Gray Wolf News "The latest in the Wolf Wars"

[bearpaw]

Jan 28, 2013
 
OR-16 killed in Idaho
 
January 25, 2013 Life With Wolves
 
Various sources have confirmed that an Oregon wolf known to biologists as OR-16 was killed Saturday near Lowman, Idaho. The wolf was fitted with a tracking collar by state biologists after being accidentally trapped last November. The 85-pound yearling male was in good health and later found to be a member of the Walla Walla Pack.
 
In December, OR-16 crossed the border into Idaho. He became the second Oregon wolf to be killed as part of that state’s recreational hunt. As of Wednesday, 958 wolves have been killed in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as part of recreational hunting and trapping season aimed at dramatically reducing the population of the recently endangered species. Wyoming’s wolf plan allows an unlimited number of wolves to be killed by any means in the majority of the state.
 
Last February, OR-9 crossed the Snake River and was shot by a hunter.
 
The news was first reported on the Oregon Wolves Facebook page.
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Oregon’s wolf count for 2012
 
January 25, 2013 Life With Wolves
 
Oregon’s minimum wolf count for 2012 is 53 wolves, including seven packs and at least five breeding pairs. (A pack is four wolves that travel together in winter. A breeding pair is two adult wolves that produce at least two pups that survive through Dec. 31 of the year of their birth.)
 
More information.
 
http://dfw.state.or.us/Wolves/population.asp
 
The Oregon wolf population is determined each winter and is based on wolves that staff has verified through direct evidence (sightings, tracks, remote camera footage). The actual number of wolves in Oregon is likely greater than this minimum estimate, and the 2012 estimate may change as ODFW gains additional information over the winter.
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Montana won't seek to curb Yellowstone-area wolf hunts, officials cite judge's ruling
 
By MATTHEW BROWN - Associated Press January 28, 2013
 
BILLINGS, Montana — Montana wildlife officials said Monday that they were abandoning their efforts to shut down gray wolf hunting and trapping just outside the gates of Yellowstone National Park, citing a recent court ruling that threatened to drag out the issue until the season was almost over.
 
Hunting and trapping were briefly suspended last month on about 60 square miles north of Yellowstone over concerns that too many wolves wandering out of the park were dying. That included the shooting of several wolves collared for scientific research and management purposes.
 
But after a judge issued an injunction saying not enough notice was given before the closures were enacted, wildlife officials said they would no longer seek to reinstate the closure. A Tuesday meeting in which commissioners had planned to take action on the issue was cancelled.
 
Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission Chairman Bob Ream said agency personnel decided it would take several weeks at a minimum to get an order from state District Judge Brenda Gilbert dissolving her injunction. Montana's wolf season ends on Feb. 28.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/anawwxx
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Montana’s Famous White Wolf
 
on January 28, 2013 by Tom Remington
 
Below is a brief biography of the legendary white wolf of Montana that was killed in 1930. This story I’ve republished was written by Elva Wineman in May of that year.
 
Some have optioned to use this as an example to show that the wolves that naturally inhabited this region of Montana was a different subspecies of wolf than what was (re)introduced in the Greater Yellowstone area beginning in the mid-1990s. Some are basing their claim due to size, as this Famous White Wolf, considered to be as big as wolves get in that state, weighed 85 pounds. It should be cautioned however that the size of a wolf, as I understand it, is more determined by available prey than mere species. (I don’t pretend to be a taxonomic specialist, nor have I played one on TV.)
 
In reading through multiple accounts by Teddy Roosevelt, a man who loved to hound hunt wolves in Montana, Roosevelt referred to the really big wolves that were found beyond certain geographical boundaries. There are also accounts collected and explained in information available through the Smithsonian.
 
Continued:
http://tomremington.com/2013/01/28/montanas-famous-white-wolf/

[bearpaw]

Jan 29, 2013
 
Wolves kill cow and fetus at Three Lakes Country on Private Land in Wallowa County, Ore
 
January 29, 2013 posted at Life With Wolves
 
Wallowa County, ORE —  According to an official report from Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW),  a livestock producer found the carcass of an adult cow in a grassland pasture on the morning of 1/28/13.  At the time of discovery wolves were observed at the scene of the carcass and were suspected in killing the cow. ODFW was asked to investigate the remains.
 
ODFW finding: Confirmed wolf
 
Evidence of wolf presence in the area: Upon discovery, the livestock producer reported observing wolves at the site of the carcass. GPS collar data confirmed the report and shows that OR4 (Imnaha pack) was at the site and in the area of the carcass from 11 p.m. the evening prior to 8 a.m. the morning of discovery.
 
In addition, the very high number of tracks found at the scene suggests the pack was present.
 
Summary of evidence: The estimated time of death of the cow was early the morning of 1/28/13. A clear struggle scene was observed in the snow which showed multiple wolf tracks and large amounts of blood scattered over a large area of the carcass. Though partially consumed, ample carcass remained for investigation.
 
The cow had suffered multiple bites in the typical wolf attack areas – behind the front shoulders, in front of the front shoulders and brisket area, groin and anterior portion of hind legs, and rump/udder area. Bites clearly showed heavy internal hemorrhage indicating pre-mortem attack.
 
