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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.

2012 Wolf Watch Story Archive

12/26/12: Hunters take 64 wolves in Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters harvested 41 wolves in Wyoming trophy game hunt this year, with the season set to close Dec. 31. In addition to the wolves harvested in the trophy game areas, an additional 23 wolves were taken in Wyoming's predator zone..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/26/12: Two of three wolf lawsuits merged
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has merged two of the three lawsuits filed over the removal of federal protection for wolves in Wyoming. Each lawsuit was filed by a coalition of groups, with Defenders of Wildlife and the Humane Society of the United States taking the lead. A third lawsuit was filed in federal court in Colorado..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/22/12: Colville Tribe begins wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Colville Tribal members are now able to hunt wolves in their reservation in Washington state, with a quota of nine wolves. The tribe authorized the wolf hunt because wolves are believed to be having a negative impact on deer and elk herds, which are important in providing winter meat for tribal members..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/22/12: Italian wolves prefer boar
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves inhabiting northwestern Italy apparently prefer to feast on wild boar, according to reports from a research project studying wolf diets in the Tuscany region. Two-thirds of the total prey biomass found in wolf dung was attributed to the consumption of wild boar, while the other third was found to be roe deer...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/22/12: Wolf restoration in Pacific West?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The confirmation of a single wolf in California has provided inspiration for wolf advocates to form a 25-organization alliance committed to recovering wolves in the Pacific states..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/22/12: The Economist: The Call of the Wild
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Economist reports on wolf recovery in America and Europe, and human attitudes about wolves over time..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/22/12: Impasse for wolf conservation in France?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Guardian reports on the conflict involving wolf conservation and livestock production in France, where wolves were re-established in 1992. A wolf population of 250 adults is believed responsible for killing 5,000 sheep last year, and the conflict over wolf management continues...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/19/12: Wolf attacks snowmachiner
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska media reports that a wolf attacked a man riding a snowmachine down a frozen creek. The man suffered only a scratch on his arm, but now must undergo rabies treatment as a precaution..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/19/12: Editorializing About Wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Once again those who disagree with the legal wolf hunting seasons instituted in western states are demonizing those involved and claiming that the sustained harvest of animals is really a "culture war ... between those who recognize the gray wolf's right to exist and ... those who view the creature as a threat to livestock and public safety that must be mercilessly exterminated.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/16/12: Wyoming hunters take 58 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With two weeks remaining in the wolf hunting season, hunters have harvested 39 wolves in Wyoming's trophy game area, and an additional 19 wolves in the predator zone, according to information provided by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 at 3 p.m....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/16/12: Did MT break law in closing wolf season?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Questions have arisen about whether the Montana Wildlife Commission violated public participation laws when it recently voted to close wolf hunting seasons adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The commission took action on this item which had been listed as an "informational" item on its agenda...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/16/12: Third wolf lawsuit filed
(By press release) The Humane Society of the United States and The Fund for Animals filed a lawsuit in federal court on Dec. 7, 2012 challenging the decision of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove wolves in Wyoming from the federal list of endangered species. According to the lawsuit, wolves should not have been delisted because they remain threatened by inadequate state management plans and by the lack of interaction between largely isolated state wolf populations. The lawsuit asks the court to restore federal protections under the Endangered Species Act for wolves in Wyoming....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/12: Oregon wolf packs breeding
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves from different wolf packs in Oregon are breeding, researchers have reported, demonstrating that genetic interchange between packs is taking place. Wildlife managers believe Oregon has at least six wolf packs in the state...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/12: Second Wyoming wolf lawsuit filed - in COLORADO
(By Wild Earth Guardians press release) A coalition of conservation organizations filed suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on November 29th for removing gray wolves in Wyoming from the federal threatened and endangered species list. The State’s wolf management plan was approved in September and the wolf-hunting season commenced October 1st. Wyoming’s wolf management plan allows for unregulated wolf hunting in over 80% of the state. Some of the groups disagree with what state and federal wildlife managers have decided are sufficient wolf numbers and call wolf recovery unfinished business until wolves are present in all suitable habitats across the American West..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/12: Wolf hunt update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf hunters have been successful in several states, with 34 wolves harvested so far in Wyoming’s trophy game hunting areas (of a total quota of 52), and an additional 18 wolves taken in the state’s predator zone (where there are no quotas), as of Monday, November 26, 2012 at 9 a.m., according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Wisconsin hunters have harvested 95 wolves of the state’s quota of 116. Minnesota hunters have killed 147 wolves (53 fewer than the quota) but the trapping season is set to begin.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/12: Howling over wolf harvest
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Licensed hunters have legally harvested at least seven wolves that were wearing radio-collars, drawing the ire of a Yellowstone National Park wolf biologist who claims the harvest of these wolves is a loss to science. Read the link below for more information..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/12: Feds want Wyoming wolf suit moved to Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal officials have asked that the lawsuit filed by Earthjustice over wolf delisting in Wyoming actually be heard by a federal court in Wyoming, rather than Washington, D.C. where wolf advocates filed the case..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/14/12: Idaho wolf trapping season opens
(By Idaho Fish & Game news release) Idaho’s wolf trapping seasons are open between November 15th and March 31st. Trappers must complete a required wolf trapping class before they can buy wolf trapping tags. Licensed trappers may buy up to five wolf trapping tags per trapping season for use in those zones with an open wolf trapping season. In addition, up to five wolf hunting tags may be purchased per calendar year for hunting. Unused wolf hunting tags may be used to tag trapped wolves in wolf zones with an open trapping and hunting season. Trapping tags are valid for the trapping season, but wolf hunting tags are valid for the calendar year. Trapping regulations prohibit traps from the center and within 5 feet of center line of all maintained designated public trails and from the surface and right of way of all maintained designated public roads. Ground traps are prohibited within 300 feet of any designated public campground, picnic area and trailhead..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/14/12: Russian woman survives wolf attack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) News accounts report that a Russian woman survived an attack by a wolf, managing to ax the predator to death to save herself..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/14/12: Wyoming harvests 50 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters have killed 34 wolves thus far in Wyoming's trophy game hunting season, of the state's quota of 52 wolves. In addition, hunters have killed 16 wolves in Wyoming's predator zone where no quota applies. For comparison, hunters in Minnesota have killed more than 110 wolves in that state's first regulated wolf hunt. Minnesota has an overall quota of 200 wolves...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/14/12: UW polls on wolf reintroduction
(By University of Wyoming press) More than half of Wyoming residents believe introducing wolves into Yellowstone National Park has had negative effects, according to a new University of Wyoming poll. Forty-nine percent agree with the reintroduction of wolves, while 47 percent disagree. When asked about the effect of wolf reintroduction, 35 percent say the effect was mostly positive and 54 percent say the effect was mostly negative. While opinion about wolf reintroduction is divided, there is strong consensus on hunting wolves. Four out of five Wyomingites agreed with the plan to allow the hunting of gray wolves in the state. Only 14 percent disagree. There is little variation across the state on this aspect of the wolf issue..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/14/12: Wyoming wolf lawsuit filed - in DC
(By Earthjustice press release) Conservation groups filed suit challenging the federal government’s elimination of Endangered Species Act protections for Wyoming wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service turned wolf management in Wyoming over to state officials this fall even though the state’s wolf-management policies promote unlimited wolf killing in a “predator” zone that extends throughout most of the state and provides inadequate protection for wolves even where killing is regulated. The pro-wolf supporters argue that state policies will result in wolf deaths that will undermine the recovery of the species. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/12: How to contact wolf damage experts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) For livestock producers having problems with wolf damage in Wyoming's predator zone, here is the contact information for USDA Wildlife Services, the agency that can help alleviate the damage. In the counties of Teton, Sublette, Fremont, Sweetwater, Lincoln, Uinta, Hot Springs and Carbon contact the Rock Springs Office at 307 362-7238. This is a field office and personnel here are often in the field. In all other counties in Wyoming contact the State Office in Casper at 307-261-5336..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/12: Wolf damage? Here's who to call!
