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 readers to
support those sponsors.
Article by Cat & Jim Urbigkit: Using
dogs to help protect livestock from predators (May,
2010)
2010 WOLF NEWS
2009
Story Archive
2008
Story Archive
2007/2006
Story Archive
 8/25/10: Wolves
killing calves in Upper Green
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that wolves from the Green River Pack killed four calves in
mid-August in the Upper Green River drainage. The pack killed
two additional calves earlier this summer. Wildlife Services
is attempting to trap and radio collar > 1 wolf. Control
actions are ongoing to remove 3-4 wolves from the pack. A single
wolf killed a yearling steer near Bondurant, Wyoming in mid-August....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
8/25/10: Defenders
ends wolf compensation program
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Defenders of Wildlife has ended its wolf
damage compensation program. On August 20, 2010, the organization
announced it is moving to what it is calling is a transition
to another program. With the implementation by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and states of new federal legislation
providing federal funds for state programs to compensate ranchers
for livestock taken by wolves, Defenders says its “highly
successful livestock compensation program” is no longer
needed and will end in most states on Sept. 10. Defenders is
providing support to states as they start their own compensation
programs, and will be focusing on collaborative efforts to
help ranchers coexist with wolves.....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.)
8/25/10: Idaho
proposes wolf reduction program
(By Idaho Fish & Game
Department) The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking
public comments on a proposal to reduce the wolf population
in part of the Clearwater drainage. The proposal calls for
reducing the population of wolves in two big game management
units that make up the Lolo elk management zone. Wolf numbers
would be kept at about 20 to 30 wolves for five years, while
the elk and wolf populations are monitored. That amounts to
removing about seven percent of the estimated minimum of 835
wolves in the state at the end of 2009.....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.)
8/23/10: Idaho
wants lead in managing wolves
(By Idaho Fish & Game
Department) Idaho should remain in the lead role in managing
wolves despite their return to endangered species status, the
Idaho Fish and Game Commission decided Monday, August 16. But
commissioners want a new agreement with the federal government
for lead management to include some changes to restrict the
use of license dollars from being used on wolf management and
to reflect state priorities better. The commission adopted
a resolution that calls for actions in response to the recent
federal court decision that returned gray wolves in the Northern
Rockies to the endangered species list.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
8/23/10: Wolf
weights
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) There has been much discussion of late about
wolf weights in the Rocky Mountains. While weights of existing
pack members in the wild would be hard to determine, here is
information about the weights of the original wolves released
in Yellowstone National Park in 1995 and 1996. These are the
January weights of the wolves that were captured in Canada.....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
8/18/10: More
states push for delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin Ag Connection reports that
more states are pushing for federal protection of wolves to
be eased. Natural resource agency officials in 13 states and
three Canadian provinces sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service stating just that....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
8/18/10: Interior
tries to pressure Wyoming wolf planning
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for fish and wildlife and parks, has an editorial
in the Los Angeles Times today suggesting Wyoming needs to
change its wolf plan so that wolves in the Northern Rockies
can be removed from federal protections. He said "recovery
requires Wyoming to change its policy," to join in management
efforts similar to those in Montana and Idaho. Governor Dave
Freudenthal has noted that unlike the other states involved
which developed wolf management plans, the entire state of
Wyoming is included in the wolf recovery area, not just part
of the state....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 8/18/10: Wyoming
wolf status 8/13/2010
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued
a report on wolf status in Wyoming as of August 13, 2010. At
least 24 wolf packs have denned in Wyoming in 2010. They anticipate
more breeding pairs will be identified this summer as additional
den/rendezvous sites are located and reproduction is confirmed.
In Yellowstone Park they say monitoring of packs that had litters
suggests higher pup survival relative to the last two summers
where disease and strife were a significant mortality factor....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
8/11/10: Wyoming
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that wolves from the Buffalo Pack were suspected of killing
a border collie herding dog in the Gros Ventre drainage southwest
of Jackson. In addition, on July 26, USDA Wildlife Services
confirmed a calf was injured by wolves on private property
west of Cody. Two grey wolves have been killed by vehicles
in Grand Teton National Park so far this year....(Click on the link above for the complete
story.)