The fetus of the cow had been removed and mostly consumed – similar to past confirmed depredations of adult cows by the Imnaha Pack.
 
All evidence (wolves present at scene, bite marks and locations, struggle scene with multiple wolf tracks, and internal hemorrhage) indicates wolf attack.
 
Source:
http://www.lifewithwolves.org/home/?p=12649

[bearpaw]

Jan 30, 2013
 
Montana FWP cancels conference call on wolf hunt near Yellowstone
 
After a state district court judge overruled the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission's decision to end wolf hunts in some zones near Yellowstone National Park, the commission scheduled a conference call for Jan. 29 to discuss reinstating the ban. But on Monday, the commission decided that the process would take too long, given that the wolf hunting season ends within a month, and the conference call and further action was canceled.
 
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; January 29, 2013
 
http://tinyurl.com/au7ra8f
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With wolves on the way, Oregon needed a plan
 
by Katy Nesbitt, The Observer January 30, 2013
 
The last Oregon gray wolf was killed on the Umpqua National Forest for a bounty in 1946, until a female wolf from Idaho made her way to the Middle Fork of the John Day River in 1999.
 
In those intervening 53 years, American attitudes changed about natural resources, the environment and wildlife. In 1973 the federal Endangered Species Act was passed.
 
At the time, a few gray wolves were known to reside in northern states along the Canadian border.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/aklhgk3
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Test confirms wolf killed in Kansas last month
 
The Associated Press Jan 30, 2013
 
WAKEENEY - A state parks official says tests have confirmed that an animal killed by hunters in Trego County in December was a wolf.
 
DNA testing conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed the animal was a western Great Lakes wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf.
 
Ron Kaufman, a spokesman for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, says officials haven't determined if the wolf was wild or had been in captivity.
 
The Hays Daily News reported Monday the last confirmed killing of a gray wolf in Kansas was during the winter of 1938-39.
 
The animal's body has been turned over to the federal wildlife agency. Gray wolves are a protected species outside extreme northern United States.
 
The hunters have not been identified.
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DNR officials urge both sides in debate to back off
 
Wolf hunt
 
January 30, 2013 By JOHN PEPIN - The Mining Journal
 
MARQUETTE - Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials said Tuesday a ballot referendum opposing a wolf hunt is "premature and ill-advised," urging proponents and opponents to allow the state's wolf management plan to work.
 
"There are those on one side that say we need to have recreational hunting and we need it everywhere and we need it right now," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. "Then on the other side, we have people who say, 'Oh we can't possibly hunt wolves.'"
 
In January 2012, gray wolves were taken off the federal endangered species list, allowing Michigan to manage wolves via its wolf management plan. That document was created over several months, with input from a wide array of representatives, including animal welfare groups, hunters and trappers and Native American tribes.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bgbbpan

[bearpaw]

Jan 31, 2013
 
Pregnant cow killed: 'All evidence indicates wolf attack'
 
By KVAL News Jan 29, 2013
 
Warning: Some of the details of the investigation may be too graphic for some readers
 
WALLOWA, Ore. - An Oregon wolf pack killed a pregnant cow in a private pasture on Monday morning, biologists from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed.
 
The rancher found the cow dead and saw wolves near the carcass. ODFW responded to investigate to determine whether the wolves killed the cow or were scavenging the carcass.
 
The evidence led state biologists to confirm that wolves had killed the cow.
 
Biologists said GPS tracking collar data showed that wolf OR-4, the alpha male of the Imnaha pack, was in the area from 11 p.m. Sunday until 8 a.m. Monday.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/at2z7qf
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Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Once Again Object of Concern
 
By Sara Montoya January 30, 2013 KUNM
 
Grant county commissioners, and the Forest Service are meeting to open up restricted roads in the Gila National Forest, and it has environmentalists worried.
 
The Center of Biological Diversity claims the proposed measure will critically endanger Gila's native wildlife, and plan to rally at the meeting.
 
They and other environmentalists argue opening up the forest will further endanger animals needing protection, including Mexican gray wolves. The Mexican gray wolf has been the subject of concern for some time.
 
Michael Robinson, Conservation Advocate for the Center of Biological Diversity, says increasingly harsh living conditions contribute to the wolves’ dwindling numbers.
 
“The primary threat is the very low population number and the continuing persecution of these animals. The numbers were just 58 wolves and only six breeding pairs in the wild last year, fourteen years after reintroduction began.”
 
A representative for the Forest Service, Art Telles says that the proposal for increased road access is one of many options, and denied that the process is any more than in the thinking stages.
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Plans in works for gray wolves in California
 
By RICH GREENE redbluffdailynews.com 01/31/2013
 
There's been no evidence California's first gray wolf since 1924 OR-7 has killed any livestock, attacked a human or otherwise overstepped his welcome since he began visiting the state in December 2011, but that hasn't stopped the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from creating a plan in case he does.
 
Northern Region Wildlife Program Manager Karen Kovacs gave an informational update Tuesday on OR- 7, now known as Journey, to the Tehama County Board of Supervisors focusing on the department's efforts to coordinate the wants of conservation, agriculture and sportsmen groups.
 
