Welcome to Wolf Watch!          WOLF NEWS  |  Cat's new Wolf Book
Wyoming news reporter Cat Urbigkit lives in the heart of wolf country, near Big Piney, Wyoming, a few hundred miles south of Yellowstone National Park. As a news reporter, rancher, researcher and Wyoming resident, she has followed the wolf issue for many years and written many articles on the topic, as well as an upcoming book on the history of wolves in Wyoming.
   The goal of this website is to present up-to-date, accurate information about what is happening with wolves, focusing on wolves in the Rocky Mountains, but referring to wolf happenings outside our region when there is some local relevance. Rather than an agenda-driven advocacy site, this is the place to be for the facts about wolves, with a strong focus on what’s happening on the ground.
   We invite those living in areas inhabited by wolves to contact Cat with news tips, photographs, or other information. We also invite those who want to support this endeavor to sign on as sponsors, and for our re aders to support those sponsors.

Article by Cat & Jim Urbigkit:
Using dogs to help protect livestock from predators (May, 2010)

2012 Wolf Watch Story Archive
2011 Wolf Watch Story Archive
2010 Wolf Watch Story Archive
2009 Wolf Watch Story Archive
2008 Wolf Watch Story Archive
2007/2006 Watch Wolf Story Archive

5/17/13: Group wants wolf protection in parkway
(By National Parks Conservation Association) The National Parks Conservation Association filed a petition that asks the National Park Service to start a rulemaking process that will eliminate the possibility of a hunt of gray wolves inside the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in Wyoming. The Parkway, a unit of the National Park System, connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It serves as the connection for the wolf packs inhabiting those parks. The group wants this place set aside to preserve wildlife. .. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/17/13: Montana issues statement about rancher who shot wolf
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) The Gardiner area landowner who lost thirteen of his sheep to wolves late last month has asked Fish, Wildlife and Parks to amend his shoot on sight permit granting permission to take a second wolf. The landowner says he will be shipping his cow/calf pairs which were grazing in the area of the depredation to summer pasture in another location at the end of the week, while his remaining live sheep were moved immediately following the depredation event. Therefore, the landowner says there will no longer be a need for the permit..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/17/13: Wolf and grizzly trapping in Pinedale region
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of gray wolves in northwest Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will conduct scientific trapping operations in the northern Wind River Mountains and Gros Ventre Mountains north of Pinedale and east of Bondurant. Trapping will begin after May 19, 2013 and may continue through August 31, 2013. Also, as part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, WG&F will conduct research trapping operations north and west of Pinedale beginning after May 19 and may continue through September 31, 2013.. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: WG&F starts wolf trapping
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) As part of ongoing efforts to monitor the population of gray wolves in northwest Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will conduct scientific trapping operations in the Gros Ventre mountain range southeast of Jackson. Trapping will begin May 14, 2013 and may continue through June 15, 2013. All major access points where trapping is being conducted for monitoring purposes will be marked with warning signs. It is critical that members of the public heed these signs and do not venture into posted areas.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: Washington takes action to reduce wolf attacks
(By Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enacted an emergency rule to permit ranchers, farmers, and other pet and livestock owners in the eastern third of the state to kill a wolf that is attacking their animals. The commission is striving to address the legitimate need of residents to protect their domestic animals without undermining the state’s long-term goal of supporting the recovery of gray wolves. Without the emergency rule, animal owners would have had to obtain a "caught in the act" permit from the WDFW director before lethally removing a wolf. "Wolf populations are increasing faster than anyone had imagined," the legislators said in their April 23 letter. Legislators urged the commission to act quickly "to maintain social tolerance for gray wolves in northeast Washington in the timeliest manner for residents."..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: Elk Foundation intervenes in wolf case
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) While Wyoming works to reduce the number of wolves allowed for harvest by hunters this fall, Montana is working to increase the limit from one to five animals in that state's hunt..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: Montana proposes expanded wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) While Wyoming works to reduce the number of wolves allowed for harvest by hunters this fall, Montana is working to increase the limit from one to five animals in that state's hunt..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: Montana man kills sheep-killing Yellowstone wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Gardiner, Montana man has killed a wolf that came out of Yellowstone National Park and onto his private property. The killing was in the wake of about a dozen of his sheep being killed by wolves two weeks ago.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/10/13: Wolf researchers advocate intervention