8/8/10: Wolf
protections reinstated
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Montana has reinstated
federal protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho. The summary
judgment decision did not address the various arguments about
wolf numbers, genetics and linkages, but instead addressed
only the narrow issue of whether it was legal for the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to delist wolves in two of the three
states that encompass the Distinct Population Segment. The
ruling stated such action was not in compliance with the Endangered
Species Act....(Click on the link above
for the complete story.) 8/8/10: Wolves
killing guardian dogs in Utah
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Just south of Wyoming's border in neighboring
Utah, wolves have killed at least one livestock guardian dog
protecting their sheep herd.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
7/27/10: Sublette
County wolf problems
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that on 3/10/10, Wildlife Services confirmed that a calf was
killed by wolves from the Black Butte Pack NW of Pinedale,
WY. Control efforts were completed when 3 wolves were removed.
On 4/18/10, WY Wildlife Services verified a foal was killed
and a yearling horse was injured by wolves from the Black Butte
Pack. Control efforts began again to remove the remaining 2
wolves, but were unsuccessful. On 7/21/10, Wildlife Services
confirmed that another calf was killed by wolves in the same
area. Control efforts are ongoing to remove these 2 wolves....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.) 7/27/10: Utah
wolf killed for livestock kills
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) In early July 2010 USDA Wildlife Services
(WS) and Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed
a wolf or wolves had depredated on both cattle and sheep on
USDA Forest Service grazing allotments in the area of Utah
where wolves are delisted northeast of Coalville. UT DNR authorized
lethal removal of that wolf or wolves.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
7/21/10: Wolf
stories in national news
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Christian Science Monitor currently has
two feature stories on wolves. The first is about Yellowstone
National Park wolf researcher Doug Smith. The second story
in the publication details wolf recovery in the Midwest and
how people are struggling to deal with the animals......(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 7/21/10: Wisconsin
installs wolf howling boxes
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) In an effort to control wolf pack movements,
wildlife officials are installing howling boxes in Wisconsin,
hoping that when wolves hear recorded wolf howls in certain
areas, they will believe that the territory is already occupied.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
7/20/10: Group
petitions for wolves across United States
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Center for Biological Diversity filed
a petition with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service asking for a national recovery plan
for Gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act to establish
wolf populations in suitable habitat in the Pacific Northwest,
California, Great Basin, southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains
and New England. The group says existing recovery plans for
wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains and upper Midwest are
out of date and it is time to develop a national recovery plan
to facilitate true recovery of the gray wolf. The Center’s
petition starts a process in which the Fish and Wildlife Service
must make a determination on whether to develop such a recovery
plan based on the science in the petition and the requirements
of the law. The Endangered Species Act requires recovery of
endangered animals and plants throughout all significant portions
of their range...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)
7/19/10: Wyoming
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that 1-2 wolves killed a total of 14 lambs and 1 ewe on public
land in the Big Horn Mountains, approximately 15 miles south
of the Wyoming/Montana state border. Four additional lambs
were injured and are not expected to survive. At least 14 packs
have denned this spring in Wyoming, outside Yellowstone National
Park....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
7/12/10: Wyoming
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wyoming wolf update reports from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. "We continue to manage wolf
population growth and wolf distribution to minimize chronic
loss of livestock from wolves and promote wolf conservation
by maintaining the Wyoming wolf population (outside YNP) well
above recovery objectives."...(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
7/12/10: Wolf
killed in southeastern Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A sheepherder in southeastern Idaho shot
and killed a wolf east of Preston, Idaho after the animal killed
one of his lambs.....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.) 7/12/10: Idaho
hopes to reduce wolf numbers
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials hope that allowing
wolf trapping and the use of electronic
calls will help to reduce the wolf population in that state....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
7/12/10: Montana
sets 186-wolf quota
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials
have set the hunting season harvest for wolves at 186, up from
the 75 it had authorized for the 2009 season....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/28/10: More
wolves killed in control actions
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
additional control action in June to remove wolves
for sheep and cattle depredations.....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
6/24/10: Three
wolves killed in control work
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
there have been six wolves killed in control actions in Wyoming
so far this year. An old male wolf was removed near Dempsey
Creek, northwest of Kemmerer due to sheep depredations. Two
adult wolves were removed west of Cody due to two confirmed
calf killings....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 6/24/10: Economics
of predation on range operations
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Three University of Wyoming professors affiliated
with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics just
had a new paper published by the Society for Range Management.