In July the board formally opposed a petition that would list the gray wolf under the California Endangered Species Act and publicly stated it doesn't want the animal reintroduced in Tehama County.
 
Gray wolves are listed under the federal act, but the state designation would add an extra level of protection.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bctkwx3

[bearpaw]

Feb 1, 2013
 
Wyoming wolf harvest continues
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! January 31, 2013
 
Wolf hunters in Wyoming have harvested six of the animals in the month of January in the predator zone of the state. The wolf hunting season in the trophy game areas of the state ended Dec. 31, 2012, with 42 animals taken as part of the trophy hunt, and an additional 26 wolves killed in the predator zone.
 
Even though Wyoming's wolf harvest is generally viewed as conservative, it's part of the new hunting programs enacted for wolves in the Northern Rockies in the last two years, and is enough to cause Defenders of Wildlife to attempt to use it as a continued fundraising tool, as evidenced by the email shown in the photo to the right (click on it for larger view).
 
"Make no mistake – there is a war on wolves and these magnificent and misunderstood top predators need our help," says the email seeking donations. Defenders calls the harvest of wolves "reckless killing."
 
Attempts to raise money continue.
 
Source w/DoW link:
http://tinyurl.com/bem8dkj
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Environmentalists lobby Calif. wildlife officials to stop coyote hunt in loan wolf territory
 
By TRACIE CONE - Associated Press February 01, 2013
 
FRESNO, California — A once obscure coyote hunting contest in far Northern California has become anything but thanks to a loan, roaming gray wolf.
 
Dozens of environmental groups are lobbying the state to call the hunt off, saying hunters could mistake the wolf for a coyote.
 
The gray wolf, named OR-7, is believed to be the first of the predators to roam within the state's boundaries since 1924.
 
The hunt is sponsored by a hunting club and outfitter supply store in the town of Adin near the Oregon border. The team that kills the most coyotes between February 8 and 10 will win a silver belt buckle.
 
Organizers say they're trying to rid the Big Valley cattle ranching community of coyotes — a predator that can harm livestock.
 
State wildlife officials say the hunt is legal.

[bearpaw]

Feb 2, 2013
 
After legislative defeat, Michigan wolf advocates pushing for statewide vote on proposed hunt
By JOHN FLESHER - AP February 02, 2013
 
TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan — Animal welfare activists and Indian tribes are gathering petition signatures seeking a statewide referendum on whether to allow wolf hunting in Michigan.
 
The Legislature in December of 2012 designated the wolf as a game animal, a first step toward establishing a hunting season. The final decision will be made by the Natural Resources Commission, which is expecting a recommendation from state wildlife biologists in the spring of 2013. Opposition groups say it's too early to start hunting Michigan wolves, which were removed from the federal endangered species list only a year ago. The Legislature in December designated the wolf as a game animal, a first step toward establishing a hunting season. The final decision will be made by the Natural Resources Commission, which is expecting a recommendation from state wildlife biologists this spring.
 
Opposition groups say it's too early to start hunting Michigan wolves, which were removed from the federal endangered species list only a year ago. They say state officials seem more interested in pleasing hunters than making a decision based on science.
 
Sporting groups contend the proposed referendum is being pushed by extremist groups from out of state.
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Man’s best friend defends Montana herd
 
February 2, 2013 - Cowboy Byte
 
Livestock near Wisdom, Mont. have protection on the ranch in the form of smaller four-legged animals.
 
Dogs at Ruby Ranch protect cattle from wolves outside the perimeter of the ranch. Ranch owner Heidi Hirschy says she’s lost 17 cows to wolf attacks between April 2009 and April 2010.
 
The six guard dogs protecting the ranch in the Big Hole Valley are not aggressive, but instead are bred to be neutralizers according to 5/R Stock Dogs Herdsman Marvin Dunster. According to KBZK.com, Dunster breeds five types of dogs to fit producer’s needs. He says his dogs are bred for intellect, not aggression against wolves.
 
Hirschy has lost only one animal since bringing the dogs onto her ranch and is considers adding a few more dogs to help cover the property.
 
Montana State University and Utah University are researching the guard dog model as are other state wildlife organizations.
 
States with heavy wolf populations have allowed farmers to trap and hunt wolves attacking livestock and have also operated programs reimbursing producers for lost cattle.
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See also:
 
Using dogs to help protect livestock from predators
 
Article by Cat and Jim Urbigkit May 19, 2010
 
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2010/05/Usingdogstohelpprote.htm

[bearpaw]

Feb 3, 2013
 
‘Wolf’ killed found to be dog
Fish and Game: No ill intent on hunter’s part
 
Friday, February 1, 2013 By KATHERINE WUTZ The Idaho Mountain Express
 
A DNA test conducted on a canine killed near Elk Creek in the Clearwater region of Northern Idaho in November determined that the animal was a dog, not a wolf as previously thought.
 
A big game mortality report completed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and given to the Idaho Mountain Express this week lists the animal’s species as a wolf, and further states that the animal was light in color and killed with a rifle.
 
John Rachael, game manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said Wednesday that the animal was tagged as a wolf and apparently shot accidentally.
 