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The New York Times has published an editorial by three researchers whose work has focused on the wolves of Isle Royale National Park, documenting the inbreeding and decline of that wolf population that was originally established by wolves traversing ice from the mainland. Now that the population is in decline, the researchers are advocating that action be taken to "reintroduce" wolves onto the island where a known population already exists – an island that also happens to be a wilderness area, where nature is supposed to take its course. Rather than documenting what happens next in this natural drama, researchers want to actively manipulate the situation...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/30/13: Sixteen Wyoming wolves harvested in 2013
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Sixteen wolves have been killed in Wyoming's predator zone as of April 26, 2013, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Hunting within the trophy game area is currently closed, and the 2013 hunting seasons will be set by the WG&F Commission in July 2013. Last year there were 42 wolves killed in the trophy game season, and an additional 25 wolves killed in the predator zone. There were also two wolves illegally killed after the hunt areas were closed in 2012..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/13: Wolf data deserves scrutiny
(By Idaho Farm Bureau Federation) The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) questions the wolf population data being released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Despite known sightings and depredation reports of wolves, the USFWS recent report claims there are no wolves in northern Utah, southwest Wyoming or southern Idaho. IFBF says USFWS documents only a small proportion of actual livestock losses in these states. “It's been estimated that only one in nine livestock depredations by wolves are confirmed by USFWS. IFBF also asserts wolf populations may be higher than what are counted due to difficulties associated with obtaining accurate population estimates in the field. IFBF says they question the validity of the entire USFWS report: “It's time for USFWS to get serious about telling the truth about wolves.”..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/13: Feds plan wolf releases in NM, AZ
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal wildlife officials will soon be releasing two pairs of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. One pair is being held in a holding pen in Arizona while they acclimate to the area. The other pair is being held in a backcountry pen in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico and "will be able to chew their way out of the enclosure," according to a Seattle Post Intelligence..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/13: RMEF moves to intervene in wolf delisting lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has filed a motion to intervene in the Wildearth Guardians et al., lawsuit over wolf delisting in Wyoming. This is the case that will be argued in federal court in Wyoming. The RMEF seeks to intervene in this action to protect its specific interest in defending the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s decision to remove protection of the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act, the decision to create two zones of gray wolf management in the State of Wyoming, and in preserving populations of elk, deer, moose, wild sheep, and other big game species that are being impacted by wolf predation. If the court allows RMEF to intervene in the case on the side of federal officials, this wildlife non-profit will join a growing list of intervenors, including the State of Wyoming, Wyoming Wolf Coalition 2013, Safari Club International, and the National Rifle Association.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/13: Feds plan wolf releases in NM, AZ
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal wildlife officials will soon be releasing two pairs of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. One pair is being held in a holding pen in Arizona while they acclimate to the area. The other pair is being held in a backcountry pen in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico and "will be able to chew their way out of the enclosure," according to a Seattle Post Intelligence..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/13: Feds plan US wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Los Angeles Times obtained a draft U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service document indicating the federal wildlife agency plans to remove endangered species protections for all gray wolves in the Lower 48 states, with the exception of wild Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/17/13: Wyoming wolf case stays in DC
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The federal lawsuit over removing Wyoming wolves from the list of federally protected species filed by Defenders of Wildlife, The Humane Society of the United States, and other animal activists was filed in Washington DC, and will remain there, according to an order from a federal judge. Federal officials had tried to have the case moved to federal court in Wyoming, but the judge denied the motion. The court concluded: “the national interest in gray wolf preservation and the substantial deference owed to plaintiffs’ choice of forum tip the balance of the relevant factors against transfer.”The court noted that when considering the public interest, there is legitimate reason in “having localized controversies decided at home,” in this case it does not apply “because this case implicates national concerns.”.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/17/13: 2012 Northern Rockies Wolf Report
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in collaboration with other federal, state and tribal agencies, released the 2012 Annual Report for the Northern Rocky Mountain (NRM) Gray Wolf Population. The report is conducted as part of the Service’s work to monitor the wolf population to ensure that it continues to thrive under professional state management and no longer needs federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. As of Dec. 31, 2012, there were at least 321 confirmed packs and 1,674 wolves within the NRM area. The 2011 report showed at least 287 confirmed packs and 1,796 wolves within the NRM area. Post-delisting monitoring requires each delisted state to submit an annual report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Director of US Fish and Wildlife Service, Dan Ashe, called the recovery of the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies one of the great success stories of the Endangered Species Act. Despite increased levels of take resulting from sport hunting and control efforts, the population has continued to thrive. The Service will continue to monitor the delisted wolf populations in the NRM states for a minimum of five years to ensure that they continue to sustain their recovery. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/15/13: WG&F proposes to cut wolf quota by half
