Wolf Pair Confirmed in Okanogan

[saylean]

Wolf pair confirmed in Okanogan County

OLYMPIA-Two adult animals located and radio-collared last Friday (July 18) in western Okanogan County are wild, gray wolves, genetic tests have confirmed.

One of those animals, an adult male, was later photographed by remote camera in a location where six pups also were photographed.

The finding marks the first documented, resident wolf pack in Washington since the 1930s.

"The re-appearance of a resident wolf pack in Washington is evidence of a functioning ecosystem and good news for those working to preserve the state's biodiversity," said WDFW Director Jeff Koenings, Ph.D.

"At the same time, we recognize some residents have concerns about the re-entry of wolves in Washington. This discovery demonstrates the need to continue our efforts to finalize a state wolf conservation and management plan," Koenings said.

The two wolves, a male and female, were temporarily captured and radio-collared by wolf experts from Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Nez Perce tribe, assisted by biologists with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and U.S. Forest Service. Tissue and hair samples were collected from the two animals and submitted for DNA testing to confirm that the animals were pure wolves.

Preliminary results from additional genetic testing indicate the two wolves likely originated from British Columbia-Alberta populations.  More comprehensive testing is currently being conducted to determine more specific information.

Radio tracking collars placed on the wolves allow biologists to monitor the animals' location and activity.

In a separate effort by Conservation Northwest, a private, non-governmental organization, the radio-collared male wolf was photographed by a remote camera at a location where six pups also were photographed. Conservation Northwest is conducting an on-going, volunteer effort to place remote cameras in various locations in the north Cascades to record wildlife.

The radio-collaring effort followed a July 8 howling survey that brought multiple responses from both adult and juvenile animals, indicating a pack was present in the area. The howling survey was initiated in response to reports of wolf sightings, reports of howling and remote-camera photos of possible wolves.

The gray wolf is federally protected as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A U.S. District Court judge in Montana last Friday over-turned a recent federal action to remove Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the endangered-species list including in the eastern third of Washington state. The wolves found in the Okanogan are well within the remaining federal protection area, under the previous federal de-listing action. Gray wolves also are protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington.

It is illegal to harm or harass a federally protected endangered species. Killing an animal protected under the ESA is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000, one year in jail, or both.

Any wolf activity in Washington will be handled under existing joint federal-state Wolf Response Guidelines. For the response guidelines and more information on gray wolves visit the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/gray_wolf/ .

WDFW is working with a citizen group to develop a wolf conservation and management plan in anticipation of wolves re-entering Washington from other states or Canada. The draft plan will be subject to scientific peer review later this year and a 90-day public-review process next year. The final plan will be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission for consideration in 2009.

Anyone wishing to report a possible wolf sighting or activity should call the toll-free wolf reporting hotline at 1-888-584-9038. Those with concerns about possible wolf-caused livestock depredation should call the USDA Wildlife Services in Olympia at (360) 753-9884 or the USFWS in Spokane at (509) 891-6839. 

 

[Skyvalhunter]

Got that same Fish and game notification. Thats all they need in the Okanogan area.

[Gobble]

 

[Lowedog]

Anyone else find anything strange about the terrain/vegetation in those pics?

-Lowedog

[cabin308]

   I deer hunt out above Winthrop.  Anybody have a general idea where these wolves were photo'd?  Be nice to know so I can move to an area with deer if I need to.   

[hogsniper]

Its mowed where they are at....Very odd...Kinda looks like some b/s pictures...Those things need some LEAD!!!!!!  

[saylean]

Anyone else find anything strange about the terrain/vegetation in those pics?

-Lowedog

I thought the same thing Lowe

[WDFW-SUX]

Someone needs go and do some denning.........

[Lowedog]

Makes you wonder...

It sure didn't take them long to supposedly capture and collar those animals did it?  Almost like they knew exactly where they were some how.    And then some private group just happened to get pictures of the same wolves?

There is no way we could have been lied to and those wolves were transplanted here is there?

-Lowedog

[WAcoyotehunter]

The WDFW budget should be public knowledge...Wolf transplants would cost in the thousands, take a look and let us know.  My guess is no, considering half the guys on the board have seen wolves in WA for the last fifty years, It doesn't seem like a miracle (or conspiracy) that they actually paired and mated...

[Lowedog]

There is a lot of private and federal funding out there for wolf re-introduction.  I know lots of people claim to have seen wolves but the WDFW has been denying it for years.  This is the first they have confirmed a mating pair and within the last couple weeks they have gone from getting answers to howles to capturing and collaring both the male and female mating pair and now we have some peculiar pics of them and the pups? 