“From what I understand from the officers [in that region], it definitely appeared to be a wolf,” he said. “It’s a very unfortunate circumstance, without question. But I don’t think there was any ill intent.”
 
Continued:
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005145929
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Coyote hunters kill wolf in northwest Kan., the first documented wolf in the state since 1905
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS February 02, 2013
 
TOPEKA, Kansas — Coyote hunters have killed a wolf in northwest Kansas, the first documented wolf in the state since 1905.
 
The Topeka Capital-Journal (http://bit.ly/Ts3XMX ) reports that the wolf was killed in December. The animal weighed more than 80 pounds, more than twice as much as a large coyote.
 
A Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism game warden contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents. The federal officials confirmed through tissue testing that the animal was a full-blooded Great Lakes gray wolf.
 
Officials say there have been several wolves killed in Missouri, most recently in November.

[bearpaw]

Feb 4, 2013
 
North Idaho Wolf Report
 
February 03, 2013
 
It is safe to say that last week was busy in the wolf department. "M" had to go to CDA early Monday and just past the Coeur D’ Alene Casino he spotted 4 wolves.
 
He parked an watched them for a while but he had to get to town for an appointment. When he came back, he brought his middle son with him and they got onto old hiway 95, drove around a while, and spotted the same 4 wolves. But he had to go to work. So his son went home and came back with 2 of his buddies later and spent the rest of the day hunting them. Apparently they had sightings but no luck. So Tuesday they all went back and this time there was more than 4. The guys followed them into the brush and found a very large area of beds and tracks. But they didn’t see one they could take. There are quite a few houses in the vicinity.
 
So Tuesday evening last week, I took the dogs out at about 7 p.m. We’d been outside about 2 minutes and the wolves in Kelly Creek to the south tuned up. They were close too. Gave me shivers.  Just a minute or so later I heard 3 and maybe 4 across the street to the north up on the Dunne Peak road. They were close too. It’s only about 100 feet up the mountain to the road, but the road winds around for a mile or so if you were going to drive to that spot.  And they were howling back and forth at each other.
 
"M" told tribal officials what he’d seen on Monday and Tuesday and they were surprised. They said “they didn’t know wolves were that close to them” . That’s weird because "M" and our local deputy had seen one several times between Plummer and Worley about 2 years ago.  The ones that "M" saw last week were much closer to Coeur d’ Alene.  So the tribe had its’ wildlife officials and a couple deputies go to a recon mission down there. It’s on the  Coeur d’alene reservation and the tribe elders were concerned about the elk and deer population. As they should be.
 
We have lots of snow up high and on the north facing slopes, the animals are moving down.  I’m very wary of taking the dogs out and as long as I am hearing howling, I will only take them out one at a time on a leash.  It just creeps me out.
 
- K
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Bills would rein in wolves
 
Sen. John Smith January 27, 2013 Opinion The Spokesman-Review
 
Currently, our state is engaged in a wolf recovery program. This plan has led to wolves being established in areas where they have not existed for nearly a century, if ever. As wolves rapidly multiply they displace other indigenous predator species that have been present for generations. This results in dangerous and higher-than-normal human-predator interactions as lower level predators, such as coyotes and black bears, move to new territory.
 
I have lived in northeast Washington for 24 years. Three of our region’s eight confirmed wolf packs roam within 15 miles of my ranch, as well as countless other predators. Over the course of generations, local ranchers and farmers have developed a relationship with predators. Bear, coyote and cougar populations have reached and are maintaining sustainable levels, even though locals have the right to use lethal means to protect their property and families. There can be a respectful peace between man and wildlife, including predators, even when humans exercise the right to protect themselves.
 
Many fear that policies driven by special-interest social pressure from an isolated part of the state threaten our rural families and economy. It can be hard to relate to the devastation challenges that residents in northeastern Washington face as wolves make their home in our backyards.
 
Imagine if an urban family awoke one night to the terrified cries of their golden retriever shrieking in pain as a roving pack of wild dogs tore it to shreds. Then, local law enforcement informed the family that state law prevented them from responding without authorization from the other side of the state, perhaps delaying response by several days. Imagine the shock as law enforcement further explained that if the family attempted to intervene and protect their pet, they may be charged with a felony. Then perhaps, as the family was dealing with the loss of a family pet, strangers from miles away called to blame them for the incident because they lawfully utilized a public park during the summer to take their pet for a daily walk. This sad illustration is analogous to the unthinkable conditions Washington cattlemen currently face.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bjxd4ry

[bearpaw]

Feb 5, 2013
 
Mexican Wolf Back In Captivity After Weeks In Wild
 
By The Associated Press February 5, 2013
 
After just three weeks in the wild, federal wildlife managers say a male Mexican gray wolf was captured in New Mexico and removed from the wild after he failed to catch the attention of a breeding female.
 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the male wolf — dubbed No. 1133 — was intended as a new mate for the Bluestem pack's alpha female. His release in early January was timed to coincide with early-season breeding activities.
 
The Arizona pack wanted nothing to do with the male wolf, and it ended up wandering into New Mexico.
 
Officials say the male wolf has since been paired with a wild-born female at a captive breeding center. Future plans call for the pair to be released into the wild.