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) Officials with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department say the state's efforts at wolf management to date have been successful. The report shows a nearly 12 percent increase in the number of wolf packs since 2011. The recovery plan criteria for removing wolves from the federal Endangered Species List in Wyoming was 100 individual wolves and 10 breeding pairs at the end of any given year. At the end of 2012, there were an estimated minimum of 277 wolves in all areas of Wyoming, including 43 packs and 21 breeding pairs. The recovery plan criteria for removing wolves from the federal Endangered Species List in Wyoming was 100 individual wolves and 10 breeding pairs at the end of any given year. Year-end 2012 was the 11th consecutive year that Wyoming has exceeded those criteria. As a whole, all jurisdictions in Wyoming are required to maintain at least 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs. The state of Wyoming has agreed to maintain a minimum of 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs towards this total in areas where it has management authority. The Endangered Species Act requires a five-year post-delisting monitoring period. Failure to meet the established recovery goals could jeopardize the legal status of Wyoming's wolves. Since Wyoming achieved wolf management goals of a reduced population through hunting and control actions in 2012, reductions in 2013 will be more conservative. The total hunting quota in the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area and Seasonal Wolf Trophy Game Management Area in 2012 was 52 wolves. In 2013, the department is proposing reducing this quota to 26. During the 2012 wolf hunting season, the WGFD sold 4,492 wolf hunting licenses. A total of 41 wolves were legally harvested in the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area and Seasonal Wolf Trophy Game Management Area; 25 wolves were harvested in areas of the state where wolves are designated as predatory animals.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/10/13: Fourteen Wyoming wolves harvested in 2013
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Fourteen wolves have been killed in Wyoming's predator zone as of March 29, 2013, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Hunting within the trophy game area is currently closed, and the 2013 hunting seasons will be set by the WG&F Commission in July 2013. Last year there were 42 wolves killed in the trophy game season, and an additional 25 wolves killed in the predator zone. There were also two wolves illegally killed after the hunt areas were closed in 2012.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/3/13: Idaho releases wolf monitoring report
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The number of wolves in Idaho at the end of 2012 was down from the year before, at an estimated 683 animals (compared to 768 the year before). That's according to figures released by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in its 2012 wolf monitoring report..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/27/13: Lowest wolf count on Isle Royale
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The most recent annual report of ecological studies of wolves on Isle Royale reveals that there are only eight wolves left in this unique population. From mid-January to late February 2013, researchers conducted the fifty-fifth annual Winter Study of wolves and moose on Isle Royale. Between January 2012 and January 2013, the wolf population declined from 9 to 8, the lowest number of wolves ever observed in the population. During the past year, mortality rates were low (11%), with just one wolf dying. There was no evidence of any reproduction during the past year. This is the first year in the project’s history researchers have been unable to document reproduction. Analysis of DNA extracted from wolf scat collected in January and February 2012, and the pattern of mortality during the past year, indicate that the population is comprised of between three and five females. The lack of reproduction is not due to a shortage of females..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/27/13: Wolf-dog hybrid in New Mexico
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With so few Mexican wolves remaining in the wild, it's no wonder that every now and then wildlife managers discover the animals have bred with domestic dogs. Federal wildlife managers recently discovered what they believe to be a wolf-dog hybrid..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/13: Wyoming wolf lawsuit grows
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Wolf Coalition has been granted intervenor status in the federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to delist wolves in the state. Meanwhile, a coalition of hunting advocates are awaiting word whether they will be allowed to intervene as well...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/13: Montana wolf numbers down slightly