The paper, "Ranch-level economic impacts of predation
in a range livestock system," examines the three primary
mechanisms predators reduce ranch profitability, and uses a
mathematical ranch model of a cow-calf operation in western
Wyoming to simulate effects of these three predation mechanisms
on ranch profitability....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/24/10: Wolf
control works
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A retired Alaska wildlife biologist gives
his view and history with wolf control in that state....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/24/10: Wolves
at the door in New Mexico
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Range Magazine takes a look at the wolf situation
in a new special report: “Land in Crisis: Wolves at the
door in Catron County, New Mexico."...(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/17/10: Montana
judges hears federal wolf case
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Delisting wolves in Montana and Idaho, without
delisting wolves in Wyoming, was the subject of oral arguments
in a federal courtroom in Montana Tuesday....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/12/10: Wolf
attacks Forest Service horse
(By Bridger-Teton
National Forest press release) An incident occurred at the
Blackrock Ranger Station on the Buffalo Ranger District of
the Bridger-Teton
National Forest Thursday June 10 where a wolf attacked one
of the Forest Service’s horse stock. According to Acting
District Ranger Ray Spencer, the horse was either spooked by
a wolf and ran across a cattle guard or was being attacked
by the wolf when it ran across the cattle guard. The horse
was put down due to the nature of its wounds. ....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/7/10: Wyoming/Western
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that there are no recent livestock depredations in Wyoming.
They give a report for recent wolf activity in Utah and Oregon....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 6/7/10: Living
with wolves: Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana's wolf population tallies more than
500, and ranchers are struggling to live with the large predators.
Missoula, Montana's News Channel 13 takes an in-depth look
at Living with Wolves.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
6/7/10: Alaska
waits on court to resolve wolf, caribou conflict
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials have postponed
a plan to kill wolves on a caribou calving ground in a national
wildlife refuge until a federal judge issues a ruling. The
state proposes an aerial predator control program in order
to help the struggling caribou population.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 6/7/10: Tripled
Montana wolf harvest proposed
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A state wildlife biologist said that an expanded
wolf hunt is the only way to reduce Montana's wolf population.
Nearly tripling the harvest is now being considered.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 6/7/10: Montana
unveils wolf proposals
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials
have several wolf hunting proposals out for public review.
The FWP Commission recently approved quota alternatives of
153, 186 or 216 wolves in the proposed 14 different wolf management
units. Sub-quota areas are also being considered to limit harvest
during early season backcountry hunts and in an area directly
north of Yellowstone National Park. Also proposed this year
is a wolf archery season for all WMUs that would open Sept.
4 and run through Oct. 17, the same time as Montana’s
deer, elk, lion, and black bear archery seasons. Hunting would
close when quotas are met, or by Dec. 31. Last year, Montana’s
first ever wolf harvest quota was 75 wolves across three WMUs.
Officials estimate that at least 524 wolves in 101 verified
packs and 37 breeding pairs inhabited the state at the end
of 2009. The Montana wolf population is predicted to decrease
under each of the quota alternatives currently being considered
by the FWP Commission. Officials caution, however, that the
wolf hunting season could be blocked by groups that recently
sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prevent wolf delisting.
Such legal challenges prevented wolf delisting and a hunting
season in 2008 and could affect the wolf hunt this year. FWP
has joined the USFWS’s defense of the delisting decision.
Court arguments are set for June 15 in Missoula.....(Click on the link above for the complete
story.) 6/7/10: Oregon
wolf numbers increasing
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Oregon wildlife and livestock officials are
beginning to experience first-hand what it's like to live with
wolves. One ranch in the eastern part of the state is part
of a research project aimed at monitoring interactions between
wolves and cattle. The study has revealed that wolves have
far more contact with cattle than was suspected, and even the
most intensive management could not prevent wolves from killing
cattle.....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.) 6/7/10: Mexican
wolf program at risk
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service believes
its Mexican wolf recovery program is at risk of complete failure.
Twelve years after Mexican wolves, a distinct subspecies of
gray wolf, were released in Eastern Arizona, there are few
wolves left, and the program is sinking....(Click on the link above for the complete
story.)
5/24/10: Alaska
seeks to kill wolves, save caribou
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials want to kill wolves
on a national wildlife refuge in order to save an ailing caribou
population....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.) 5/24/10: Wolf
survival studied
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolf populations can sustain mortality rates
of 25 percent and still thrive, but the wolf population has
not been doing well in protected areas such as Glacier National
Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.....(Click on the link above for the complete
story.) 5/24/10: Montana
looks to reducing wolf numbers
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that Montana
wildlife commissioners have approved a plan to at least double
the number of wolves harvested in the state's next wolf hunting
season.....(Click on the link above for the complete story.) 5/24/10: Twenty
wolf packs den in northwestern Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) At least 20 packs of wolves in northwestern
Wyoming have denned, according to
federal wildlife officials.....(Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
5/24/10: Idaho
authorizes wolf removals
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Fish and Game Department has authorized
four outfitters to use their clients to reduce wolf numbers
in the Lolo area. with each outfitter permitted to harvest
up to five wolves. The wolf population reduction is being conducted
to help the ailing elk herd....(Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
5/19/10: Using
dogs to help protect livestock from predators
(By
Pinedale Online!) Expanding large carnivore populations pose
new challenges for livestock owners to protect their herds
from predators while abiding to the laws that protect some
of these predator species which are under federal protection.