[bearpaw]

Feb 6, 2013
 
New book unveils secrets of wolves
 
Jim and Jamie Dutcher uncover the personalities of the pack
 
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 By KATHERINE WUTZ Idaho Mountain Express
 
Jim and Jamie Dutcher uncover the personalities of the pack
 
Jim and Jamie Dutcher are a long way from home this week. Far from the 25-acre enclosure in the Sawtooth Mountains where they spent six years living with the Sawtooth wolf pack and conducting social studies in the 1990s, the pair is in New York City this week promoting their latest book, “The Hidden Life of Wolves,” published by National Geographic and released Tuesday.
 
“It makes you dizzy,” Jim said with a laugh as Jamie recounted their press schedule this week: the two had interviews with NPR, Morning Joe, The Osgood File, The Washington Post and the BBC before a presentation of the book with the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C.
 
The book, illustrated with photos of the 12-member wolf pack, is a treatise on the history between humans and wolves and the myths that have developed ever since. The history of the Sawtooth pack—a pack created by Jim and Jamie from three different wolf pup litters for the purpose of studying and filming the wolves’ pack structure and social dynamic—makes up the first chapter and sets the tone for the rest of the 215-page book.
 
Continued:
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005145970
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Dr. Mech on Captive Wolf Studies
 
"Attempting to apply information about the behavior of assemblages of unrelated captive wolves to the familial structure of natural packs has resulted in considerable confusion. Such an approach is analogous to trying to draw inferences about human family dynamics by studying humans in refugee camps. The concept of the alpha wolf as a "top dog" ruling a group of similar-aged compatriots (Schenkel 1947; Rabb et al. 1967; Fox 1971a; Zimen 1975, 1982; Lockwood 1979; van Hooff et al. 1987) is particularly misleading."
 
Source:
 
Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs
 
L. David Mech May 2000
 
http://www.mnforsustain.org/wolf_mech_dominance_alpha_status.htm
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Endangered Mexican gray wolf program marks first with latest survey numbers
 
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN - Associated Press February 06, 2013
 
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — Hated by ranchers and revered by environmentalists as a symbol of the American Southwest's wildness, the Mexican gray wolf has struggled over the past 15 years to find a foothold in the forests of Arizona and New Mexico.
 
But federal wildlife officials announced Wednesday that the predator has made its biggest stride yet. Annual survey results show there are at least 75 wolves in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico, the most since the federal government began efforts to return the wolves to their historic range in 1998.
 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional director Benjamin Tuggle said the increase is "very exciting." He attributed the population boost to management efforts aimed at reducing conflicts between the wolves and ranchers and other rural residents.
 
The plan for this year, he said, is to keep working on ways for wolves to co-exist and to infuse more genetic diversity into the population. That could mean more releases of captive-bred wolves into the wild.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/bdz9aew
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Editorial: Science, not spirituality, must govern wolf hunt
 
February 06, 2013 Park Rapids Enterprise
 
“The creator gave us the wolf as a guardian. Our brother needs us to speak for him. The wolf, our brother, is not a separate entity. The wolf, our brother, is inside of us.”
 
So said an elder of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, as part of a meeting in Bemidji of opponents of Minnesota’s wolf hunt. And the wise words command respect.
 
But it’s a different kind of respect than is offered to the words that shape public policy. Along those lines, Minnesotans are right to let their policy toward wolves be governed by the following words, which the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources displays on its website:
 
“The DNR’s commitment to a responsible, conservative and science-based management strategy that ensures the long-term survival of wolves in Minnesota recognizes the animal’s legacy and Minnesotans’ collective interest in and concern for this northwoods icon.”
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/9wet2un
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Group seeks support for western U.P. wolf hunt
 
2/6/2013 Daily Globe
 
IRONWOOD - The Western Upper Peninsula Citizens on Wolf Management are gearing up for a March 12 Department of Natural Resources public meeting at Gogebic Community College.
 
Dennis Ellos, chairman of the group, said a sample resolution that supports a wolf hunt has been forwarded to local governmental bodies, including county boards, city and township councils. They are being encouraged by the group to adopt the resolution and send it to the MDNR or Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
 
Local city and town officials are also being encouraged to attend the 6 p.m. March 12 session at GCC, where input on a possible hunt will be received.
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Sweden hunts more wolves 'to help genetic diversity'
 
Wolves in Europe being targeted again
 
February 2012 Wildlife Extra
 
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has authorized the hunting of 16 wolves in what conservationists have described as a surprising U-turn.
 
According to WWF Sweden "It is a surprising decision that was not included in the management plan for wolves published as recently as last summer.
 
"This will constitute a complete U-turn compared from what Sweden's Environmental Protection Agency said a few weeks ago when they announced that the hunt would not be allowed. Since no new scientific information has emerged, this U-turn is a mystery, says Håkan Wirtén, Secretary General of WWF.
 
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has announced permission for "selective and targeted hunt of inbred wolves as a step towards reducing inbreeding and having a sustainable, healthy wolf population. A selective and targeted hunt is the only method that can reduce the level of inbreeding in the short term," it said. Wildlife Extra questions how hunting solves an inbreeding problem. If the problem is bad, the wolves won't thrive due to a lack of genetic diversity. There are currently no plans to bring wolves in from Finland or Russia, another way to boost the genetic diversity.
 
