6, 2013
 
Russian hunters to reduce wolf population
 
Jan. 6, 2013 UPI
 
MOSCOW, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Special brigades of hunters have been formed to reduce the wolf population in Yakutia, Russia, to combat the increased attacks on livestock, officials said.
 
Local authorities have declared a state of emergency in the northeastern republic of Yakutia, where gray wolves killed more than 16,000 domestic reindeer and 300 horses in 2012.
 
The damage caused by wolves costs the region approximately $5 million annually, RIA Novosti reported Sunday.
 
The gray wolf population in Yakutia is approximately 4,000, three times the target level. Local authorities said they plan to reduce the number down to 500.

[flatbkman]

Wolves spotted at Idaho nuclear facility
1-8-2013
 
 
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- Two wolves have been spotted at an 890-square-mile nuclear facility in eastern Idaho that is off limits to hunters and trappers.

Workers spotted the wolves Saturday outside the fence of the Advanced Test Reactor Complex, Idaho National Laboratory spokeswoman Carisa Shultz said.

She said the wolves don't concern officials at the complex, though employees are more used to seeing deer, rabbits and occasionally elk at the restricted site.

Tom Keegan, wildlife manager for the Salmon Region of Idaho Fish and Game, said it's possible the wolves came from the Lemhi Mountains north of the facility.

It's unlikely the wolves will set up a home range in the high desert area where the lab is built, added Jeff Gould, chief of wildlife for Idaho Fish and Game.

"This time of year there are a lot of wolves that disperse from their home ranges and look for new ones," Gould told the Post Register ( http://bit.ly/V9j65r ) in a story Tuesday. "They are probably passing through."

The sighting doesn't signal an increase in the wolf population or increased danger to humans, livestock or the elk herd living on lab land, said Gregg Losinksi, a regional Fish and Game spokesman.

"Wolves moving through the site is an everyday occurrence," Losinski said. "The amount of territory a wolf can cover is huge."

The federal nuclear research facility about 50 miles from Idaho Falls was established in 1949.

"The elk herd has certainly learned the INL is a safe place," said Losinski. "And if they can learn it, then I'm certain a wolf could, too."

Lab officials have reminded workers to be alert when they are outside the fence, and that wolves typically run in packs so if one is spotted there could be more.
 

[HORSEPOWER]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

January 7, 2013
Contact: Dave Ware, (360) 902-2509

Meetings scheduled to discuss gray wolf recovery, management

OLYMPIA - The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

A panel of experts will discuss ongoing efforts to recover Washington's gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states.

"Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views," said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. "This is a great opportunity for people interested in gray wolves to hear from experts about the recovery of the species throughout the West."

Keynote speakers include Mike Jimenez, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Wyoming; Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf specialist with the USFWS and the U.S Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services; and Donny Martorello, WDFW carnivore section manager.

Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach, an independent wild carnivore education organization based in the state of Washington, will moderate the meetings.

Each meeting will include an opportunity for the public to submit questions to the presenters about wolf recovery and management.

The public meetings are scheduled for:

Jan. 16 - Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 17 - Office Building #2, at 14th Ave. and Jefferson St., Olympia, 2:30-5 p.m.
Jan. 18 - Magnuson Park's Garden Room, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 6-8 p.m.
Virtually absent from Washington for more than 70 years, gray wolves have dispersed into the eastern portion of the state and the North Cascades from adjacent populations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and British Columbia.

WDFW has confirmed the presence of eight wolf packs in Washington. There is also evidence of unconfirmed packs near Kettle Falls in northeastern Washington, in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington and in the North Cascades, as well as transient wolves.

Gray wolves are currently listed as endangered under state law throughout Washington, and under federal law in the western two-thirds of the state.

Washington's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan establishes a goal of 15 breeding pairs of wolves distributed among three regions of the state for three years - or 18 pairs in one year - before the state can delist gray wolves as an endangered species.

More information on wolves is available at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/.

 

 

 

Quentin Summers
 
EDGE Contractor
 

[bearpaw]

Jan 7, 2013
 
Wolves run just outside fence of nuclear reactor at Idaho National Laboratory
 
by Rocky Barker on Mon, 01/07/2013 - Idaho Statesman
 
Wolves recently were spotted outside the north fence of the Advanced Test Reactor Complex deep in the heart of the 890-square-mile Idaho National Laboratory in the Arco desert.
 