Some sheep ranchers have used specially-bred livestock protection
dogs as a non-lethal tool to help protect their herds from
wolf predation. Cat and Jim Urbigkit, ranchers in Big Piney,
have co-authored a paper on the use of livestock protection
dogs (LPDs), which was recently published in Sheep & Goat
Research Journal. “The number of LPDs killed by large
predators is increasing,” they wrote. “We conducted
a literature review to identify LPD breeds that may be more
suited for use around large carnivores, such as gray wolves.”..
(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
5/16/10: Wolf
packs are denning
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that more than eight Wyoming wolf packs have denned. In Yellowstone
National Park, 9-11 packs have denned....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
5/9/10: Wolves
attack people, livestock in Georgia
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolf attacks on people and livestock has
led Georgian villagers to seek permission to kill wolves. Two
people are now dead, as are more than 100 head of livestock...(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 5/9/10: Feds
admit to changing wolf recovery target
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A federal wolf official has admitted that
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
changed its wolf recovery target since the reintroduction program
began....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
5/9/10: Save
wolves, hunt wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Hal Harring has an article in High Country
News about Montana's first wolf hunting season. "One Way
to Save the Wolf? Hunt It" ....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.) 5/9/10: Montana & Idaho
may up wolf quotas
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Both Idaho and Montana officials are considering
proposals to increase the
quotas for their state's next wolf hunting seasons.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
4/29/10: FWS
talks up Gros Ventre wolf study
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed
the highlights of a study of wolf predation in the Gros Ventre
area with the Jackson Hole News & Guide.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 4/29/10: Wolf
population drops in Denali
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolf population declines in several areas
of Alaska are causing debate about management actions.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 4/29/10: Wolf
hearing June 15 in Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A federal judge is scheduled to hear oral
arguments in the challenge to wolf delisting in the Northern
Rockies, on June 15 in Missoula....(Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
4/25/10: Wolves
making first stock kills of 2010
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide has an
article about the first confirmed livestock kills by wolves
in 2010, and the control actions that are taking place in response
to these continued problems....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
4/25/10: Idaho
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Fish and Game Department reports
135 wolves were harvested legally from September 1 through
December 31, 2009. Hunters took 46 wolves between January 1
and March 31, 2010). USDA Wildlife Services confirmed wolves
killed eight calves, injured one calf and probably killed another
calf during March. In response to these and previous depredations,
Wildlife Services killed 10 wolves...(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
4/21/10: Wisconsin
to study wolf impact on deer
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
will soon undertake a study to learn the causes of deer deaths
in the state's whitetail deer population. With a thriving wolf
population of more than 700, hunters are concerned about the
impact of predation on deer herds....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 4/21/10: Wolf
numbers down on Isle Royale
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that wolf numbers
have decreased in Isle Royale National Park, but the local
moose population appears to be holding steady....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
4/16/10: Wolves
on the range
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Bozeman Daily Chronicle reporter Daniel Person
has undertaken a four-part series on wolves in the Northern
Rockies. This second installment of the series takes a look
at wolves on a Montana sheep ranch...(Click on the link
above for the complete story.) 4/16/10: Banning
wolf hunter harassment
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Time has an article called "Wolf
Wars: A new move to ban hunter harassment" tackles the
issue of people legally harvesting wolves and then being harassed
about it by wolf advocates...(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
4/9/10: Elk
foundation spats with Defenders
(By Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation press release) Pro-wolf groups were admittedly "surprised
and disappointed" when the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
publicly challenged their mischaracterizations of the real
impacts of
wolves in the northern Rockies and are feeling even more heat
today. Their recent call for a truce has been met with a scathing
letter from RMEF President and CEO David Allen, who says Defenders
of Wildlife, Western Wildlife Conservancy and others are party
to what may become "one of the worst wildlife management
disasters since the destruction of bison herds in the 19th
Century."....(Click on
the link above for the complete story.)