Continued:
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sweden-wolf-hunt013.html
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See also:
 
Sweden wolf cull divides wilderness opinion
 
BBC News 6 Feb 2013
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21352209

[bearpaw]

Feb 7, 2013
 
Sweden suspends wolf hunt after protests from wildlife activists
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS February 07, 2013
 
STOCKHOLM — Sweden has suspended a controversial wolf cull after a legal challenge by animal rights activists.
 
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency had allowed a "targeted" cull of 16 wolves this year in an effort to protect the wolf population from inbreeding.
 
EPA wildlife coordinator Ruona Burman said Thursday that three animals had been killed before a Stockholm court suspended the hunt this week, pending a decision on an appeal by the nature conservancy and animal rights groups.
 
Wolf hunting is a highly charged issue in Sweden, pitting activists against land owners whose livestock have been attacked by the country's small but growing wolf population.
 
Once near extinction, Sweden's wolf population is now growing by an average of 14 percent annually and was estimated at 260-330 animals last year, Burman said.
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Montana bills make changes to regulations on bison, wolf hunts
 
On Tuesday, the Montana Senate Fish and Game Committee approved HB73, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Flynn, R-Bozeman, that will allow wolf hunters to use electronic calls, reduce the cost of nonresident wolf licenses and allow hunters to buy more than one license. In the state House, Rep. Ted Washburn, R-Bozeman, introduced House Bill 328, which would allow Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists to provide locations of the bison to hunters, as they now do for other game species.
 
Bozeman Daily Chronicle; February 6, 2013
 
http://tinyurl.com/aqe34zx

[bearpaw]

Feb 8, 2013
 
Lawmakers fast-track proposal to expand wolf hunt in hopes of quick implementation
 
By MATT GOURAS - Associated Press February 07, 2013
 
HELENA, Montana — A proposal to expand the state's wolf hunt is being fast-tracked through the Legislature and shortly will be sent to the governor's desk for his signature.
 
The Montana Senate on Thursday suspended its rules so it could take initial and final votes on the same day on the measure that already had overwhelmingly cleared the House. The Senate backed it 45-4.
 
House Bill 73 lets the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks increase the number of wolves one hunter can take, allows for electronic calls, and removes a requirement to wear hunter orange outside general deer and elk season.
 
The measure also prohibits the state wildlife agency from banning wolf hunts in areas around national parks. Its swift passage would allow the changes to take effect during the hunting season that's currently under way.
 
Continued:
http://tinyurl.com/aom6bw2s
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Mexican gray wolf numbers up in AZ, NM, officials say
 
February 07, 2013 Associated Press
 
ALBUQUERQUE - Hated by ranchers and revered by environmentalists as a symbol of the American Southwest's wildness, the Mexican gray wolf has struggled over the past 15 years to find a foothold in the forests of Arizona and New Mexico.
 
But federal wildlife officials announced Wednesday that the predator has made its biggest stride yet. Annual survey results show there are at least 75 wolves in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico, the most since the federal government began efforts to return the wolves to their historic range in 1998.
 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional director Benjamin Tuggle attributed the boost in population to management efforts aimed at reducing conflicts between the wolves and ranchers and other rural residents.
 
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http://tinyurl.com/ben5x2k
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Animal advocates want wolf hunt vote
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 7, 2013
 
The Humane Society of the United States is leading an effort to have Michigan's wolf hunting to be subject of a statewide vote. Hunting would be put on hold until the outcome of the ballot initiative is known.
 
Click on the link below for details.
 
CBS Detroit
http://tinyurl.com/anahszy
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Wolf mortalities on Canadian highway
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 7, 2013
 
Two wolves have been hit and killed by vehicles on a highway in a Canadian national park in recent weeks. The Calgary Herald reports that rangers were able to move a third wolf away from the TransCanada Highway after the wolf became entrapped in a fenced section of the highway.
 
For more, click on the links below.
 
Calgary Herald
http://tinyurl.com/avsjn5n
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Sweden hunts inbred wolves
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 7, 2013
 
Swedish wildlife officials have surprised wolf advocates by recently authorizing the "selected and targeted" hunting of 16 inbred wolves for ""as a step towards reducing inbreeding and having a sustainable, healthy wolf population."
 
Click on the link below for more information.
 
Wildlife Extra.com
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/sweden-wolf-hunt013.html
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Sweden suspends wolf hunt after protests from wildlife activists
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS February 07, 2013
 
STOCKHOLM — Sweden has suspended a controversial wolf cull after a legal challenge by animal rights activists.
 
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency had allowed a "targeted" cull of 16 wolves this year in an effort to protect the wolf population from inbreeding.
 
EPA wildlife coordinator Ruona Burman said Thursday that three animals had been killed before a Stockholm court suspended the hunt this week, pending a decision on an appeal by the nature conservancy and animal rights groups.
 
Wolf hunting is a highly charged issue in Sweden, pitting activists against land owners whose livestock have been attacked by the country's small but growing wolf population.
 
