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2009 Story Archive
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2008 Story Archive
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12/30/09: Montana summarizes wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks officials have issued a report summarizing the state's first fair-chase wolf hunting season. It contains a lot of interesting information about harvested animals.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/30/09: Man fined $25K for poaching wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A 37-year old man was fined $25,000 for illegally poaching a wolf in Michigan. He was also ordered to perform 20 days of community service, be subject to six months of probation, and he lost his hunting privileges for two years.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/23/09: Wyoming wolf data
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has data showing wolf population growth over time in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park from 2000 to 2009, the number of wolf packs and breeding pairs in Wyoming from 1999 to 2009, and confirmed livestock depredations in Wyoming from 2000 to 2009.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/23/09: Helicopter landings in wilderness allowed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The USDA Forest Service has issued a decision memo authorizing the Idaho Fish and Game Department to land helicopters in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to support gray wolf capture and collaring. Although not the first time helicopter use has been authorized to assist in wildlife management, the issue is expected to generate considerable controversy since it involves wolves. The decision memo was issued Dec. 22, 2009.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/23/09: Wolf death tally passes 500
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Associated Press reports that wolf deaths in the tri-state area of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming is more than 500 in 2009. That number includes wolves killed in response to livestock depredations and other control actions, as well as wolves killed in hunting seasons in Montana and Idaho.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/23/09: Montana issues kill order on six wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana Standard is reporting that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has authorized federal animal damage control officials to kill wolves in six packs in western Montana in response to livestock depredations.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/23/09: Fourth Idaho wolf hunt area closes
(By Idaho Fish and Game press release) The wolf season has closed as of Friday, December 18, in the Palouse-Hells Canyon zone in north Idaho where the limit of five wolves has been reached. The closure affects big game management units 8, 8a, 11, 11A, 13 and 18. Elsewhere in the state wolf seasons remain open. But two additional zones are nearing the harvest limits. Idaho Department of Fish and Game set wolf harvest limits by 12 zones. The season closes in each zone when the limit for that zone is reached, or when the statewide limit of 220 wolves is reached, or on March 31, whichever comes first.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/13/09: Paper argues against delisting wolves
(By Valdosta State University News) Valdosta State University (Georgia) Biology Professor Dr. Brad Bergstrom recently authored a paper titled "The Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf is not yet recovered," which was published in the December issue of BioScience, the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. The timely article with political undertones focuses on a controversial issue at the interface of science and public policy -- specifically the May 2009 removal of the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves of Idaho and Montana from Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection. Bergstrom, lead author and conservation committee chair for the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM), said he believes the de-listing was premature, not based on the best science and influenced by pressure from area ranchers, elk hunters and state legislatures..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/10/09: Idaho closes wolf death investigation
(By Idaho Fish and Game press release) The Idaho Fish and Game has concluded its investigation into the deaths of six juvenile wolves on national forest land north of Fairfield. Fish and Game conservation officers found the partially decomposed wolves on Friday, August 21. Necropsies have been performed. But the cause of death remains undetermined. The necropsy analysis done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife forensic laboratory in Ashland, Ore., did not find evidence of poison. The wolves were not shot or otherwise physically injured. Tissue samples tested positive for canine parvo virus, but the results were inconclusive. They were found in a remote area within 400 yards of each other in various stages of decomposition, and all six died within a few days of each other. An adult female with a radio collar was located in the area and observed on September 3. She appeared to be in good physical condition.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/10/09: Two more Idaho hunt areas near quotas
(By Idaho Fish and Game press release) As of Monday, December 7, the statewide hunter wolf harvest in Idaho was at 119 wolves. Harvest information is updated as soon as it is reported. Wolf hunters are reminded to check the harvest limit in the wolf hunting zones they intend to hunt. Idaho Department of Fish and Game set wolf harvest limits by 12 zones. The wolf season has been extended to March 31, 2010. Hunters who pursue wolves after December 31, however, need a 2010 wolf tag and hunting license. Seasons remain open until March 31 or until the limit for a wolf management zone is reached, or when the statewide limit of 220 wolves is reached, whichever comes first..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/09: Briefs filed in federal wolf lawsuit in Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials and other interests (including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) have filed briefs in a federal court in Montana arguing against continued federal protection for wolves.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/09: Montana issues kill order on wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials have issued a kill order for the Mitchell Mountain wolf pack after the pack killed at least four guard dogs on separate occasions in the last few months on private property north of Helena. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/09: Montana moves wolf hunt proposal to spring
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will postpone consideration of next year's wolf hunting season until spring to allow more time for public comment. The commission was set to consider a wolf hunting season proposal, among several other big game and upland bird hunting proposals for 2010-11, on Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the Montana State Capitol in Helena. By moving the wolf discussion closer to spring, and after the commission's considers other big game seasons, the commission feels they will have more time and space to properly consider the wolf hunting issue..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/8/09: Mexican wolf recovery at crossroads
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan recently wrote an article "Wolf recovery at crossroads in the southwest," detailing the problems that are been encountered in this recovery program involving a very small federally protected wolf population..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/7/09: Did imported wolves bring new parasite?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that a new research paper reports that the parasite, the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus, has now been detected in Montana and Idaho for the first time. It is apparently widespread through the wolf population, and has now spread to elk, deer, and at least one mountain goat. The researchers ponder whether this tapeworm arrived in the region through the importation of wolves from Canada, or whether it was already here, but undetected. The paper was published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/7/09: FWS releases depredation numbers