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Livestock producers having problems with wolves should be aware that agencies are ready to assist with conflicts. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has developed a brochure providing details...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/12: Forty-four wolves killed in Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters have killed 29 wolves thus far in Wyoming's trophy game hunting season, crossing the half-way mark of the state's quota of 52 wolves. In addition, hunters have killed 15 wolves in Wyoming's predator zone where no quota applies..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/31/12: Wolves plaque MN livestock producers
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves in Minnesota are subject to hunting and trapping pressure, but the animals continue to plaque livestock producers. In response to confirmed depredations on livestock, wildlife damage control officials have killed 266 wolves in that state so far this year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/31/12: Wolf harvest continues
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming hunters have reported harvesting 27 wolves in the fall wolf hunting season in the trophy game area, while another 10 animals have been taken in the predator zone. This count was current as of Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 at 2:20 p.m..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/26/12: Wolf harvest continues to rise
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The 2012 fall wolf hunt has been successful for a number of hunters, with 23 wolves taken in the trophy game hunt areas of northwestern Wyoming, and an additional 8 wolves taken in the predator zone. Two hunt areas are now closed since harvest quotas have been reached.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/22/12: Two wolf hunt areas close
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that as of 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 21, 2012, two wolf hunt areas have closed because the quotas have been reached. This includes hunt areas 4 and 6. So far, hunters have harvested 23 wolves in the trophy game areas, and five wolves in the predator zone.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/14/12: Wyoming wolf harvest rises to 21
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) As of Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 4 p.m., hunters reported harvesting 21 wolves in the state's wolf hunting season. This harvest is in the trophy hunt areas of northwestern Wyoming. Seven wolves have been harvested in the four Absaroka hunt areas; five in the Wind River hunt areas; and nine in the Jackson hunt areas..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/8/12: Wyoming wolf hunt tally up to 16
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that as of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, hunters have harvested 16 wolves in the trophy hunt areas of northwestern Wyoming..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/8/12: California adds protection for wolf
(By California Fish & Game Commission) The California Fish and Game Commission determined Wednesday that listing the gray wolf as an endangered species in the state may be warranted and declared it a candidate for future listing consideration. The decision opens a status review to be done over the course of the next 12 months, after which the Commission could decide to list the wolf as an endangered species under state law..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/8/12: Washington learns depredation lesson
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) concluded its action to eliminate a pack of wolves in Northeast Washington after an agency marksman killed the pack’s alpha male just south of the Canadian border...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/7/12: Yellowstone Park harbors 106 wolves
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Beginning September 30, 2012 wolves in Wyoming are managed by the State under an approved management plan, as they are in the states of Idaho and Montana. As of September 30, 2012, Yellowstone National Park biologists estimate the YNP wolf population at 106 wolves in 11 packs, including 7 breeding pairs. These estimates are preliminary and may change before the end of the year. Official counts will be reported on December 31, 2012..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/7/12: Hunters harvest 12 Wyoming wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters in northwestern Wyoming reported harvesting 12 wolves in the state as of 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, 2012, after six full days of Wyoming's first regulated wolf hunting season in decades. All of the state's wolf trophy game areas remained open as that time, as no quota has been filled in any hunt area..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/30/12: Wolf taxonomy revisited
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) At long last, there has been a comprehensive review of North American wolf taxonomy as reflected in the currently available scientific literature. The review, "An Account of the Taxonomy of North American Wolves From Morphological and Genetic Analyses" was undertaken by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees Steven M. Chambers, Steven R. Fain, Bud Fazio, and Michael Amaral, but does not represent the official views of the agency. It is also important to note the review "does not evaluate or make any recommendation on whether any subspecies that is found to be valid should be used as a management unit, as the object of management action, or preferred to an alternative legal classification for protection … Suitability of a subspecies as a unit for any of these purposes requires further, separate analysis weighing legal and policy considerations." ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/30/12: Iraq boy killed by wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A five-year old boy was killed in central Iraq when a wolf attacked a group of children as they picked dates in a palm grove.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/30/12: WA kills three wolves to stop depredations
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Three wolves from the Wedge Pack in Northeast Washington were killed as the state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) continued its effort to put a stop to persistent attacks on livestock by eliminating the pack....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: Two coalitions prepare to sue over Wyoming wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) On Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, two different coalitions of environmental and animal rights groups sent their "notices of intent to sue" letters to federal officials over the federal government's intention that it will soon turn over wolf management in the state to Wyoming wildlife officials..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: 20,000 apply for Wisconsin wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The public is enthusiastic about the opportunity to harvest wolves, as evidenced by the number of people applying for limited wolf hunting licenses in certain states. There are more than 20,0000 applications filed for Wisconsin's hunt, and more than 23,000 applications for Minnesota's hunt..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: Montana has low tolerance for wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) recently conducted four separate surveys of resident Montanans regarding Montana's wolf hunt. Survey findings revealed that tolerance with wolves being on the Montana landscape was quite low. At the same time, there was considerable tolerance for the concept of wolf hunting in the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: MN wolves cost $154K in damage compensation
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Minnesota wildlife officials paid out nearly $155,000 in compensation for damage caused by wolves in that state in the past year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: 23,000 apply for MN wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) More than 23,000 people have applied for the opportunity to participate in Minnesota's fall wolf hunt. The state will use a lottery system to select the 6,000 licenses it will issue, with a price of $30 for residents and $250 for nonresidents. Although 6,000 licenses will be sold, there is a statewide quota of 400 animals to be harvested, split between two seasons.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/13/12: Tribe confirms 9th WA wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Colville Tribe has confirmed Washington's ninth wolf pack, while state wildlife officials have also issued a kill order for another pack that has continued to kill livestock.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/31/12: FWS declares Wyoming wolves recovered