4/7/10: FWS:
$1 million to states for wolf program
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced $1 million
in grants that will be distributed to 10 states under a new
demonstration program designed to help livestock producers
undertake proactive, non-lethal activities to reduce the risk
of livestock loss from predation by wolves, or to compensate
livestock producers for livestock losses caused by wolves.
These grants will be provided to Arizona, Idaho, Michigan,
Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin,
and Wyoming, and will support the states’ highest priority
needs in assisting livestock producers....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
4/5/10: Howling
at wolves is harassment
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Media reports from Canada tell us that howling
for wolves - whether its done by wolf watchers, commercial
outfitters or researchers - is actually wolf harassment....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
4/5/10: Wolf
recovery funding
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annual
report 2009 for the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf recovery program
includes estimates of wolf recovery funding. Wolf recovery
has been almost entirely funded by federal appropriations and
some private donations. In FY09 about $3,763,000 in federal
taxpayer funding was spent on wolf recovery and management
in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Wolf management in the NRM
in FY 2010 will cost federal taxpayers an estimated $4,206,000.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/30/10: Idaho
wolf hunt ends
(By Idaho Fish and
Game) Idaho's first regulated wolf season closes statewide
on March 31, 2010. The season already has closed
in seven of 12 wolf zones, and as of March 29, hunters have
taken 185 wolves. The harvest limit is 220. "The season
has succeeded in halting the growth of Idaho's wolf population," Fish
and Game Director Cal Groen said. "It showed that Fish
and Game is capable of monitoring and managing a well-regulated
wolf hunt." The hunt also showed that fears of wholesale
slaughter of wolves were unfounded, Groen said. Hunters exhibited
good compliance with the rules and with check-in and call-in
requirements....(Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
3/27/10: Relative
risk of predation from wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Mark Collinge of the USDA APHIS Wildlife
Services office in Boise, Idaho, recently published an interesting
paper on the "Relative risks of predation on livestock
posed by individual wolves, black bears, mountain lions, and
coyotes in Idaho."....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
3/26/10: Twenty-one
packs with pups
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that in 2009 in Wyoming (outside the national parks) a total
of 21 packs produced >89 pups and met the FWS breeding pair
definition. Mean litter size of pups surviving to 31 December
2009 was 4.1 pups per litter and ranged from 2-14 pups (14
pups were a double litter).....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
3/26/10: Forty
Wyoming wolves died in 2009
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
in 2009, 40 wolves (15% of the total population) were known
to have died in Wyoming outside of the national parks. Causes
of mortality included: agency control = 31 (77% of all documented
mortality); unknown or under law enforcement investigation
= 7 (18%); and natural = 2 (5%).....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/22/10: Wolf
shooting under investigation
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A wolf was shot and killed in Sublette County
last week, and the incident is currently under investigation
by federal law enforcement officials, although such officials
said today they could "neither confirm nor deny" either
the incident or the investigation. Wolves are classified as
a federally protected species in Wyoming.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/19/10: Brucellosis
in wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Rocky
Mountain Wolf Recovery 2009 Interagency Annual Report includes
information about brucellosis testing in wolves in Wyoming....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/17/10: Wyoming
wolf population growth
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Rocky
Mountain Wolf Recovery 2009 Interagency Annual Report includes
information about the growth of the wolf population outside
the borders of national parks in Wyoming. The population has
had an average annual growth rate of 19 percent......(Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
3/16/10: Outfitters
hold wolf rally March 20 in Jackson
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Outfitters are planning a rally in Jackson
Hole on Saturday, March 20 to highlight
the impact wolves have on big game populations......(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/14/10: FWS
releases annual wolf report 2009
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released
the Rocky
Mountain Wolf Recovery annual report for 2009......(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/13/10: Update
on Alaska teacher death
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) There are now news stories coming out every
day about the death of a 32-year old teacher in Alaska, and
the apparent confirmation that her death was caused by wolves.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/13/10: Autopsy:
Animal mauling killed teacher
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Autopsy results indicate the 32-year old
teacher killed in Alaska died from multiple injuries inflicted
during an animal attack. Her body was surrounded by wolf tracks....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/13/10: Killing
wolves for human safety?