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) At least 625 wolves inhabited Montana at the end of 2012, according to state wildlife managers preparing the federally required annual wolf conservation and management report. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' complete report, which is expected to be available online by April 12, will show that Montana's verified minimum wolf count decreased more than 4% in 2012, compared to a 15% increase in 2011 and an 8% increase in 2010. The minimum wolf count is the number of wolves actually verified by FWP wolf specialists. Confirmed livestock depredations due to wolves included 67 cattle, 37 sheep, one dog, two horses and one llama in 2012. Cattle losses in 2012 were the lowest recorded in the past six years.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/13: Bitterroot Valley of Montana home to 13 packs of wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana's Bitterroot Valley is home to 13 packs of wolves. That's up two packs from the year before..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/17/13: Canadian wolf attack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Canada media sources report that a woman was attacked by a wolf near Grand Rapids, Manitoba. The woman, who sustained puncture wounds to her neck, drove herself to the hospital for treatment...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/17/13: America's Wolf Dilemma
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) British journalist Jim Wickens spent a week traveling Montana trying to learn about America's conflicts over wolves and wolf management, with the end result a piece published in The Ecologist..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/11/13: Wolf spotted at Idaho's Craters
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A remote camera captured images of a wolf at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. Although one wolf was confirmed in the area in December 2012, more recent images have confirmed two wolves roam the area..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/6/13: Montana wolf harvest numbers
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) State wildlife officials released the results of the 2012-2013 wolf hunting and trapping seasons, which saw a substantial jump in harvest over last year. The wolf hunting and trapping seasons ended with a total harvest of 225 wolves, 36% more than last season. Hunters took 128 wolves and trappers 97. The hunting season ran 181 days from September 1, 2012 through February 28, and the 76-day trapping season opened Dec. 15, 2012 and closed Feb. 28..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/6/13: Alaska biologists shooting wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife biologists working for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game have been shooting wolves from a helicopter in attempt to reduce the wolf population to help the local moose population. Villagers are allowed to keep the wolf carcasses. State officials expect to harvest 35-50 wolves in the area this year, and 15-20 wolves annually thereafter..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/6/13: Idaho wolf seasons closing
(By Idaho Fish & Game) Gray wolf hunting and trapping seasons in most zones in Idaho run through March 31. Hunting seasons in the Lolo and Selway zones remain open through June 30. And the Beaverhead and Island Park zones closed January 31. As of March 4, hunters and trappers had taken 245 wolves in Idaho. Last year, they had taken a total of 379 wolves by the end of the season..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/27/13: Montana wolves kill hunting dog
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana mountain lion hunters witnessed a pack of wolves kill one of their hunting hounds that had treed a lion east of Hamilton..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/22/13: Feds agree to $380K attorney fees
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal officials and environmental groups "have engaged in good faith, confidential settlement negotiations" that have resulted in an agreement for the feds to pay the groups $380,000 to settle attorney fees. The agreement stems from a lawsuit filed by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Humane Society of the United States, etc. back in June 2009 challenging the delisting of wolves. The federal court heard cross motions for summary judgment five months later and eventually ruled that the environmental groups were right in part and wrong in part. The feds appealed the case to the Ninth Circuit where it was dismissed as moot..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/21/13: National Elk Refuge learns to capture wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide has a feature story about employees of the National Elk Refuge getting a lesson in capturing wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/21/13: YNP presents wolf hunt info
(By Yellowstone National Park/National Park Service) Yellowstone National Park article answering questions about how wolves are managed in the Park, how hunting might affect wolf populations in the park, thoughts on harvest of collared wolves, responding to the question of why do people hunt wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/13/13: New Montana wolf hunt law in effect
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) A wolf management bill was signed into law by the state's new governor. The law will allow hunters to purchase up to three wolf licenses and lowers the price of a nonresident wolf license from $350 to $50. The measure will also fortify state wildlife officials' science-based efforts to manage Montana's recovered and growing wolf population. "This legislation leaves management of the gray wolf where it belongs, in the hands of scientists, not politicians," Gov. Steve Bullock said..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/13/13: Wolves target ailing moose population
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that wolves inhabiting the northern section of Grand Teton National Park are keying on the local moose population, which is in decline.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/10/13: Yellowstone bemoans wolf harvest
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/9/13: Wyoming wolf count nears completion
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that state wildlife officials are wrapping up their wolf population count, with the population expected to exceed the state's population goals. The preliminary estimate is that the state has at least 170 wolves in 15 breeding pairs..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/9/13: Park County joins wolf litigation
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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 above for the complete story.)