The wolves were spotted near the complex where the 250 megawatt nuclear test reactor is housed. Their presence was reported in an internal INL newsletter that cautioned workers that do field work, walk or job outside the fence.
 
It shouldn't be any surprise since the INL is winter range for a variety of big game animals and has resident populations of antelope, deer, elk and moose. I remember 27 years ago when operators were preparing to melt down the Loss of Coolant Test Reactor, a moose walked in the open front door of the reactor.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Mexican gray wolf may be released soon in Arizona forest to replace pack's dead alpha male
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS January 07, 2013
 
PHOENIX — An adult male Mexican gray wolf may be released soon in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest in east-central Arizona.
 
Arizona Game and Fish Department officials say the wolf is scheduled for a mid-January release adjacent to the Bluestem pack. It will replace the pack's alpha male found dead in July and determined to be illegally killed.
 
The release is contingent upon the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project's interagency field team's survey work to ensure no other male wolf has paired with the Bluestem pack's alpha female.
 
The Mexican gray wolf was added to the federal endangered species list in 1976 after it was nearly wiped out by government trapping and poisoning designed to help cattle ranchers.
 
The federal government began a reintroduction effort in 1998 in Arizona and New Mexico.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
$30K settlement in mauling of California miniature horse by wolf-dog hybrids
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS January 07, 2013 
 
RIVERSIDE, California — The owner of two wolf-dog hybrids that got loose and mauled a Southern California miniature horse has paid a $30,000 settlement.
 
Lake Mathews rancher Chris Herron, whose tiny horse Bojangles was killed two years ago, says he hopes the deal with the wolf-dog owner will encourage others to do a better job of keeping their animals penned up.
 
The Riverside Press-Enterprise (http://bit.ly/TPKeED) says Herron sued Cesar Siordia for $65,000, which included $25,000 in punitive damages and $25,000 in lawyer fees. Trial was scheduled for March.
 
But the case was dismissed in November when both sides settled for $30,000.
 
Ranch workers saw Siordia's wolf-dogs eating Bojangles.
 
A ranch hand shot and killed one of the dogs and the other was euthanized.
 
Siordia was cited for violating the county leash law.

[bearpaw]

Jan 8, 2013
 
Meetings scheduled to discuss gray wolf recovery, management
 
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
January 07, 2013
Contact: Dave Ware, (360) 902-2509
 
OLYMPIA – The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
 
A panel of experts will discuss ongoing efforts to recover Washington’s gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states.
 
“Wolves are a high-profile species that attract considerable public interest from people who often have opposing views,” said Dave Ware, WDFW game manager. “This is a great opportunity for people interested in gray wolves to hear from experts about the recovery of the species throughout the West.”
 
Keynote speakers include Mike Jimenez, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Wyoming; Carter Niemeyer, retired wolf specialist with the USFWS and the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services; and Donny Martorello, WDFW carnivore section manager.
 
Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach, an independent wild carnivore education organization based in the state of Washington, will moderate the meetings.
 
Continued with schedule:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/release-print/jan0713a/
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Russia declares emergency over wolf attacks
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 7, 2013
 
The Siberian Republic of Yakutia has declared a state of emergency due to attacks on livestock by wolves. A program to reduce the wolf population by 3,000 is now being undertaken.
 
For more, click on the links below.
 
Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty
http://tinyurl.com/aur73y5
 
Russian Times
http://rt.com/news/siberia-emergency-wolf-hunt-446/
 
BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20932461

[bearpaw]

Jan 9, 2013
 
Washington to hold wolf management public meetings
 
by Rich Landers Jan. 8, 2013 The Spokesman-Review
 
Washington wildlife managers are putting together a road show of experts to help the public understand the options for managing the expanding number of gray wolves spreading into the state.
 
The recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states will be the topic of three public meetings this month hosted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
 
The only Eastern Washington meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Center Place Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Pl. in Spokane Valley.
 