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Alaska has a population of about 11,000 wolves
and a unique state statute that allows up to 10 wolves to be
killed per day per person in a community should state officials
determine that the animals pose a threat to human safety. The
issue has been spotlighted since the death of a 32-year old
teacher this week, with evidence of wolf predation at the scene....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/10/10: What
was learned from Montana wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana Outdoors magazine has a great article
called "A Steady First Step" that examines the lessons
learned from the state's first regulated wolf hunt....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/10/10: Wolves
may have killed teacher in Alaska
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Anchorage Daily News reports that authorities
are investigating the death of a 32-year old teacher in Alaska,
and wolves are being investigated as a potential cause....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/10/10: Ashley
Judd: save the wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Actress Ashley Judd has once again teamed
up with Defenders of Wildlife to plea with President Obama
to "save the wolves." Judd has recorded a TV spot,
airing in Washington DC the week of March 8th, in which she
appeals to President Obama to take action to save wolves in
the northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone region....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
3/9/10: Wyoming
wolf monitoring update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued
a report for wolf activity for the early part of March 2010.
The report has information on wolf activity near Cody; wolf
activity related to elk capture/collaring efforts for the University
of Wyoming Absaroka Elk project; capture operations in Yellowstone
National Park; and status of the Druid Peak Pack......(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/9/10: Montana
issues new wolf kill rules
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials
have issued new rules for dealing with problem wolves, allowing
USDA Wildlife Services specialists to proceed with removing
problem wolves without prior FWP authorization......(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/9/10: Wolf
reintroduction for Grand Canyon?
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Some are advocating that wolves recovery
should focus on establishing a wolf population on the North
Rim of the Grand Canyon.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/9/10: Alaska
eliminates Denali wolf harvest buffer zone
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials have rejected the
wolf harvest buffer zone for Denali National park and Preserve.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/9/10: Idaho
wants expanded wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department
is advocating an expanded wolf hunting season in order to stop
the decline of the Lolo area elk population....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 3/9/10: Tips
for dealing with wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Canadian wildlife officials have offered
a series of tips for dealing with wolves that do not demonstrate
a fear of humans.....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/28/10: Using
wolves to control elk
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A recent paper in BioScience proposes the
use of small populations of wolves "for ecosystem restoration
and stewardship." The paper proposes that small populations
of wolves could be placed throughout the national park system
in order to control over-abundant ungulate populations.....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.) 2/28/10: Wolves
wear out welcome
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolves have apparently worn out their welcome
in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to a press report in
the Twin Cities' Pioneer Press....(Click on the link
above for the complete story.) 2/28/10: Brits
consider reintroducing big predators
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The British countryside may soon
harbor bears, lynx, wolves and elk, according
to press accounts of a proposal under consideration....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/28/10: Elk
foundation calls out motives of wolf groups
(Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation press release) In letters to legislators and
newspapers across the West, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
is calling
out groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Western Wildlife Conservancy
and others for their disingenuous use of data on wolves and
elk. The RMEF action was prompted by each group’s recent
op-ed articles in the media, as well as testimony before Utah
lawmakers by Western Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director
Kirk Robinson. All cited RMEF statistics to argue that restored
wolf populations have somehow translated to growing elk herds
in the northern Rockies. RMEF says the theory that wolves haven’t
had a significant adverse impact on some elk populations is
not accurate....(Click on the link above for
the complete story.)
2/23/10: Infectious
disease in Yellowstone wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A team of researchers conducted a serologic
inventory of infectious disease in Yellowstone National Park's
canid community and the results are interesting. They found
high, constant exposure to canine parvovirus, canine adenovirus,
and canine herpesvirus suggesting that these pathogens were
enzootic within YNP wolves and coyotes. An average of 50% of
wolves exhibited exposure to the protozoan parasite, Neospora
caninum, although individuals' odds of exposure tended to increase
with age and was temporally variable. Of the pathogens we examined,
none appear to jeopardize the long-term population of canids
in YNP. However, CDV appears capable of causing short-term
population declines....(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/23/10: Mexico
plans wolf reintroduction
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Mexican government is planning to release
five endangered Mexican wolves into the Sonoran country, within
quick walking distance to Arizona, which is raising concern
from Arizona citizens who know that if one of the wolves enter
the state, it is granted full endangered status. That means
the animals can't be harmed or killed, even if caught in the
act of killing livestock....(Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
2/23/10: Wolf
advocates denied injunction
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel
collared three wolves in one of the state's two known wolf
packs last week. The three collared wolves are part of the
10-member Imnaha pack....(Click on the link above for
the complete story.) 2/23/10: Oregon
collars three wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel
collared three wolves in one of the state's two known wolf
packs last week. The three collared wolves are part of the
10-member Imnaha pack....(Click on the link above for
the complete story.)
