Wolf news roundup 10/27/2017
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
October 26, 2017
Wyoming wolf hunt
By Thursday afternoon, Oct. 26, there have been 32 wolves taken in Wyoming’s wolf hunting season (in the trophy zone), and six hunt areas are now closed, while six hunt areas remain open until the quota is reached or the season ends Dec. 31. In addition to the wolves taken by hunters in the trophy zone, 23 wolves have been killed in the state’s predator zone – a number that includes wolves killed in agency control actions as well as hunter harvest.
Minnesota wolf control
Federal animal damage control officials in Minnesota had to shut down the wolf control program (removing wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock) because of a lack of funding, but quick action by the state’s congressional members resulted in restoration of funding through the rest of the year. USDA Wildlife Services spends about $220,000 annually to control about 200 wolves in Minnesota – a state with more than 2,800 wolves that are still protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Washington
The Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands have teamed up to sue the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife over the state’s protocol for lethal removal of wolves involved in repeated livestock depredations. Since the lawsuit was filed, the groups have reached an agreement with state wildlife officials that the groups will receive 48 hours prior notice before problem wolves are killed. The notice will give the groups time to seek a temporary restraining order to stop the action.
In other news, a wolf roaming northwestern Washington has been captured and collared before being released. DNA tests confirmed that the male wolf in Skagit County is indeed a wolf. Most of the state’s wolf population is located in the northeastern portion of Washington.
Oregon
The Oregonian has an article about two wolf activists who are unhappy with the state’s management program for killing wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock. One activist was quoted, "Every time you lose a cow to a wolf, now you get a compensation check and a dead wolf."
But that statement is an exaggeration, and the article by Andrew Theen also provides alternative views from area ranchers and hunters. In other Oregon wolf news, federal officials and wildlife groups have joined together to offer a reward of more than $15,000 for information about the illegal killing of a wolf in Oregon. The male wolf, OR-33, was found dead in April.
Wolf-lab hybrids in Germany
Six five-month old wolf pups that are hybrids between a wild wolf and a black Labrador domestic dog should be removed from the population, according to officials in Germany, but the plan to shoot the pups has sparked outrage by animal activists.
Check out the links below for more details on these stories.
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