A guy I know told me he came 20 feet from a collared wolf 2 weeks ago near Cle Elum.  He may be pulling my leg but I don't know of him to tell lies.  Actually he was digging for rocks and turned around to see the wolf staring at him from across the road.  Said it scared the hell out of him.  Said it sniffed the 5 gallon buckets he had to carry rocks in and just walked off down the road.

Now if that is true and he did see a collared wolf there wouldn't someone know where that wolf is also?

Call me a theorist but I wouldn't doubt there are reintroduced wolves in Washington.

-Lowedog

[WDFW-SUX]

Here is your smoking gun........

The North Cascades Ecosystem  is among
Washington's most promising wolf habitat  and is a potential connection to an
existing B.C. population. The area encompasses
portions of the Okanogan, Wenatchee, and
Mount-Baker Snoqualmie National Forests In 1990 gray wolves were documented with pups within the U.S. portion of the signaling a great deal of attention from the media, public, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS). As a result, $135,000 in
Section 6 federal funding was appropriated for both
FY 1991 and 1992 primarily for the purpose of
conducting surveys, maintaining a wolf sighting
hotline, gathering information necessary to develop
a recovery plan, and ultimately initiating recovery
activities"

[Slenk]

Interesting read here. As I know this area and guys.
http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?p=357519#post357519
Slenk

[WAcoyotehunter]

Here is your smoking gun........

The North Cascades Ecosystem  is among
Washington's most promising wolf habitat  and is a potential connection to an
existing B.C. population. The area encompasses
portions of the Okanogan, Wenatchee, and
Mount-Baker Snoqualmie National Forests In 1990 gray wolves were documented with pups within the U.S. portion of the signaling a great deal of attention from the media, public, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS). As a result, $135,000 in
Section 6 federal funding was appropriated for both
FY 1991 and 1992 primarily for the purpose of
conducting surveys, maintaining a wolf sighting
hotline, gathering information necessary to develop
a recovery plan, and ultimately initiating recovery
activities"

That's not exactly a smoking gun.  Recovery activites may not include re-introduction.  Also keep in mind that the money was appropriated almost twenty years ago.  How long do you think 135k goes in a project like this?  Usually about ten minutes when the buearocrats start their process.

We had a collered wolf in NE washington about ten years ago.  A USFW biologist was flying home from a wolf tracking study in MT and happened to have his tracker on.  They'd lost a wolf and had no idea where to look...so, he was listening to it while flying and got a hit in GMU 117.  The wolf was dead, but the collar and data was there.  

Sooo, the point is, there was a wolf with a collar in WA that was NOT planted here.   It's possible.

[Lowedog]

Anything is possible.  Right?   

I have to wonder why, with all the reports of sightings and howling over the years that this is the first time that there really has been so much of an effort to prove that there is a breeding pair in WA now?  Where did the funding come from to capture and collar these wolves? 

-Lowedog

[jeff100]

About 1993 my son and I were hunting mule deer approx. 20 miles northeast of Winthrop.  We'd been on stand about 2 hours when a wolf howled not more than a couple of hundred yards from us.  Nice to see the WDFW has finally 'discovered' wolves in the Okanogan.  Nuthin gets past these guys.

Where did the funding come from to capture and collar these wolves?

Shucks, WDFW has plenty of budget.  What do ya think they're gonna spend it on, wildlife enhancement?  Habitat enhancement? 

C'mon...

Lastly, I have to agree with the folks that question those pictures.  I've hunted the Okanogan for a long time, I've never seen habitat that looks like that.  It's hard to tell, but the leaves on the right side (center) of the pictures sure look like a maple.  I've never seen maples of any kind in that area, but hey, that's just me...(I'm thinking...Wolfhaven).

[chukarchaser]

I thought it looked mowed to me as well.  I also think Libby Creek out of carlton has similar vegetation

[M_ray]

WDFW is working with a citizen group to develop a wolf conservation and management plan in anticipation of wolves re-entering Washington from other states or Canada.

 They mean er's ...sounds like we need a group or they won't listen to us, this is the kinda thing that spawned the Wild steelhead coalition ... because the WDFW won't listen until you are a group! Groups carry more weight than individuals.

[littletoes]

Where did the funding come from to capture and collar these wolves?

Shucks, WDFW has plenty of budget.  What do ya think they're gonna spend it on, wildlife enhancement?  Habitat enhancement? 

C'mon...

EXACTLY!

WHERE did the funding come from???

I say SSS