(By US Fish and Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today (Friday, August 31) that the Wyoming population of gray wolves is recovered and no longer warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Beginning September 30th, wolves in Wyoming will be managed by the state under an approved management plan, as they are in the states of Idaho and Montana. The most recent official minimum population estimate shows that the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population contains more than 1,774 adult wolves and more than 109 breeding pairs. Most of the suitable habitat across the Northern Rocky Mountain region is now occupied and likely at, or above, long-term carrying capacity. This population has exceeded recovery goals for 10 consecutive years. The Service will continue to monitor the delisted wolf populations in all three states for a minimum of five years to ensure that they continue to sustain their recovery, and retains authority to reinstate ESA protections at any time if circumstances warrant... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/28/12: Roquefort under threat from wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The production of France's Roquefort cheese is threatened by the return of the wolf to southern France, according to an article in the UK Telegraph. Roquefort cheese must be produced from sheep that are grazed freely every day, a difficult proposition when the sheep encounter wolves..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/25/12: Cashing in on Wyoming wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has stated its intent to delist wolves in Wyoming soon, allowing the species to become managed by state officials. The Center for Biological Diversity is using this opportunity to "prepare an emergency legal case to stop the slaughter," referring to Wyoming's wolf plan, which provides for a wolf-hunting season, which CBD calls a "wolf-massacre plan." The CBS suggests "generous" donations are needed to fund the legal case, noting that the Wyoming plan would allow "wolf families" to be killed in 80 percent of the state, neglecting to mention that Wyoming's wolf population is concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/23/12: California wolf may get endangered status
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With wolf hunts scheduled to take place in a variety of UP and western states this fall, a Michigan lawmaker is proposing legislation that could allow state wildlife officials the ability to develop regulations for the state's first wolf hunting season....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/23/12: Michigan lawmaker proposes wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With wolf hunts scheduled to take place in a variety of UP and western states this fall, a Michigan lawmaker is proposing legislation that could allow state wildlife officials the ability to develop regulations for the state's first wolf hunting season....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/23/12: Wisconsin/Chippewas dispute hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin's Chippewa Indian tribes want to protect wolves within the northern part of the state, but Wisconsin wildlife officials say hunters will be able to harvest half the quota for that region....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/17/12: Minnesota wolf season starts Nov. 3
(By Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) Consistent with state law, the state's first regulated wolf season will start with the beginning of firearms deer hunting on Saturday, Nov. 3. The season will be split into two parts: an early wolf hunting season coinciding with firearms deer hunting; and a late wolf hunting and trapping season after the firearms deer season for those with a specific interest in wolf hunting and trapping...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/17/12: Wisconsin wolf season deadline nears
(By Wisconsin DNR) Hunters and trappers interested in participating in Wisconsin’s inaugural wolf hunting and trapping season must apply for a permit between August 1 and August 31, 2012. The permit application fee is $10 and applications can be purchased from authorized license agents, over the Internet through the Department of Natural Resources "Online Licensing Center" or by phone at 1-877-945-4236 toll free. The wolf hunting and trapping season runs October 15 to February 28, 2013..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/17/12: Montana's archery season on wolves opens Sept. 1
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana's wolf hunting seasons open soon. The General Archery Season opens Sept. 1, while the backcountry rifle season opens Sept. 15. The general season rifle opens Oct. 15. Season dates do vary by hunting district, so be sure to check the Montana hunting regulations, which you can access from the links below. The most recent Montana wolf season had hunters harvesting 166 wolves, less than the quota provided by state officials..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/15/12: Idaho wolf hunt season opens soon
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho's wolf hunting season is set to open in most wolf hunt areas of that state on August 30. In the 2011-2012 season, there were 255 wolves harvested by hunting in Idaho, and an additional 124 wolves harvested through the trapping season..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/15/12: Washington kills one wolf for depredations
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) On August 7, 2012 state wildlife managers killed a wolf from a pack that has repeatedly preyed on livestock in a remote area of northeast Washington for the past five years. Acting under the terms of the state’s 2011 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) took lethal action after a series of wolf attacks on the Diamond M herd, whose owners graze about 400 head of cattle in an area known as the Wedge near the Canadian border. The attacks left one calf dead, five cows or calves injured and at least two missing since mid-July..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/29/12: Wolf control continues in Sublette County
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal wildlife officials are continuing efforts to control wolf packs that are preying on domestic livestock in Sublette County this summer. There are two main packs targeted: Green River and Prospect Mountain. Wolves have killed at least two calves and injured two others in the Upper Green River region this month, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has authorized USDA Wildlife Services to kill the wolf pack involved. There are five or six adults and pups in this pack. The other problem area is south of Boulder where the Prospect Mountain pack roams. This pack has preyed on domestic sheep in the area, killing or wounding more than a dozen animals. Five wolves have been killed so far, but control efforts are ongoing. There are at least two more adults (one wearing a radio collar), and pups remaining...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/29/12: Looking for love in Cali: fail
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Oregon wolf that has roamed into California has not found a mate. Meanwhile, some residents of California are expressing opposition to putting wolves on the state's list of endangered species...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/29/12: Minnesota wolves roam military training ground
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Some wolf packs in Minnesota now inhabit Camp Ripley, an active military training area..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/23/12: Montana trappers sign up for wolf trapping
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Would-be wolf trappers have signed up for a certification class required before they can commence their activity. More than 300 prospective trappers signed up in the first 48 hours..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/23/12: Montana extends wolf hunting season
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) National Public Radio has created a piece on Montana extending its wolf hunting season. The report notes that the state's wolf population objective is 450, but as of January 2012, there were at least 650 wolves in the state.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/23/12: Wisconsin deals with wolf depredations on dogs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources continues to deal with wolf depredations on dogs, with two Plott hounds in an active hunt killed earlier this month, and then a pet beagle injured last week. The state wildlife agency has mapped wolf/dog conflict zones and has information posted on its website, cautioning hunters and dog owners about using this zone..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/11/12: MT wolf hunt draws 6,500 comments
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Helena Independent Record reports that Montana wildlife officials have received more than 6,500 comments on the state's proposed wolf hunting and trapping seasons.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/11/12: Idaho wolf hunt ongoing
(By Idaho Fish & Game) The 2011-2012 wolf hunting seasons ended June 30; the 2012-2013 season opened July 1 on private land only in the Panhandle wolf management zone. Wolf hunters may use five tags - one wolf per tag. There is no overall harvest limit in the region. The wolf hunting season opens throughout the rest of the state on August 30. The wolf trapping season opens November 15 in six wolf zones..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/11/12: Uptick of lethal removal of wolves in Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Billings Gazette reports that Montana officials have seen an uptick in lethal removal of wolves in that state. Federal wildlife officials have killed 45 wolves in Montana in response to livestock depredations.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/11/12: Washington has new wolf pack
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife ) The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has confirmed another wolf pack and a wolf attack on sheep in northeast Washington. Using remote video cameras, biologists documented at least five gray wolf pups this week in southern Stevens County, east of the town of Fruitland and north of the Spokane Indian Reservation. In reference to nearby Huckleberry Mountain, the pack has been named the Huckleberry pack. The new pack is Washington’s seventh confirmed wolf pack. Washington’s new wolf management plan, adopted last December, includes provisions to compensate ranchers who lose livestock to wolf predation. In confirmed wolf depredation cases, livestock owners can be compensated for the full market value of lost animals.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/2/12: Wolves killing calves in Upper Green
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that wolves have been killing calves in the Upper Green River region of Sublette County in the last week... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/26/12: Rampant wolf attacks plague livestock
