Lake Chelan Wolves

[KillerMiller]

Is there a new pack of wolves near Lake Chelan?

By K.C. Mehaffey
World staff writer

Saturday, February 27, 2010


Biologists are trying to confirm whether a new pack of gray wolves — like the one in this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service photo — is roaming near Lake Chelan.

CHELAN — They’ve had no confirmed sightings, but U.S. Forest Service biologists in Chelan think gray wolves might be living in remote areas above Lake Chelan’s north shore.

The Chelan Ranger District set out three cameras this winter to try to confirm it.

Just over the Chelan Ridge, which separates the Methow and Lake Chelan valleys, the state’s first confirmed wolf pack is being monitored.

“There could be a separate pack,” said Mallory Lenz, Chelan’s district biologist. Lenz said they’ve been getting reports since the early 1990s from hunters and outfitters who thought they saw or heard wolves.

“The outfitters that go up there have said for several years now they think there’s another pack,” she said. The areas include Miners Basin and the upper east fork of Prince Creek, she said. Both are more than halfway up the lake, across the lake and southeast of Lucerne.

The reports were basically discounted, she said. Everyone thought the animals were probably wolf-dog hybrids.

Then, after state officials confirmed in 2008 that the Lookout Pack members in the Methow Valley are pure wolf and genetically linked to wolves in British Columbia, biologists started to think those reported in the Chelan basin might also be purebred, Lenz said.

She said this winter was the first time her district has set up remote cameras for the purpose of finding wolves. A few years ago, she said, a remote camera did capture an image that could have been a wolf, but it was from the animal’s back side, and could also have been a very large dog.

Next week, Lenz will retrieve the three remote cameras and download the images to see if there’s any proof of another pack.

“I’m excited about the possibility, because it’s an indicator we have a healthy, working ecosystem out there,” she said. It’s also a unique opportunity to have wolves in an area where they’d have little impact, since there are no active livestock ranges in that area.

But this winter may not have been the best opportunity to capture proof, Lenz said. With so little snow, the deer have been ranging higher than usual, and the wolves —if there are any — would probably follow them to higher elevations where cameras are not set up.

John Rohrer, Forest Service biologist for the Methow Valley Ranger District, said the Lookout Pack has traveled over the Chelan Ridge crest, and up into the North Cascades National Park.

But it’s unlikely that the sightings in the Lake Chelan area are of the Lookout Pack. He’s been helping monitor the alpha male and female since 2008 and “They’ve never been down by Lake Chelan. They’re always up in the high country,” he said.

Residents in the Methow Valley have also been reporting what they believe is a second wolf pack, in the War Creek drainage of Twisp River. But Rohrer said feedback from radio collars shows the pack has been in that area a number of times, so it’s probable that those sightings are of the Lookout Pack.

Scott Fitkin, state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Winthrop, agreed. “To what extent there are other individual wolves wandering on the landscape, or additional packs, that’s an unknown,” he said. “But War Creek is in the middle of the Lookout Pack’s range. A pack there more than likely will be the Lookout Pack,” he said.

At last count, the Lookout Pack included seven wolves — an alpha male, an alpha female, an adult pup born in 2008, and four pups born last spring

Fitkin said the pack continues to behave itself. “At least nobody’s reporting any problems,” he said.

The pack also appears to be healthy, and living longer than wolves that compete with other packs.

“The expected lifespan tends to be less than what we’re seeing on the Lookout,” Fitkin said. The adult male wolf was about 5 years old when they started monitoring the pack two years ago. “We’ve got pretty old adults. The fact that they’ve persisted this long makes it a pretty successful pack,” he said.

That may be because the habitat could support many more wolves, so there’s not as much competition for food, he said. The pack also doesn’t have to contend with “intra-species strife,” he said, and the fighting between males that can significantly reduce an individual wolf’s lifespa


http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/27/is-there-a-new-pack-of-wolves-near-lake-chelan/

[JackOfAllTrades]

Lenz said they’ve been getting reports since the early 1990s from hunters and outfitters who thought they saw or heard wolves.

“The outfitters that go up there have said for several years now they think there’s another pack,” she said.

The reports were basically discounted, she said. Everyone thought the animals were probably wolf-dog hybrids.

Fitkin and other WDFW bio's should listen to those that are in the woods over the years. There's more going on in them thar woods than they know about.

-Steve

[Shootmoore]

Lenz said they’ve been getting reports since the early 1990s from hunters and outfitters who thought they saw or heard wolves.

“The outfitters that go up there have said for several years now they think there’s another pack,” she said.

The reports were basically discounted, she said. Everyone thought the animals were probably wolf-dog hybrids.

Fitkin and other WDFW bio's should listen to those that are in the woods over the years. There's more going on in them thar woods than they know about.

-Steve

Its the curse of Technology I'm afraid.  Instead of boots on the ground biology of old today its theories and computer models that are used.

Shootmoore

[wolfbait]

Same old s.fitkin wolf stories, meant for the people who don't know any better. Not even worth discussing.  He is a good defenders of wildlife man, hope they are paying him well.

[mulehunter]

    At last count, the Lookout Pack included seven wolves — an alpha male, an alpha female, an adult pup born in 2008, and four pups born last spring

PLUS More Pups out of Possible two Females plus for sure Alpha Female coming this March! 