The agency says a panel of experts will discuss efforts to recover Washington’s gray wolf population, the latest information from population surveys in Washington and gray wolf management strategies used in other states.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/ah5fw5v
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Cattlemen say wolf management based on emotion, not science
 
by Rich Landers Jan. 8, 2013 The Spokesman-Review
 
The Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association says Washington has crafted much of its wolf management policy based on social pressure, not on data.
 
In a media release, the association said the answers or lack of answers to public records requests indicate the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lacks the information to properly manage the predator.
 
“Over the last several months, we have submitted a number of formal requests to WDFW regarding specific data related to the wolf,” said SCCA President Scott Nieslen. “The responses we received show that WDFW has no information on the number of prey animals available for the wolves, they have limited information about the wolf population and have no ability to predict how wolves will affect local communities.”
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/ad66xhv
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Wyoming game officials investigating illegal wolf kills near Grand Teton
 
Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Yellowstone Gate
 
Wyoming Game and Fish Department officials are seeking information about the illegal killing of two gray wolves in the Gros Ventre area near Jackson, Wyo., east of Grand Teton National Park.
 
Two wolves shot in separate incidents in December were both poached—killed in a way that doesn’t comply with the state’s wildlife and hunting laws—officials said in a statement released Tuesday.
 
North Jackson game warden Bill Long said a wolf was found shot dead in the Gros Ventre area in early December. A second wolf, which had also been shot, was found on Dec. 21, several miles from the first wolf carcass.
 
“These illegal killings of wolves are plain and simple poaching, with total disregard for the state’s efforts to properly and adequately manage wolf populations in order to maintain recovery goals,” Long said.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/9w99hw7
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Legal Efforts Underway to Protect Mexican Gray Wolves
 
Public News Service - NM January 7, 2013
 
SILVER CITY, N.M. - Efforts to restore wolves to the wild continue to face obstacles. Most recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) granted itself a "recovery permit" to live-capture endangered wolves that enter New Mexico and Arizona from Mexico or the Rocky Mountains. As a result, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent to sue the federal agency.
 
Michael Robinson is a conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. He says wolves don't carry maps, and live-capture is dangerous. It can disrupt breeding pairs and leave pups without their parents, he explains, and in some cases, pups have disappeared and been presumed dead because their parents have been live-captured. But that's not all, he adds.
 
"There's been 18 instances in which wolves have been accidentally killed as a consequence of capture, as well as instances where they've lost legs that have had to be amputated due to trap injuries."
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) says the permit is not a kill permit, but a "take" permit. It empowers agencies working with the Service to legally handle a member of an endangered species. FWS spokesman Tom Buckley says the permit ensures that if an animal is killed, those with permits are protected under the law. FWS has until late February to respond to the notice to sue.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/agqz2ay
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Dog euthanized after wolf attack at Labrador base
 
The Canadian Press January 3, 2013
 
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. – A golden retriever attacked by a wolf at a military base in Labrador has been euthanized because of its injuries.
 
Capt. Dave Bowen, a spokesman at 5 Wing Goose Bay, says the attack happened early Monday morning outside a home on the base.
 
Military police, who responded to the call, say they saw blood in the snow and a dog huddled underneath the home’s deck.
 
An officer says the wolf was about the same size of the dog, weighing about 22 kilograms.
 
Bowen says the officer coaxed the dog out from the deck and decided to euthanize the wolf, which is being tested for rabies.
 
There have been six wolf sightings in recent months around the base, but it’s the first time one has been spotted on the base.

[bearpaw]

Jan 10, 2013
 
Federal judge transfers wolf lawsuit from to Wyoming from Colorado
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS January 10, 2013
 
CHEYENNE, Wyoming — A lawsuit filed by a coalition of environmental groups challenging the federal government's decision to transfer wolf management to the state of Wyoming should be heard in the state, a federal judge has ruled.
 
Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane of Colorado issued an order Wednesday granting a joint request from the federal government and the state of Wyoming to move the case from federal court in Colorado to federal court in Wyoming.
 
The eight environmental groups filed suit in November claiming that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the federal Endangered Species Act when it ended federal protections for wolves in Wyoming last fall.
 