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Canadian press is reporting that rampant wolf attacks plague livestock in the Mayerthorpe region, even though more than 30 wolves have been killed in the area within the last year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/24/12: Pups born to Oregon wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) As the Oregon Court of Appeals considers whether to allow state wildlife officials to kill wolves that prey on livestock, several of Oregon's four confirmed packs of wolves have produced pups..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/24/12: Wisconsin home to 800-plus wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin's wolf population is up to nearly 900 animals, according to state officials, with 213 packs detected in the state.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/24/12: Opining on Canadian wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Pat Valkenburg opines about whether "Canadian" wolves are bigger and badder than the wolves native to this region. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/24/12: Opining on Canadian wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Pat Valkenburg opines about whether "Canadian" wolves are bigger and badder than the wolves native to this region. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/17/12: Zoo wolves kill woman in Sweden
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is sending out text alerts to ranchers when wolves are in their area. GPS location data from collared wolves is automatically downloaded from satellites, and a text message is generated to producers who register for the alerts. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/16/12: Oregon sends wolf text-alerts to ranchers
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is sending out text alerts to ranchers when wolves are in their area. GPS location data from collared wolves is automatically downloaded from satellites, and a text message is generated to producers who register for the alerts. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/16/12: Three wolves drown at Isle Royale
(By Jennifer Donovan, Michigan Tech News) During their 2012 Winter Study, Michigan Technological University population biologist John Vucetich and wildlife ecologist Rolf Peterson started wondering where the wolves of Isle Royale National Park had gone. They only found nine wolves, and as far as they could tell, only one was a female. They expressed serious concern that the wolves of Isle Royale might be well on their way to extinction. Now they know what happened to at least three of those wolves. In late May, National Park Service biologist Ted Gostomsk reported one or more animal carcasses floating in water in a deep, 19th century mine shaft at Isle Royale. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/14/12: Wolf appeal deadline passes
(By Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in March affirmed the constitutionality of Congress’ removal of wolves from the federal endangered species list {Editor's note - in Montana and Idaho, not Wyoming}. The deadline to appeal that decision passed quietly this week with no action from plaintiff animal rights and anti-hunting groups. Attorneys representing the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) say the no-action means the case will not advance to the U.S. Supreme Court, and that the litigation has ended in favor of science-based, state-regulated management and control of wolves. RMEF has pledged to continue to fight wolf lawsuits and support delisting legislation at both federal and state levels..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/13/12: Yellowstone investigates wolf encounter
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Following up on the flurry of stories appearing on Facebook over the last few days, the Billings Gazette reports that National Park Service officials have confirmed they are investigating a recent encounter between a denning female wolf and a park visitor. The man sprayed the wolf with pepper spray and eventually jumped into the Yellowstone River during the encounter, but officials emphasized that this was not an attack..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/12: Montana wolf pack killed for stock depredations
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Madisonian has an excellent article detailing the process involved with state and federal wildlife officials when it comes to dealing with chronic livestock depredations by a wolf pack...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/12: Wolves captured on Colville Reservation
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Two wolves were live-trapped and fitted with radio collars this week on the Colville Reservation in Washington state...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/12: Oregon wolf attack cut short
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A rancher disrupted a wolf attack on a neighbor's saddle horses in Oregon, and one horse received minor injuries in the attack. Although federal officials confirmed it was a wolf attack, state officials did not, despite the eyewitness testimony..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/12: Update on wolf hunts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Here's a summary of the latest on wolf hunting seasons in various states. Montana hunters took 166 wolves of a 220-wolf quota, and now state officials are going to up the quota and methods to take wolves. Minnesota is in the process of getting its wolf hunt regulations in order, with opening day slated for early November. Wisconsin's wolf hunting season begins Oct. 15, with plans to trim the population to 350 animals..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/12: Bumpy road of Mexican Wolf program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Mexican wolf recovery program has been plagued by problems since its inception. Illegal kills, and allegations of political meddling are some of the current issues..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/1/12: Idaho wolf controversy
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves have killed at least a dozen head of sheep on an Idaho ranch in recent days. The ranch is the Flat Top Ranch, which also has a 1,100-acre conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy, including the restriction on lethal predator control within the easement's borders. Federal wildlife officials killed a wolf on the ranch last week, although not within the boundary of the conservation easement. But that didn't matter to wolf advocates, including some who are very vocal and critical of the ranch that has experienced the depredations..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/27/12: Mountain lions killing collared wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Mountain lions are preying on radio-collared wolves in the Bitterroot region of Montana, according to news accounts. Two collared wolves have been killed by wolves already this year.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/27/12: Newfoundland canid was a wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The supposed 82-pound coyote killed in Newfoundland a few months ago has been confirmed to have been a wolf. Since wolves haven't been seen on the island in more than 80 years, the animal most likely traveled across ice to arrive there.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/24/12: Wyoming wolf hunt harms Colorado wolf recovery?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Colorado's Boulder Weekly has an article pondering whether Wyoming's wolf hunting season could kill Colorado's chances of getting a wolf pack of its own..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/24/12: Wolf kills calf in Washington
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Methow Valley, Washington rancher may receive Washington state's first wolf compensation after wildlife managers determined that wolves were responsible for attacking one of his calves.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/24/12: Alaska trapper scoffs at wolf buffer idea
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Alaska trapper who legally harvested a wolf outside Denali National Park provides details of the animal, and scoffs at the notion of a buffer zone outside the park. “This buffer zone? It’s a nonissue. It was never a biological issue; it was thrown out to appease the ecological people, and they’re not going to be happy until the buffer zone brushes up against Canada. I mean, you’ve got 6 million acres [locked up in the park]. How much is enough?” he said in an interview...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/24/12: Public critical of Montana wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) There is plenty of criticism of Montana's proposed fall wolf hunt, from both sides of the aisle...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/24/12: Minnesota outlines first wolf hunt
(By Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) Minnesota’s first regulated wolf hunting and trapping season will be conducted this fall and winter. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking public comment on details of the proposed season. Consistent with state law, the state’s first regulated wolf season will start with the beginning of firearms deer hunting on Saturday, Nov. 3. The DNR is proposing to split the season into two parts: an early wolf hunting season coinciding with firearms deer hunting; and a late wolf hunting and trapping season after the firearms deer season for those with a specific interest in wolf hunting and trapping. A total of 6,000 licenses will be offered, with 3,600 available in the early season and 2,400 in the late season. The target harvest quota will be 400 wolves for both seasons combined, and will initially be allocated equally between the early and the late seasons..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/22/12: Two Denali wolves killed outside
