More Washington wolves!!

[jager]

June 14, 2009
 A game camera monitored by Washington state wildlife biologists recently caught an image of what appears to be a lactating female wolf in the middle of Pend Oreille County.

“We’ve made no announcements because we have not confirmed that it’s a wild wolf,” said Madonna Luers, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department spokeswoman. “There are a lot of wolf-dog hybrids out there.”

Hair samples have been taken from a bait site and testing is under way to determine if Washington has its second documented pack of breeding gray wolves.

Meantime, state biologists are monitoring a probable den location for a confirmed wolf pack in the Methow Valley. Nearly a year ago, those wolves became the state’s first documented pack to have pups since the species was extirpated about 70 years ago.

“There are a lot of wolf-dog hybrids out there.”

   

[billythekidrock]

"Hybrids" caught my eye as well. WTF? Why are we protecting hybrids?

[wolfbait]

Thats no surprise, now that the cat is out of the bag, wolves will start getting discovered all over Washington. The Methow Valley has more than one pack, but they won't be telling anyone about that, just the same as they won't tell you where these wolves really came from. .

[WDFW-SUX]

Well if its a hybrid we can kill it on the spot...just a Ferrel dog officer nothing to see here

[jackelope]

right, there's random wolves all over. once they get confirmed pics of them and stuff, they'll make the news. these surely aren't new wolves. they simply got their pictures taken and made the news.

[Slider]

 

[wolfbait]

right, there's random wolves all over. once they get confirmed pics of them and stuff, they'll make the news. these surely aren't new wolves. they simply got their pictures taken and made the news.

I ran across a pdf this mornin about the wolf plan for washington, one that hit me in the forhead was the planting of many single wolves because of the amount of people that live in the state. In the saveelk.com there is an artical about protecting any animal that has wolf DNA in it. Which could be a real bad problem for me, as my feelings are the bigger the coyote the better I shoot. Aim small, miss small.

[jackelope]

got links or a copy of the pdf?

you can email them to me and i will post them up if you want.

[wolfbait]

I'm looking for them now, and will head em your way

[runamuk]

right, there's random wolves all over. once they get confirmed pics of them and stuff, they'll make the news. these surely aren't new wolves. they simply got their pictures taken and made the news.

 artical about protecting any animal that has wolf DNA in it.

this struck me .... you would not want to utilize hybrids in a wolf program period...

I've known about the wolves in the Cascades for 10 or so years now..... I heard them and confirmed it with a ranger (not a wdfw employee)  I was also told that there had been sightings from reliable sources and one photo from a reliable source of a grizz in the cascades as well........ the person I spoke with knew of the planting program and said it was being kept very quiet to protect the wolves......they figured it would not take long for people to start seeing enough evidence so no point getting everyone riled up too early.....

basically they seem to be doing well enough now that they should be managed like all other predators...time to start issuing tags if you ask me.....I know you didn't ask me

[wolfbait]

I agree with you 100%, but with them saying they just now in 08 discovered the wolves, well you can just bet it will be another 3 years or better before they have their so called quota of wolves for delisting. by that time there will be nomore deer, not that we have to many now. and then it will be off to the courts to apeal delisting.

I also know about the grizzly bear plant and discover. I have ridden alot of that country in the P.Wilderness and the big bears came through there on their own without being planted. This planting of prediters is just people playing God with things they Know nothing about or even care about.

[WAcoyotehunter]

"Hybrids" caught my eye as well. WTF? Why are we protecting hybrids?

I don't think that's what they met- i think they are waiting to get excited and make an 'official' announcment of another pack until the DNA comes back as wolf. 

There are quite a few wolf hybrids around, but not for long generally.  I guess they come and go but populations cannot do all that well.  The wolf killed on the road in Davenport came back to be a hybrid.  Escape/release from a breeder??   

[bearpaw]

Thanks, I had wondered about the Davenport wolf. People in the Rice area have been reporting wolf sightings, but (refferring to local gossip) I think that these will turn out to be hybrids too.

[WAcoyotehunter]

Thanks, I had wondered about the Davenport wolf. People in the Rice area have been reporting wolf sightings, but (refferring to local gossip) I think that these will turn out to be hybrids too.

You never know.  That country could have the real thing.  I think it's tough to tell unless you get a really good look/photo or DNA evidence.   

[jager]

Talked to the sheriff out of Fruitland this last winter and he had seen them as well as some locals. He recalled an incidence of one chasing a landowners dog.
He wasn't too fond of them being there.

Again all second hand info but I think it's definitely probable.....big country

[wolfbait]

 I wonder how it would work, for the pro-wolf side, if you could convince people that the wolves are hybrids instead of the real thing. "Oh its just a hybrid", when all along it is their Canadian gray wolves.

[bearpaw]

I think they are different wolves jager.....the Rice wolves "supposed hybrids, locals think they know who released them" stay pretty close to their homeground, they are mostly being seen in about a 2x4 mile area by what I have heard.

I have heard about the Fruitland wolves but there are also Springdale and Hunters wolves I have heard about, but I bet they are all the same wolves. Wild wolves are going to cover a lot of ground.