Preliminary Results of Cascade wolf scat study

[stocmamu]

Lot of information here to go over...

http://nwsportsmanmag.com/senators-briefed-on-washingtons-wolves-ongoing-research/

Highlights:
"They learned that among the more than 1,100 scat samples collected in South Cascades by poop-sniffing dogs last year are suggestions that there are indeed wolves in a part of Washington that none are known to occur, key for meeting statewide recovery goals."

"There were details on the diet of wolves in Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties — primarily deer but also moose and to a much lesser degree elk — as well as coyotes there, including a stronger percentage of moose than you might expect from the diminutive dogs."

"... they saw how collecting dung with dogs and then sequencing it could give much more accurate wolf counts. Two years’ worth from Pend Oreille and Colville Valley packs show at least 60 different wolves and an estimated 68 there between April 2015 and February 2016 and 92 and likely 95 between October 2016 and June 2017."

[boneaddict]

Thanks for the data / link

[X-Force]

Very cool.

[jackelope]

Interesting stuff, especially the coyote eating moose part. I guess I'd assume they're scavenging on already dead moose...or maybe moose calves.

[boneaddict]

Kinda confirms my thoughts on the wolves establishing in the Taneum and headed south.  Love science.  They should have relied on a dung sniffin Doug, I mean dog a long time ago.

[boneaddict]

I’d love to see them make a pass through the Methow next.

[mburrows]

That is an interesting article, hopefully an eye opener. This is a tough one to swallow:

"They learned that Washington’s wolf population continues to rise by an average of 30 percent a year, even as 22 have been killed to try and head off livestock depredations that have also occurred at a lower rate than in the Northern Rockies states."

Thats a steep incline and lines up with what a lot of guys on here are saying.

[Boss .300 winmag]

They finally recognized the Skagit pack. But I personally feel the loop loop pack is 2-3 different packs.

[CGDucksandDeer]

NWS' follow-up blog is useful, too: http://nwsportsmanmag.com/so-how-many-wolves-are-there-actually-in-washington/

The slide showing suspected wolf poo in the South Cascades is particularly interesting as it correlates with areas such as Taneum, Bumping Lake and Little Naches where hunters and others have long reported wolves. Solid progress towards recovery goals and state delisting if confirmed.