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Two wolves known to inhabit Denali National Park in Alaska have been legally harvested outside the park. But the loss of two breeding females from some of the most visible wolf packs in the world (sounds like Yellowstone) has conservationists in an uproar, demanding the establishment of a buffer zone outside the park...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/22/12: UP overcrowded with wolves?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Government officials killed eight wolves in and around Ironwood, Michigan recently. Is the presence of two wolf packs around town an indication that the Upper Peninsula may be overcrowded with wolves?.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/22/12: Kill order for 2 Idaho wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf attack on a domestic sheep herd left at least a dozen lambs as orphans in Idaho, and federal officials are now on the hunt for two wolves...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/22/12: Utah still searches for wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State wildlife officials are still searching for a wolf pack in Utah. A biologist reports that she believes a wolf did respond to the electronic howling she broadcast in the Diamond Fork Canyon area..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/20/12: Wyoming wolf killed in South Dakota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A reportedly 130-pound wolf believed to have originated in Wyoming was recently found dead along a road on the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/11/12: Second Jackson Hole wolf killed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A second wolf has been killed by federal wildlife officials because it had become habituated to humans and human development..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/11/12: Wolf photographed in California
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Oregon wolf that has traveled to California only to return to Oregon, is now back in California and has been photographed there. The three-year old male wolf was apparently in the company of three coyotes, according to news accounts..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/12: Montana proposes major wolf hunt overhaul
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana may allow wolf trapping, allow each hunter to take up to three wolves, eliminate hunt area quotas, and other measures in order to lower the number of wolves in the state's population..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/6/12: Alaska wolf travels 2,100 miles
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials were able to track a wolf for 2,100 miles before finding the animal dead of starvation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/4/12: Alaska holds off on wolf kill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials have agreed to try to find another way to boost the Kenai moose population, implementing a one-year delay on its proposal to bump up the wolf kill in the area.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/4/12: Oregon wolves killing sheep
(By Oregon Department of Fish & Game) A May 2 investigation by ODFW confirmed that four penned sheep (two ewes, two lambs) were killed by a wolf on private land east of Weston, Ore. in northern Umatilla County. One additional lamb is missing and believed to have been killed by the wolf. The incident occurred in an area not known to be frequented by one of Oregon’s known wolf packs (Imnaha, Wenaha, Walla Walla, Snake River) but by two wolves discovered last August in the northern Mt Emily wildlife management unit. Based on evidence at the scene, wildlife biologists believe a single wolf was involved in the depredation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/1/12: Utah still searching for wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wildlife officials in Utah are still searching for what may be a pack of wolves in the northern portion of the state. Animals have been returning the howls broadcast by a biologist.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/1/12: Confirmed calf kill in Sublette County
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Sublette Examiner reports that state wildlife officials have confirmed that a dead calf in the Hoback Basin is a wolf kill...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/1/12: Wyoming wolf regulations passed
(By US Fish and Wildlife Service) Following the recent approval of four documents that clarify Wyoming’s approach to wolf management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the comment period on May 1 regarding the proposal to remove the gray wolf population in Wyoming from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. If this proposal is finalized, the gray wolf would be delisted in Wyoming under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the nonessential experimental population designation would be removed, and future management for this species would be conducted by the appropriate State, Tribal, or Federal wildlife managers..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/29/12: Wyoming wolf regulations passed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has approved regulations for a proposed fall 2012 wolf hunting season. Wolves remain under federal protection at this time, and federal officials are expected to issue a decision about delisting wolves in the state later this year.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/24/12: Wolf poachers get probation
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Three members of a family involved in the killing of two wolves from the first wolf pack present in Washington state in decades have been convicted. They pleaded guilty to a variety of charges in a deal with federal prosecutors and will none will receive jail time. Hefty fines, ranging from $5,000 to $38,500, are part of the deal..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/24/12: Wolf killed in western Germany
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The first wolf sighted in western Germany in 123 years, according to news accounts, has been found dead, apparently shot. The 66-pound male wolf was found by hikers..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/24/12: Wisconsin depredation payment woes
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin's wolf depredation oversight is shifting to the state Department of Natural Resources, and those impacted by wolf depredations may not be happy with the change. Payments for wolf depredations may only occur once a year, and may be pro-rated, so producers may not be fully compensated for their losses after all..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/24/12: Wolf population threatens northern Russia
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The wolf population in northern Russia's Yakutia region exceeds 4,000 animals, and these wolves are endangering the livelihoods of local people due to depredations on livestock herds..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/24/12: One Jackson Hole wolf killed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) One of the wolves known to be roaming Jackson Hole subdivisions has been killed by federal officials. An adult female wolf was euthanized by wildlife officials because of its apparent lack of fear of humans..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/14/12: Wisconsin plans fall wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wisconsin plans to host a wolf hunting season this fall, the first for a state east of the Mississippi River for decades....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/14/12: Support waning for Mexican wolf program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) More stakeholders are leaving the table, indicating that support for the Mexican wolf recovery program continues to wane. According to the Associated Press: "The exodus started last summer with the New Mexico Game and Fish Department. In late March, Grant and Sierra counties abandoned the agreement, and the New Mexico Department of Agriculture joined them earlier this week." Now the New Mexico Cattle Grower's Association has abandoned the process as well...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/14/12: Biologists advocate wolf reintroduction for Isle Royale
(By International Wolf Center) Wolf populations on Isle Royale are the lowest since monitoring began in the late 1950s. This troubles some researchers who are concerned about the future of wolves on the island and feel humans need to intervene and introduce more wolves to keep them as a part of that ecosystem..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/14/12: Reward of up to $57K for info on wolf shooting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A single gunshot wound killed a Mexican gray wolf in southeastern Arizona in March, and now the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person totals $57,000.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/14/12: Wolf killed in New Brunswick
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A hunter shot and killed an 86-poound wolf in New Brunswick recently, the first such confirmed event since 1876.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/12: Wolves bountied in Armenia
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A severe cold snap in Armenia has resulted in wolves coming into villages, preying on livestock and becoming bold near humans. In response, government officials offered a bounty on wolves, and according to a recent report in the Armenian Weekly, about 170 wolves have now been killed.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/4/12: Oregon grants $82K in wolf impact funds
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon officials have approved grant funding for livestock producers impacted by wolves in eight counties, with a total of about $82,000..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/4/12: Wyoming wolf meetings to be internet broadcast