The groups maintain Wyoming's management plan classifying wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in most of the state is inadequate.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Montana wildlife agency asks lawmakers to expand wolf hunting and trapping
 
By MATT VOLZ - Associated Press January 10, 2013
 
HELENA, Montana — State wildlife officials planned to ask lawmakers Thursday to make it easier to hunt and trap wolves in Montana, while a Bozeman legislator wants to cap the state's population of the predators at 250.
 
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee was to take up both proposals as the wolf debate takes the spotlight in the first week of the 2013 legislative session.
 
Ranchers and hunters have called for an expansion of hunting and more liberal rules after 166 wolves were killed out of the 220-animal quota set for 2011, the state's second-ever wolf hunt. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials responded by making the 2012 season longer, eliminating most quotas and allowing trapping for the first time.
 
The agency is now asking for additional measures in House Bill 73 that can only be accomplished by changing state law. The proposal would let hunters and trappers buy multiple tags and use electronic wolf calls, reduce the price of a non-resident tag from $350 to $50 and eliminate the requirement that hunters wear fluorescent orange outside of elk and deer season.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bdsgcob

[bearpaw]

Jan 11, 2013
 
Wolf lawsuit moved to Wyoming
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 11, 2013
 
A federal judge has issued an order moving a lawsuit challenging the removal of federal protections for wolves in Wyoming from his court in Colorado to Wyoming. The request for change of venue was filed by both federal and state officials. Wolf advocate and environmental groups filed the lawsuit in federal court in Colorado last fall.
 
Click on the link below for more information.
 
Associated Press article
http://tinyurl.com/d8o65ah
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Bounty offered in cases of two poached wolves
 
By Mike Koshmrl, Jackson Hole, Wyoming January 11, 2013
 
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the prosecution of those responsible for poaching two gray wolves in the Gros Ventre drainage.
 
No tips have come in on the two cases, the only wolf poachings that have been reported in Wyoming this year. They are being investigated by North Jackson game warden Bill Long.
 
The wolves were discovered before Dec. 21 and within “several miles” of each other, but it’s not known if the incidents are related, Long said. Up to $5,000 is available in each case.
 
“If the public is aware of anything or heard of anything, please let us know,” Long said. “This is wanton destruction.”
 
Continued:
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/print.php?art_id=9433&pid=news
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Wolf meetings slated, but none local
 
January 10, 2013 By Scott Sandsberry - Yakima Herald-Republic
 
Three Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife open meetings focusing on the recovery and management of gray wolves in Washington and other western states are scheduled for next week, but none of them will be held in Central Washington.
 
The meetings, which will feature a panel of experts discussing efforts to recover and manage Washington’s gray wolf population, are set for next Wednesday at Spokane Valley’s Center Place Regional Event Center, Thursday (Jan. 17) in Olympia and Friday (Jan. 18) in Seattle.
 
Panelists will include Mike Jimenez, who coordinates wolf recovery efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service throughout the Rocky Mountain region; Carter Niemeyer, a retired wolf specialist with the service; and Donny Martorello, carnivore manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The moderator will be Lorna Smith, executive director of Western Wildlife Outreach.
 
Go here for more on the meetings, including a full schedule and locations.
 
http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/jan0713a/
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Court: NPS right to deny wolf reintroduction
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 11, 2013
 
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver has ruled that the National Park Service was right in its rejection of the idea of reintroducing wolves to Rocky Mountain National Park in order to reduce the elk population.
 
Click on the link below to learn more.
 
Denver Post
http://tinyurl.com/ctzp8up
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
 
Michigan may hold a wolf hunt in the Upper Peninsula this fall
 
By Steve Carmody January 10, 2013 Michigan Radio
 
Gray wolves in the Upper Peninsula are a step closer to being hunted this fall.
 
For many years, the Gray Wolf was on the endangered species list.   Now, there are an estimated 687 wolves in the Upper Peninsula. That’s far more than is needed for the wolves to have a viable population, according to state wildlife biologists.
 
“When you look at 687, it’s probably not the appropriate number to look at in context of ‘Do we need public harvest to resolve conflicts?’” says Adam Bump, a specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
 
By ‘conflicts’, Bump is referring to attacks by wolves on livestock animals in the U.P.    Those attacks have risen as the gray wolf population has grown.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/d22fcng