2/17/10: Yellowstone
wolf population in transition
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolf numbers in Yellowstone National Park
declined for the second consecutive year. The decline was expected
and considered natural. The Yellowstone Wolf Project reports
the 2009 population at 96-98 wolves, down 23 percent from the
124 wolves recorded in 2008. This is the fourth decline since
wolf reintroduction began in 1995. A population high of 174
wolves was recorded in 2003. In 2004 and 2007, 171 wolves were
counted..... (Click on the link above for the complete
story.)
2/9/10: Idaho
Wildlife Services publishes wolf report
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The USDA-APHIS Idaho Wildlife Services office
has published its annual wolf activity report for 2009. The
report is full of interesting information about wolves in Idaho,
including information that could pertain to Wyoming wolf management....
(Click on the
link above for the complete story.) 2/9/10: Livestock
losses to wolves put in perspective
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The USDA-APHIS Idaho Wildlife Services' annual
wolf activity report looks at the topic of livestock losses
by four species predators (coyotes, wolves, mountain lions
and bears) most often implicated in predation on livestock
in Idaho. By determining the average number of livestock killed
per each individual predator on the landscape, and comparing
these figures among the four species, it turns out that individual
wolves in Idaho are about 170 times more likely to kill cattle
than are individual coyotes or black bears. Individual wolves
were determined to be about 21 times more likely to kill cattle
than were individual mountain lions.... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 2/9/10: Sterilization
of wolves considered
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The USDA-APHIS Idaho Wildlife Services office,
which performs wolf control in Idaho, has the following to
say in its annual wolf activity report: "One approach
that has been recommended by a number of recognized wolf experts
as a potential means of reducing wolf-livestock conflicts is
to consider sterilization of wolves in certain circumstances…” Wildlife
Services recommends that in some chronic problem areas, surgical
sterilization of one or both alpha wolves be considered as
an alternative to removal of all the pack members. Determinations
as to which packs might qualify for this treatment would depend
a number of logistical factors...”.... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 2/9/10: Wolf
advocate warned for claiming carcass
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) An Idaho wolf advocate has been issued a
written warning for her attempt to claim a wolf carcass killed
by federal
officials (for livestock depredations) as her own. She tagged
the wolf with an Idaho wolf tag. If the ploy had worked, the
animal would count against the wolf hunt quota. But state officials
said that was inappropriate and cited her for her action, noted
that under Idaho code, any wolves killed in control actions
become property of the state..... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.) 2/9/10: Wolf
pack moves into Colorado?
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) It appears a pack of wolves has moved into
Colorado. Wildlife officials are investigating wolf sign found
on a western Colorado ranch. The presence of wolves in Colorado
is also the front-page feature in High Country News.... (Click on the link
above for the complete story.) 2/9/10: Wolves
pushed as park stewards
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Some researchers are advocating using wolf
pack introductions as a way to control ungulate populations
in national parks. But how to control the wolves once they
are released? The article suggests, "Neuter the wolves,
fence them in, fit them with shock collars and - just in case
- add a tracking device so they can be hunted and killed if
they get too far afield."....
(Click on the link above for the complete story.)
2/8/10: Pack
of 22 wolves in Gros Ventre
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
several packs in the Jackson area have been traveling beyond
their normal winter home ranges. They give reports on the Buffalo,
Pinnacle Peak, Phantom Springs and Pacific Creek packs.....
(Click on the link above for the complete story.) 2/8/10: Romeo
wolf a no-show
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The famously visible wolf dubbed Romeo that
has roamed near Juneau, Alaska in recent years is a no-show
this winter, according to the Anchorage Daily News. There is
much speculation and concern for his possible demise. A recent
news account showing photos of Romeo was actually an accounting
of the wolf's prior visits to civilization, not recent activity......
(Click on the link above for the complete story.)
2/6/10: Minnesota's
wolf woes
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) News reports from Minnesota note that there
is a decline in deer numbers at the same time there is an increase
in both wolf sightings and livestock depredations..... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/6/10: Utah
tames wolf bill
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A Utah legislative panel has tamed a bill
aimed to require the removal of any wild wolves found in that
state. The bill has now been amended to request federal wildlife
officials remove any wolves found in the state..... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/6/10: Sweden
to import wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) After holding a wolf hunt just a few months
ago, wildlife officials in Sweden are now moving forward with
plans to import wolves into the central part of the country.