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is partnering with the Wyoming Distance Learning Center to broadcast, via the internet, 3 public wolf regulation meetings in April. The meetings are designed to provide information and gather public comments on the department's draft revised wolf management and wolf hunting regulations, which are currently open for public comment. Meetings will be held in Pinedale on April 9th, Jackson on April 10th, and Lander on April 11th...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/27/12: Vancouver Island wolf attacks prompt warnings
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Residents on Vancouver Island are being warned to keep a close watch over their children and pets after two dogs were killed by wolves...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/27/12: Idaho hikes wolf bag limits
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) In a move aimed at reducing the wolf population, Idaho wildlife officials have agreed to boost bag limits, and expand trapping and hunting seasons..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/27/12: Washington has five wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Washington state now has five wolf packs..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/12: Wolf hunt regs proposed, meetings set
(By Wyoming Game & Fish Department) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has drafted new regulations covering wolf management and wolf hunting. Promulgating regulations is the next step towards getting wolves in Wyoming removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Wyoming. Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reached an agreement to move forward with delisting. Under the agreement, Wyoming will maintain at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation. The current Trophy Game Management Area in northwest Wyoming will extend about 50 miles to the south from its current location near the Wyoming/Idaho border. Wolves in this seasonal expansion area will be managed as trophy game from Oct. 15 to the last day of February. During the rest of the year, wolves in this seasonal expansion area will be designated as predators. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will consider the proposed regulations governing gray wolf management and gray wolf hunting in Wyoming at its April 25-26 meeting in Casper. The draft regulations will be presented at a series of public meetings around the state during March and April. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/21/12: Wolf killed in China after human attacks
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf has been killed in China after seven attacks on humans. Government officials are not sure that the animal that was killed is the one responsible for the attacks. A photo is included with the story from China Daily. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/21/12: Utah swamped with wolf/coyote calls
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Utah wildlife officials have been swamped with reports of possible wolf sightings, with some of those sightings attributed to coyotes. Regardless of the coyote reports, video camera surveillance and tracks prove that a large canine that appears to be a wolf was recently documented in Utah..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/21/12: Wolves kill four dogs in Teton County
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves killed four dogs in Teton County during the month of March, according to a news account in the Jackson Hole News & Guide...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/21/12: Elk foundation offers money to kill wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is offering to kick in $50,000 for Montana wildlife officials to undertake a more aggressive wolf control program...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/17/12: Jackson wolves attack dog
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The wolves roaming in Jackson Hole – already slated for removal because of their habituation to humans – have attacked and severely injured a dog, according to news reports...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/17/12: Isle Royale wolves may go extinct
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) America's longest-running study on wolves may soon end. With only nine wolves left on the island, wolf biologists confirm this severely inbred and isolated population may soon become extinct...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/17/12: Court upholds wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal court has upheld the congressional action that resulted in wolves being delisted in Montana and Idaho, and protects that action from litigation by wolf advocates..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/15/12: Wolf killed in South Dakota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The animal shot in South Dakota six weeks ago has been confirmed to have been a wolf. State officials now suggest the wolf probably originated in the Great Lakes region..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/15/12: German wolves dine on deer
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf researchers in Germany report that wolves that have resettled that country are mostly dining on deer, with domestic livestock found in only a fraction of samples collected...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/12/12: Wyoming wolf hunt regs proposed
(By Wyoming Game & Fish Department) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has drafted new regulations covering wolf management and wolf hunting. Promulgating regulations is the next step towards getting wolves in Wyoming removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in Wyoming. Last August, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reached an agreement to move forward with delisting. Under the agreement, Wyoming will maintain at least 100 wolves and 10 breeding pairs outside of Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Reservation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/12/12: WA launches wolf report website
(By Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) now has an online reporting system for receiving information from the public about the state’s growing wolf population. Anyone who believes they have seen a wolf, heard one howl, or found other evidence of wolves anywhere in the state is encouraged to file a report on WDFW’s website. The information provided in the reports will help wildlife managers document wolf activity and build a database on wolves in Washington.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/12/12: Utah team searches for wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal and state officials continue the search for a pack of wolves, or wolf hybrids, outside Springville, Utah.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/12/12: Wyoming wolf count: At least 230
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annual wolf monitoring report has been released, and here’s a summary of information about Wyoming’s wolf population. From 2009 through 2011, the 3-year mean wolf population size in Wyoming (WY=outside Yellowstone National Park) was 233 (SD = 11.4; range = 224- 246). In 2011, the WY wolf population was >230 wolves in >38 packs including >19 breeding pairs which represented a slight decline in the total number of wolves from 2010 (246); however, the population remained at the 3-year average. At least 15 lone wolves were identified and located throughout the western portion of the state. Average pack size was 6.1 wolves per pack and average litter size was 3.6 pups per litter as of 31 December 2011. There were documented 51 mortalities (18% of the population). Causes of mortality included: agency control = 36; under investigation or unknown = 6; human caused = 6; and natural = 3...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/12/12: Rockies wolf population: 1,774 minimum
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its annual report for wolf recovery in the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (NRM DPS) for 2011. That report notes: As of December 31, 2011, the minimum estimated gray wolf population within the NRM DPS was composed of at least 1,774 wolves in 287 packs (groups of two or more wolves with territories inside the NRM DPS that persisted until December 31, 2011. At least 109 packs met the definition of a breeding pair (packs that contained at least one adult male, one adult female, and two or more pups on December 31, 2011). At the end of 2011, there was a minimum of 431 wolves in the Northwest Montana Recovery Area (NWMT), 499 in the Greater Yellowstone Recovery Area (GYA), and 797 in the Central Idaho Recovery Area. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/12: Utah wolf pack?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) It appears Utah may have its first official wolf pack. The pack of four large canines were seen in eastern Utah County, east of Springville. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/6/12: Wolf leaves California
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The wolf that wandered into California and made the headlines in doing so, has once again left the state and is back in Oregon...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/6/12: Wolf deal passes WY legislature
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Legislature has approved legislation aimed at getting wolves removed from federal protections..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/29/12: Kalispell residents aren't keen on wolf at school