Once near extinction, Sweden's wolf population is now growing by an average of 14 percent annually and was estimated at 260-330 animals last year, Burman said.
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France tests new wolf program
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 7, 2013
 
Officials in France are hoping to teach wolves not to eat livestock. They hope that by capturing and marking wolves, the animals will be so traumatized that they will avoid livestock in the future.
 
For more, click on the Global Post article linked below.
 
http://tinyurl.com/b496msr
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Germans want to hunt wolves
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 7, 2013
 
German farmers want to wolves to be subject to hunting, citing problems with the animals killing domestic livestock. The wolf population in Germany is estimated to be about 160 animals.
 
Click on the link below for more info.
 
DW online
http://tinyurl.com/aeq4u2l

[bearpaw]

Feb 9, 2013
 
North Idaho Wolf Report
 
Feb 8, 2013
 
"M" was just telling me that he spoke with a local trapper yesterday. He got a wolf up here and the hair on its back was GONE! And the animal was completely infested by lice that live on wolves. I am going to assume that they live on canines so now won’t let [our dogs] play around in what little brush we have. He said that every wolf he gets trapping, he has to take to CDA fish and game office. If it hadn’t been for that he would have left it.
 
I know that last year the Wolves in the Potlatch, Harvard area were found with mange, and some could not tolerate the cheatgrass down there. It would get between their toes and they would chew off their feet. I had a dog with cheatgrass in its ear and I had to take him to the vet. That was a major surgery.
 
Thought you might be interested in this.
 
- K
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Yellowstone National park biologists struggle to maintain wolf research
 
By LAURA LUNDQUIST - Bozeman Daily Chronicle February 09, 2013 
 
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming — Yellowstone National Park has lost a record number of wolves to this year's hunting season, and that's left scientists scrambling to keep years of research alive.
 
So far this year, hunters have killed 12 percent of the park's wolf population, putting hunting well on its way to replacing other wolves as the leading cause of wolf mortality, said YNP wolf biologist Doug Smith.
 
"This is the first year that wolves were hunted on every side of the park," said Smith. "They've learned to tolerate people in the park, but that gets them in trouble if they leave. Some wandered outside the park, and within six hours, they were dead."
 
In 2009 and 2010, Montanans could hunt wolves. This winter, Wyoming allowed hunters to shoot wolves on sight after wolves were taken off the Endangered Species List there on Oct. 1.
 
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http://tinyurl.com/auotpvm
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Wolf-related measures circling in Legislature
 
February 8, 2013 Yakima Herald
 
OLYMPIA [WA] - Gray wolves may be largely an Eastern Washington concern, but lawmakers in Olympia are likely to hear plenty about them in the next couple of months.
 
After just three weeks in session, eight separate bills dealing with management of gray wolves have been written and sent on to committees.
 
Some of the measures - like creating a special wolf license plate to help fund measures to prevent conflicts with livestock owners - appear to have bipartisan support.
 
Others - like the Senate bill aimed at allowing county commissions to declare that wolves are an imminent threat and provide for lethal removal by an agent of the county - are sponsored by just Republicans.
 
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http://tinyurl.com/bhabs4q
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Minot zoo gets pair of year-old female gray wolves from South Dakota's Black Hills
 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS February 09, 2013
 
MINOT, North Dakota — Minot's Roosevelt Park Zoo has introduced its new wolves — a pair of year-old female grays that came from a tourist attraction in South Dakota's Black Hills.
 
The Minot Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/11xoDrs) that the zoo presented Luna and Denali to the public on Friday. They were obtained last November from Bear Country USA, a drive-through wildlife park in western South Dakota.
 
Employees of Enbridge Pipelines got to name the wolves. About 75 employees from the Bakken oil patch firm volunteered more than 600 hours to the zoo's rebuilding efforts after the flood.
 
The zoo's carnivore keeper, Lana Erickson, says she's excited to work with the additions.
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Wolves to be 'educated' not to kill sheep
 
07 Feb 2013 The Local FR
 
In a bid to try and crackdown on the number of wolf attacks on farm animals the French government has announced a plan to try and "educate" the wild beasts. The proposal has been greeted with mixed reactions.
 
Can you teach a wolf not to eat sheep?
 
The idea is being floated in France, where the return of the wolf has got farmers and environmentalists at each other's throats.
 
Under a proposed "National Wolf Plan," the government says it will conduct experiments into "educating" the canine carnivore, which is spreading stealthily in remote areas.
 
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http://tinyurl.com/b2nfon9

[bearpaw]

Feb 10, 2013
 
'One day, wolves may attack humans'
 
2013-01-21 By Cui Jia (China Daily)
 
The greatest fear of Bayishi Hule, the herdsman from Mazongshan, is that one day the wolves might attack people if their packs keep growing. "The wolves often come in a pack of six or seven and can kill dozens or even 100 mountain goats at a time," he said.
 
"They don't eat all of them. They just bite through their throats and leave them bleeding to death like it is a game to them," he said.
 
Wolves are a protected species in China. Anyone who wants to hunt them must obtain permits from forestry administrations, or they will face criminal charges. As private citizens are forbidden from owning guns in China, herdsmen can only count on police or other armed forces to control the predators' numbers.
 