2/9/13: Montana looks to expanded wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/9/13: Sweden backs off wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Sweden has suspended its proposed cull of 16 inbred wolves after protests from wolf advocates. Three wolves were killed before a court suspended the hunt, pending the outcome of the lawsuit.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: Mexcian wolf back in captivity
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A male Mexican wolf released into the wild in hopes it would breed with a wild female has been recaptured and placed back into captivity since the plan failed. Rejected by a wolf pack in Arizona, the male wandered into New Mexico before federal officials brought the male back into the captive breeding program.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: Sweden hunts inbred wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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 above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: Wolf mortalities on Canadian highway
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: Animal advocates want wolf hunt vote
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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 above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: Germans want to hunt wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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 above for the complete story.)

2/7/13: France tests new wolf program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/13: Wyoming wolf harvest continues
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) 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..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/20/13: WG&F collars wolves in nine packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Washington wildlife officials say eastern Washington's wolf numbers are rising, and state officials are working to reduce the risks of conflicts with livestock production in that region of the state.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/20/13: Washington has 'unprecedented' wolf numbers
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Washington wildlife officials say eastern Washington's wolf numbers are rising, and state officials are working to reduce the risks of conflicts with livestock production in that region of the state.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/20/13: Montana judge allows wolf season to continue
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Montana judge has issued an injunction allowing wolf harvest to continue outside Yellowstone National Park's borders in Montana. Although Montana wildlife officials had attempted to close the season, the way the state went about doing so was deemed not in compliance with law..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/11/13: Wolf lawsuit moved to Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal judge has issued an order moving a lawsuit challenging the removal of federal protections for wolves in Wyoming from his court in Colorado to Wyoming. The request for change of venue was filed by both federal and state officials. Wolf advocate and environmental groups filed the lawsuit in federal court in Colorado last fall....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/11/13: Court: NPS right to deny wolf reintroduction
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver has ruled that the National Park Service was right in its rejection of the idea of reintroducing wolves to Rocky Mountain National Park in order to reduce the elk population...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/9/13: WG&F seeks wolf poaching info
(By Wyoming Game & Fish Department) Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens are looking for information about the illegal killing of two gray wolves in the Gros Ventre area near Jackson. One dead wolf, which had been shot, was found in the Gros Ventre area in early December. A second wolf, which had also been shot, was found on Dec. 21, several miles from the first wolf carcass. The department requests the public’s help with this investigation. Anyone with information about this incident should call Wyoming’s Stop Poaching hotline at 1-877-WGFD-TIP, report online at wgfd.wyo.gov, or call Game Warden Bill Long at 307-733-2321. Those with information can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/7/13: Russia declares emergency over wolf attacks
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Siberian Republic of Yakutia has declared a state of emergency due to attacks on livestock by wolves. A program to reduce the wolf population by 3,000 is now being undertaken..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/4/13: Wyoming wolf hunt season closes
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters harvested 43 wolves of the quota of 52 during the 2012 wolf hunting season in the trophy game areas of western Wyoming, in addition to the 26 wolves killed in the predator zone. The hunting season is now closed in the trophy game areas..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/4/13: Judge orders Montana to reopen wolf season
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) A district court judge reopened wolf hunting and trapping seasons in two areas north of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The areas were closed by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission on Dec. 10 in response to concern that hunters were taking wolves with collars that supplied scientific information to YNP researchers. The Order suggested that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks failed to offer sufficient public notice about the closure. A hearing has been set for Jan. 14. Montana's wolf hunting and trapping seasons are open through Feb. 28..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/4/13: Wolves in Polson, Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A pair of wolves appears to have taken up residence within the city limits of Polson, Montana, preying on deer herds there. Residents have reported spotting the wolves in their yards..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2012 Wolf Watch Story Archive

2011 Wolf Watch Story Archive

2010 Wolf Watch Story Archive

2009 Wolf Watch Story Archive

2008 Wolf Watch Story Archive

2007/2006 Wolf Watch Story Archive