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Having a wolf video-taped on the grounds at the middle school doesn't sit well with residents of Kalispell, Montana..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/29/12: Idaho senator withdraws wolf bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho state senator Jeff Siddoway has withdrawn his proposed bill that would expand the methods in which wolves could be legally killed in that state, citing fears that if enacted, the legislation could enable wolves to fall back under federal protection.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/29/12: Jackson residents struggle with wolf fate
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide has posted a follow-up article on responses to the federal decision to kill three or four human-habituated wolves in a residential subdivision.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/28/12: Jackson wolves to be killed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Jackson Hole media outlets are reporting that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will kill the three or four wolves that are hanging out in a residential area, near homes, people, and pets. These habituated wolves pose a threat to human safety, so will be killed.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Wolves filmed in Jackson residential yards
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The town limits of Jackson Hole appear to hold some attraction for wolves. There have been numerous reports and photos of wolves within town subdivisions in the last few months, and now resident James Peck video-taped two wolves as they roamed through his yard. JH Underground posted the video... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Kalispell has wolf visitor as well
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) It's not just Jackson Hole that is having wolves visit inside town limits. The Missoulian reports that a wolf was recently video taped inside the city of Kalispell by a police officer using his dashboard camera.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Wyoming wolf population up
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an update on wolves in the Northern Rockies and surrounding regions. Updates are for Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Washington, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The update gives the latest statistics on pack numbers and livestock depredations. Over 300 wolves, with more than 48 packs, are reported in Wyoming.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Wyoming senate pulls money from wolf bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Casper Star-Tribune reports that the Wyoming Senate has pulled $200,000 of funds that were slated to go to the Wyoming Animal Management Board for wolf control in the predator zone of state. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Idaho: $1.2M on wolves in 2011
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials report that wolf-related expenditures in FY2010 totaled more than $1.7 million, and in FY2011, more than $1.2 million. They set Idaho’s second wolf hunting season for fall 2011 and winter 2012 and the first regulated public wolf trapping season in the lower 48 states. Idaho sold more than 31,600 wolf hunting tags and 200 wolf trapping tags (as of December 2011) for the season...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Fourteen Idaho wolves killed in control actions
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Fourteen wolves have been killed in Idaho this month under a plan to reduce the wolf population in the Lolo zone, where the local elk herd is suffering.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Oregon watches Idaho wolf experience
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon officials are watching the impact wolves have had on elk populations in Idaho. Richard Cockle of The Oregonian has written an interesting article about it..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/26/12: Wolves in Mexico poisoned
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Four of the five Mexican gray wolves recently reintroduced to a mountain range just south of the U.S./Mexico border have been found dead from poisoning.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/21/12: Idaho wolf had parvo
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) On January 22, a Hailey, Idaho area homeowner killed a wolf that had been observed near his house for at least two days and was acting sick or injured. Immediately after killing the wolf, the homeowner notified Idaho Fish and Game. Two Fish and Game officers arrived and retrieved the dead wolf, a juvenile female. The animal was emaciated and had green fluid diarrhea. Fish and Game wildlife veterinarian Mark Drew preformed a standard necropsy, including submitting tissue samples to test for rabies as well as parvovirus - a common canine virus. Test results were negative for rabies. On February 14, lab reports came back positive for parvo, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, and ultimately death from dehydration. Parvovirus is highly contagious, and is often fatal in canids, including wolves. Pups between six weeks and six months are more susceptible than adults. Domestic dogs can be vaccinated against parvovirus..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Wyoming advances wolf bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that a Wyoming legislative panel has advanced a bill that is aimed at having the state gain control of wolf management.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Saving California wolves new revenue source
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Since California now has one documented wolf, environmental groups are seizing the event as a revenue-generating opportunity. An email news alert went out from the Center for Biological Diversity, urging people to "Help Save California's Wolves," by donating to the CBD. The one-sentence plea to send money to save California wolves was repeated four times in a 400-word letter..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Montana wolf hunt ends below quota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana's wolf hunting season has ended, with 166 wolves harvested, well below the quota of 220 set by state wildlife officials..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Of wolf packs and ravens
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Juneau Empire has posted an essay examining the impact of success of a hunting wolf pack, and the wolf's relationship with the raven.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Oregon legislation targets two wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) It may take legislative action to enable the killing of two livestock-killing wolves in Oregon. That's why the Oregon House passed a bill allowing the action, after a court blocked the killing of the wolves, citing state protections for endangered species..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/19/12: Yellowstone wolf encounter essay
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A woman from Ontario, Canada traveled to Yellowstone National Park in winter to learn about wolves. Her essay was printed in a newspaper in Canada..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/13/12: Montana wolf hunt winds down
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Despite extending the season, the Montana wolf hunt is winding down with harvest less than state officials had hoped, according to the Daily Inter Lake...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/10/12: Idaho proposes more wolf harvest freedom
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Idaho legislator is proposing changes to state statute to allow the use of ultralight aircraft and using live bait to kill wolves...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/10/12: Utah targets wolf hunting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Utah senator is proposing legislation that would provide for wolf hunting in the state, while admitting that "technically, there are none" in the state..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/6/12: Oregon prepares to deal with wolf depredations
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State grant money will be used to compensate livestock producers in Oregon for losses from wold depredations. The statewide compensation fund totals $100,000, and local committees are being formed to oversee claims...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/6/12: Arizona wolf numbers up
(By Arizona Game & Fish Department ) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Arizona Game and Fish Department and other partners in the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project announced earlier on February 4th that the endangered Mexican wolf population count increased to a minimum of 58 wolves compared to last year’s count of 50...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/6/12: Wolf killed near Custer, SD
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal officials are investigating the killing of a wolf near Custer, South Dakota, according to the Rapid City Journal..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/2/12: Contrasting wolf status in North Dakota
(By North Dakota Game & Fish Department) A pack of wolves attacked local residents in a town in the Karelia region Russia. This area is in the northwestern region of Russia, near the border with Finland. When police responded to a report of a man attacked by wolves on a town street, they found several wolves waiting outside the doors to an apartment building. Two of the animals were shot when they attacked the officers. This region of Russia has been experiencing extremely cold temperatures in recent weeks..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/2/12: Wolf pack attacks town residents in Russia