The wolf population in Sweden is inbred, and the program to
import wolves will help to improve the population's genetics.....
(Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
2/6/10: Wolf
arguments heard in Cheyenne
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Cheyenne heard oral arguments
in the State of Wyoming's lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service for its failure to delist wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)
2/6/10: Wolf
hunters' names published online
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) An opponent of Idaho's wolf hunting season
has reportedly published the names
of those who harvested wolves. A listing of 122 names is now
on his website. He
was quoted as saying it wasn't his intention that these hunters
be harassed..... (Click on
the link above for the complete story.)
1/30/10: Official
Wyoming wolf count
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports
that for 2009, Wyoming had at least 319 wolves in at least
44 packs (including 27 breeding pairs). Wyoming (outside Yellowstone
National Park) had at least 223 wolves in at least 30 packs
(>21 breeding pairs). Yellowstone National Park estimates >96
wolves in 14 packs (6 breeding pairs)....
(Click on the link above for the complete story.)
1/22/10: Wolf
hearing set for Jan. 29
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. District Court for Wyoming is set
to hear oral arguments in the State of Wyoming challenge to
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to delist wolves
in Wyoming. The federal court in Cheyenne will hear arguments
on Friday, January 29, at 9 a.m. Members of the Wyoming Wolf
Coalition, which sided with the state in the case, will hold
a support rally on the Capital steps before the hearing.....
(Click on the link above
for the complete story.) 1/22/10: Utah
tries to prohibit wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A Utah legislator is proposing the state
enact legislation that would prohibit wolves in Utah. The bill
would require state wildlife officials to capture or kill any
wolf it discovers in the state, with the exception of wolves
legally held in captivity.... (Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
1/14/10: Idaho
sportsmen concerned about wolf parasite
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Idaho For Wildlife's latest newsletter has
a feature article "Two-thirds of Idaho
wolf carcasses have hydatid disease tapeworms" and urges
caution for those
who may handle wolf carcasses.... (Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
1/12/10: Romeo
wolf back in Juneau
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) "Romeo" the Alaska wolf that repeatedly
hangs around Juneau in the winter, playing with dogs and being
very visible, is back at it again.... (Click on the
link above for the complete story.)
1/12/10: Kyrgyzs
use horses to protect against wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Herdsmen in Kyrgyzstan use their horses
to guard against wolves, and ride the horses in attacks against
wolves... (Click on the link above for the complete
story.) 1/12/10: Montana
couple fears for their cattle
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The Western News, out of Libby, Montana,
has an article about a Montana couple whose small herd of Dexter
cattle were attacked by wolves, with their milk cow killed....
(Click on the link above
for the complete story.) 1/12/10: Montana
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials
publish a weekly update on wolves, which is available on Mondays
and covers the week prior.... (Click on the link above
for the complete story.) 1/12/10: Idaho
wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) There are still several hunt areas open for
the harvest of wolves in Idaho, with the season set to close
at the end of March, or when quotas are met. Also, the Idaho
Fish and Game Department has posted a wolf management progress
report for December 2009.... (Click on the link above
for the complete story.)
1/6/10: Wolf
advocates file Idaho lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocacy organizations (the Wolf Recovery
Foundation and Western Watersheds Project) have filed a lawsuit
against the U.S. Department of the Agriculture (both Forest
Service and Wildlife Services) in federal court in Idaho....
(Click on the link above for the complete
story.) 1/6/10: Sweden
closes wolf hunt after four days
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) With a total hunt quota of 27 wolves, hunters
in Sweden took swift action to reach that goal, taking 20 wolves
in the first day of the hunt, and reaching the quota in only
four days. The Swedish parliament voted to limit the wolf population
to about 210 animals, and this hunt was the nation's first
in 45 years..... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
1/5/10: Final
2009 Wyoming wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued
its last weekly wolf report for 2009, providing an end-of-year
summary of livestock depredation problems...... (Click on the link
above for the complete story.)
1/4/10: Montana
wolf situation assessed
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) Helena Independent Record reporter Eve Byron
wrote an interesting article attempting to summarize the state
of wolf recovery in Montana..... (Click
on the link above for the complete story.)
1/4/10: Eastern
coyotes part wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit,
Pinedale Online!) A recent coyote hunt in Pennsylvania resulted
in the harvest of some darn big
coyotes - four of them were over 50 pounds. The eastern portion
of the nation
apparently produces big coyotes because these critters have
some wolf genetics
.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)
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