Mulehunter 

[bearhunter99]

She said this winter was the first time her district has set up remote cameras for the purpose of finding wolves. A few years ago, she said, a remote camera did capture an image that could have been a wolf, but it was from the animal’s back side, and could also have been a very large dog.

How many "big dogs" are there in the remote areas?  WDFW is never going to be right again until all the bioligists and wardens come from hunting backgrounds like they used to.  All the biologists they have in this day and time are more in tune with the Defenders of Wildlife than they are with what it actually takes to have a healthy, balanced ecosystem. my 

[ICEMAN]

 

[Viszla]

Two years ago we heard them howling in that area.  That's the last thing those deer need in that area.  The chelan herd is pretty much decimated already and the wolves will definately keep it that way.

[uplandhunter870]

i read that article in the wenatchee world over the weekend and all i could way was "DUH!".  the only thing that seperates the pack(s) in the methow is a ridge or two.  heck im only finishing my second year of study in a wildlife bio degree and i can figure this one out.  do the bios with the state really think that the wolves are going to stay were they are "supposed to"  according to their models.  the defenders of wildlife are just a bunch of dirt worshiping tree huggers that want a "balanced" ecosystem that humans have no part in.  the deer and elk populations are in serious trouble in this state not only in the north shore of chelan.  i have a number of friends around here that have told me theyve seen wolf sign as far south as the northern drainage of the entiat.  as said above theres more going on in this area than the state bios know.  i just dont understand how they think putting a few trail cams up is going to prove or disprove anything, just look at how well they have estimated the cougar populations in the area.  i have personal first hand knowledge of 5 cats in a couple places around here that a couple wardens and a bio told me straight up "theres no way theres cats in those places".

[bearhunter99]

As far south as Entiat?  I have seen wolf tracks on numerous occcasions in the #1/#2 Canyon area, along with one brief sighting, and before the critics pipe in I do know the difference between a wolf and coyote track.  Now, they could have been a very large dog, but I have never seen dogs that far out.  Always a possibility but highly doubtful, and I know that people hike in #2 Canyon with dogs, but these tracks were away from the paths, with no human tracks or sign anywhere nearby.

[wolfbait]

i read that article in the wenatchee world over the weekend and all i could way was "DUH!".  the only thing that seperates the pack(s) in the methow is a ridge or two.  heck im only finishing my second year of study in a wildlife bio degree and i can figure this one out.  do the bios with the state really think that the wolves are going to stay were they are "supposed to"  according to their models.  the defenders of wildlife are just a bunch of dirt worshiping tree huggers that want a "balanced" ecosystem that humans have no part in.  the deer and elk populations are in serious trouble in this state not only in the north shore of chelan.  i have a number of friends around here that have told me theyve seen wolf sign as far south as the northern drainage of the entiat.  as said above theres more going on in this area than the state bios know.  i just dont understand how they think putting a few trail cams up is going to prove or disprove anything, just look at how well they have estimated the cougar populations in the area.  i have personal first hand knowledge of 5 cats in a couple places around here that a couple wardens and a bio told me straight up "theres no way theres cats in those places".

They are not interested in proving there are more wolves, confirming wolf packs only speeds up delisting and that slows down what they do best, sitting on ass in front of computer!

[wolfbait]

(Scott Fitkin, state Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Winthrop, agreed. “To what extent there are other individual wolves wandering on the landscape, or additional packs, that’s an unknown,” he said. “But War Creek is in the middle of the Lookout Pack’s range. A pack there more than likely will be the Lookout Pack,” he said.)


I know for a fact that two packs were seen on the very same day in the Methow, and so do several other people. Including fitkin.


(Fitkin said the pack continues to behave itself. “At least nobody’s reporting any problems,” he said.)

I guess a cow and calf, and some chickens don't count, at least not with fitkin in charge. Folks are not calling fitkin anymore, they are taking care of their wolf problems the old fashion way.




(“The expected lifespan tends to be less than what we’re seeing on the Lookout,” Fitkin said. The adult male wolf was about 5 years old when they started monitoring the pack two years ago. “We’ve got pretty old adults. The fact that they’ve persisted this long makes it a pretty successful pack,” he said.)


 The Methow Valley could end up having the oldest pack in the world, it is for sure the largest!

Whats one more Lie?

[uplandhunter870]

As far south as Entiat? 

thats just what i have heard, not saying you didnt see what you saw up no. 1/2.  myself and most of the guys that i hunt with prefer to stay away from the areas around town, too many people creates too many problems.

Wolfbait--- i know they dont want to prove higher wolf numbers, i just cant get why they think a few trail cams are the best method of research.  guess i got too much of an old time work ethic

[wolfbait]

As far south as Entiat?  

thats just what i have heard, not saying you didnt see what you saw up no. 1/2.  myself and most of the guys that i hunt with prefer to stay away from the areas around town, too many people creates too many problems.

Wolfbait--- i know they dont want to prove higher wolf numbers, i just cant get why they think a few trail cams are the best method of research.  guess i got too much of an old time work ethic

Wolves are in the Clockcum, over on the Bar and up around the power line, Sue Mac Springs ring a bell to anyone?  

Trail Cams sound very professional, like maybe they are doing their job, the rest of us know the difference, but we don't count, WDFW and the environmentalists are more interested in impressing the city folks.

[villageidiot]

WDFW collared two of the wolves in the lookout pack so when they went up to check out the war ck. bunch and took their locator with them, got no signal, guess what.   New pack!