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A pack of wolves attacked local residents in a town in the Karelia region Russia. This area is in the northwestern region of Russia, near the border with Finland. When police responded to a report of a man attacked by wolves on a town street, they found several wolves waiting outside the doors to an apartment building. Two of the animals were shot when they attacked the officers. This region of Russia has been experiencing extremely cold temperatures in recent weeks..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: Montana to study wolf mortality impacts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The University of Montana will soon study how wolf deaths affect pack stability and population growth, according to the Missoulian. The research will focus on wolves in Yellowstone National Park, northern Idaho, and in Alberta..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: Wolves in Germany
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves in Germany appear to be making a comeback, with their preferred prey being wild boar..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: Hunting wolves can be difficult
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) As Minnesota prepare for the possibility of offering wolf hunting this fall, the Grand Forks Herald talks to hunters who have pursued wolves in Canada, and learned that a successful hunt can be difficult...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: Dealing with habituated Mexican wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf populations in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest are now officially delisted. The Times Union reports what people in Michigan think of the delisting..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: Great Lakes wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf populations in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest are now officially delisted. The Times Union reports what people in Michigan think of the delisting..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/31/12: 'The Grey' slammed by wolf advocates
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The LA Times reports that wolf advocates and animal rights advocates are outraged about the new movie "The Grey" for its portrayal of wolves. The survival thriller movie that recently premiered features plane crash survivors (oil rig workers!) who must survive a pack of wolves. Peta for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other animals rights groups are calling for a boycott of the movie..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/27/12: Wyoming wolf bill filed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Draft legislation has been filed in the Wyoming Legislature that, if successful, will make changes to statute to comply with the deal struck between federal wildlife officials and Governor Matt Mead that will result in the delisting of wolves in the state. The bill is Senate File 41..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/27/12: Wolves a tool to cull elk herds
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) During a public comment process for a federal agency plan, someone suggested wolves be used as a tool to control elk herds on a national wildlife refuge in southern Colorado. Now the federal agency must examine that option. The Pueblo Chieftain reports that managers will consider the possibility of using wolves to cull elk herds on the Baca National Wildlife Refuge as it moves through the planning process.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/25/12: Wolf attack in Tajikistan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Media reports indicate at least six people have been attacked by wolves in Tajikistan in recent weeks. Heavy snowfall has forced wolves from the high country into local villages, where both livestock and humans have been attacked.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/25/12: Howling over wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole Weekly has reviewed some of the comments submitted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to delist wolves in Wyoming, and found much concern over the allowance for "predator" status in part of the state.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/12: Feds won't enforce Alaska wolf decision
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal officials at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge won't allow wolf control within the refuge. That's in conflict with the state's goal of knocking back the wolf population..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/12: Feds consider parkway wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that federal officials may consider allowing wolf hunting within the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/15/12: Mead backs off wolf comments
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports that Wyoming Governor Matt Mead backed away from earlier comments that the Wyoming wolf plan may allow wolf hunting in Grand Teton National Park.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: Wolves in Jackson subdivision
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A pack of wolves ventured into a Jackson Hole subdivision in early January, possibly signaling a spread south from Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: Changes proposed to Wyoming wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming's wolf management plan provides that wolves will be managed as trophy game animals in northwestern Wyoming, including Grand Teton National Park, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway, and the National Elk Refuge. The fact that this means state officials could allow for hunting within these areas is of concern to certain officials, and now a state legislator says the plan must be changed.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: California launches website for one wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) California officials have launched an official gray wolf webpage in response to the documentation that a wolf wandered into the state from Oregon..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: California deals with wolf worries
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) California wildlife officials are meeting with county officials in one region of that state where a gray wolf was confirmed to have taken up residence after roaming into the state from Oregon. The meetings allow the state to provide information about the wolf's movements, and to discuss state options for management..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: Montana may extend wolf season, again
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials may extend the wolf hunting season for the West Fork of the Bitterroot, since only 3 of the 18-wolf quota have been taken so far..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/12/12: Wolf protests, vigil, in Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolf advocates, and those opposed to the damage done by the species, held demonstrations in northern Idaho recently. While one group held a "full moon vigil to remember wolves killed by hunters," another group, dressed in hunting camo and carrying anti-wolf signs, also holds a gathering.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/10/12: Yellowstone wolf pack wanders
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Lack of snow in Yellowstone National Park has enabled the Mollie's wolf pack to migrated more than 20 miles into Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, invading the turf of the resident pack there â€" the Agate Creek pack. The Mollie's pack was on the move earlier in the winter, intruding upon the Mary Mountain pack territory, and killing its alpha male..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/6/12: Northern Rockies wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports updates on wolves in the Northern Rockies. Livestock conflicts in Wyoming: In 2011, wolves killed > 66 livestock (36 cattle and 30 sheep) in Wyoming. Two packs [Green River (15 cattle) and Dog Creek (17 sheep) and 1 wolf in the Big Horn Mountains (10 sheep) were responsible for 42 depredations (64% of the total number of depredations). Fifteen packs (41% of WY packs in 2011) were involved in > 1 depredation; 8 packs (22%) were involved in > 2 depredations; and 6 packs (16%) were involved in > 3 depredations in 2011...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/6/12: Scientist takes issue with WY wolf plan
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) One of five scientists reviewing Wyoming's wolf plan, at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is critical of the plan. Read an article that summarizes the reviewer's comments, or read the views of all five reviewers..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/12: Tribal view of wolf recovery
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) “One is an act of man the other is an act of wolf," - that's the words of a tribal representative in Oregon, talking about wolves expanding their range into tribal territory naturally, or through reintroduction. The Wallowa Chieftain has printed an interesting article about the views of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation's policies for wolf management.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/5/12: Montana wolf hunt protecting Yellowstone wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Yellowstone National Park officials have noted that changes to Montana's wolf hunting seasons has resulted in further protection for wolves in the area near the park.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/4/12: Minnesota looks at wolf hunt specifics
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Minnesota wildlife officials are looking at how to structure the state's first wolf hunting and trapping seasons in decades. The Star-Tribune has an article with tips on effective hunting methods..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/4/12: Wolf documented in California
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A lone, radio-collared wolf has been documented crossing from Oregon into California, giving the state its first confirmed wolf presence in decades.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

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