In 2010, the Gansu government began to compensate herdsmen who lost their livestock to wolves.
 
Herdsmen will receive compensation of 20 percent of the market value of their livestock if they are injured by protected species, and 80 percent of the market value if they are killed. If loss of human life is involved in a wolf attack, the victim's family is compensated at 20 times the average annual income of the province's rural population.
 
Continued:
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-01/21/content_16146463.htm

[bearpaw]

Feb 11, 2013
 
Montana looks to expanded wolf hunt
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 9, 2013
 
Montana legislators are fast-tracking a bill that would expand wolf hunting in that state. The bill would prohibit Montana wildlife officials from banning wolf hunting in areas around national parks, and well as increase the number of wolves one hunter can take, and allows for the use of electronic calls.
 
For more, click on the link below.
 
Associated Press
http://tinyurl.com/cur8j5m
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Wolf count wrapping up
 
By Mike Koshmrl, Jackson Hole, Wyoming February 8, 2013
 
Wyoming biologists have been hard at work collaring and counting wolves in the five weeks since the state’s first regulated hunt of the canines came to a close.
 
Despite a highly charged wolf hunt this winter — when some famous research wolves were killed — Wyoming biologists say pack numbers are right where they projected they’d be.
 
The count, while still rough, is anticipated to exceed the state’s wolf recovery goals by about 70 percent, said Mark Bruscino, Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s large carnivore supervisor.
 
“It looks like it’s going to be very close to what we predicted and said in the public meetings, which is: 170 wolves and 15 breeding pairs,” Bruscino said. “That’s a minimum known number of wolves.”
 
Continued:
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/print.php?art_id=9534&pid=news
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Park County joins wolf litigation
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 9, 2013
 
Park County Commissioners have joined the Wyoming Wolf Coalition, a group organized to support the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in supporting the federal decision to remove endangered species protection for wolves in Wyoming.
 
Click on the link below for more information.
 
Powell Tribune
http://tinyurl.com/atw47h8
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Yellowstone bemoans wolf harvest
 
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online! February 10, 2013
 
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Yellowstone National Park officials are scrambling to keep their research projects alive in wake of the loss of some of the collared research wolves leaving the park and being legally harvested by hunters outside the parks.
 
The article claims that 12 percent of the park's wolf population has been harvested by hunters, and that hunting by humans is now replacing wolves killing other wolves as the leading cause of park wolf mortality.
 
To read the article, click on the link below.
 
SF Gate
http://tinyurl.com/bwpg2jz
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More Mexican gray wolves needed in wild
 
By Editorial board The Republic Mon Feb 11, 2013
 
The number of Mexican gray wolves in the wild is increasing, which reflects welcome progress in the effort to reintroduce this endangered species. These magnificent creatures are living and breeding in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.
 
The successful return of this top predator will benefit the entire ecosystem.
 
But wolves are far from plentiful, and their survival faces challenges. The success of this program is not assured.
 
When wolves were reintroduced in 1998, it was expected that the population would exceed 100 by 2006. Recapture, poaching and misguided lethal “management” techniques kept wolf numbers low. Instead, there were only 50 animals in the recovery area at the beginning of 2011. Two successful breeding years brought the number to 75 at the end of 2012.
 
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Saw a gray wolf? Tell the DNR
 
In Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula
 
Monday, 11 Feb 2013 GAYLORD, Mich. (AP)
 
The state Department of Natural Resources is trying to determine the presence of gray wolves in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula.
 
A wolf track survey is expected to start Monday and run through March 8.
 
Officials are asking that sightings of wolves and their tracks be reported to the DNR's Gaylord Operations Service Center.
 
Wildlife biologist Jennifer Kleitch says "given the low probability of observing an actual wolf or its tracks in the Lower Peninsula, it's helpful to have as many eyes looking as possible."
 
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Traps catch lion, then ranger in Montana
 
January 30, 2013 by Tristan Scott Missoulian (Mont.)
 
WEST GLACIER, Mont. - A mountain lion caught recently in a wolf foothold trap set on the southwestern boundary of Glacier National Park was turned loose by state wildlife officials, but the National Park Service employee who discovered the animal and reported it to game wardens was caught the following day when he sprang a second trap in the same area.
 
The seasonal employee discovered the trapped mountain lion Jan. 19 along the Middle Fork of the Flathead River just outside of the park boundary, which is defined by the high-water mark on the north side of the river. The park employee was conducting wildlife research and reported the trapped cougar to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials.
 
Erik Wenum, an FWP wildlife specialist, responded to the scene near Harrison Creek and darted and released the mountain lion. He also issued a trapping violation to the trapper for exceeding the amount of exposed bait permitted as an attractant. According to the state’s wolf trapping regulations, no trap may be set within 30 feet of an exposed carcass or bait that is visible from above, a measure intended to minimize the number of raptors unintentionally caught in the traps.
 
FWP Warden Capt. Lee Anderson said the park employee returned to the area with a park ranger the following day and, while attempting to show the ranger where the incident had occurred, accidentally sprung another trap, which caught the bottom of his heel. The employee, who was wearing waders, was not injured.
 
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