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that as of the first week of December 2009, these are Wyoming's depredation numbers: A total of 195 sheep were killed, with 14 wolves killed in responding control actions. Thirty-seven sheep were killed in the Upper Green, along with six wolves; 113 sheep and three wolves in the Big Horn Mountains; and 45 sheep and five wolves in the Dog Creek area of the Snake River country. Twenty-one head of cattle were killed in eight areas, with 16 wolves killed in control actions. All but about 10 of the cattle were killed in various areas of Sublette County. In addition, seven dogs were killed by wolves in Wyoming so far this year..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/4/09: Sweden opens first wolf hunt in 45 years
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) With a wolf population estimated at less than 220 animals, Swedish officials are preparing to allow the first wolf hunt in the country in 45 years. With quotas to be set this month, an estimated 20 to 40 wolves will be available for harvest.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/4/09: Montana considers wolf archery season
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials are considering allowing wolves to be harvested in an archery-season hunt in 2010.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

12/2/09: Thirty wolf packs roam Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just provided a new estimate of Wyoming's minimum wolf population. FWS reported: "As of November 2009, preliminary estimates for Wyoming outside Yellowstone National Park (YNP) are >200 wolves in >30 packs (19-21 breeding pairs). Inside YNP there are approximately 116 wolves in 14 packs (6 breeding pairs)."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/29/09: Ban on aerial gunning sought
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wild Earth Guardians is once again seeking an end to the aerial gunning of predators. The technique used this time is the submission of a "petition for executive order and rulemaking banning aerial gunning and poisoning activities of native wild carnivores on federal public lands" to United States President Barack Obama, and several cabinet and agency heads in the Obama administration.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/25/09: Wyoming wolves kill three hounds
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials shut down the state's wolf hunt on November 16th as quotas were either reached or nearing the limit.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/21/09: Montana ends wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana wildlife officials shut down the state's wolf hunt on November 16th as quotas were either reached or nearing the limit.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/21/09: Idaho extends wolf hunting season
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Thursday, November 19, extended wolf hunting seasons in all Idaho wolf zones not already closed to March 31. Harvest limits and other restrictions were not changed. The seasons would be extended to March 31 in the Panhandle, Palouse-Hells Canyon, Selway, Middle Fork, Salmon, Southern, and South Idaho zones, which had been set to close December 31. The seasons already were set to close March 31 in the Lolo and Sawtooth zones.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/17/09: Wolf attack in India injures 17
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Seventeen people were injured in a wolf attack in India, according to news reports. The wolf, which may have been rabid, was subsequently killed.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/17/09: FWS reaches deal on Mexican wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Seventeen people were injured in a wolf attack in India, according to news reports. The wolf, which may have been rabid, was subsequently killed.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/13/09: Wyoming: FWS decision not based on biology
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State of Wyoming and Park County officials issued a joint opening brief challenging the federal decision not to delist wolves in Wyoming. The opening brief was filed in the U.S. Federal District Court in Cheyenne in early November. The brief asserts that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allowed political and public relations considerations, and speculative concerns about potential future lawsuits, to influence its decision.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/13/09: Wolf Coalition: FWS flip-flops
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Wolf Coalition also filed an opening brief in the federal court case in Wyoming challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision not to delist wolves in Wyoming. WWC says “The decision of the United States District Court for the District of Montana and the subsequent ‘flip flop’ by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service represent politics at its worst, as well a complete and total rejection of the only valid ‘science’ that has been generated on the subject." The brief argues that there is nothing in the record "that undermines or otherwise warrants a departure from delisting the gray wolf population in Wyoming, and it is unlawful for the FWS to change its mind based upon political influences rather than scientific evidence.".. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/13/09: Wolves killed more Idaho livestock 2009
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves have killed more livestock in Idaho this year than in year's past, according to a federal animal damage control official... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/11/09: Idaho hunters harvest 98 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) There have been 98 wolves harvested in the Idaho fall wolf hunt, with two of the state's 12 wolf hunt areas now closed as quotas have been reached. There are still another 122 wolves left to harvest under the quota system..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/11/09: Montana hunters tag 61 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana hunters have harvested 61 wolves in the state's fall hunt, with another 17 wolves remaining available for harvest under the state's quota system.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/10/09: Wolf stalking impacts on elk
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves impact the way prey animals live their lives, according to a Montana researcher, who noted that the pressure from being stalked is forcing changes in elk behavior, such as being alert and watching for predators more, and grazing less. Pregnancy rates are decreasing as well. The researcher indicates that the same could happen to livestock herds under pressure from wolf predation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

11/6/09: FWS tallies wolf conflicts 2009
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that Based on preliminary reports through October 30, 2009, a total of 21 cattle, 183 sheep, and 4 dogs were recorded as confirmed wolf kills, and 29 wolves were killed in subsequent control actions in Wyoming.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/31/09: Enviros seek judgment in wolf case
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Since a federal court judge has indicated a coalition of environmental and animal rights groups will probably prevail in their lawsuit seeking to have wolf delisting in the Northern Rockies null and void, the groups have now filed a motion for summary judgment with the court..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/31/09: Coyotes kill Canadian woman
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) News reports from Nova Scotia provide accounts of a fatal attack on a human by coyotes. The 19-year old woman, a rising music star, was attacked and later died of her injuries .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/31/09: Regional wolf news
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) There have been 81 wolves taken in the Idaho wolf hunt this fall, with a quota of 139 remaining. All 12 hunt areas remain open. Montana's wolf hunt involves a statewide quota of 75 wolves in three hunt areas. So far, 36 wolves have been harvested, with a quota of 42 remaining.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/25/09: Funding wolf management
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The cost of wolf management when wolves are removed from federal protection is an issue that states will have to deal with. Whether there will be federal assistance is in question, but states with wolf hunts are getting some revenue from the sales of wolf tags. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/25/09: Idaho hunters harvest 76 wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Hunters in Idaho have harvested 76 wolves in this fall's hunt, with another 144 remaining under the quota system in the state's 12 hunt areas. None of the hunt areas have closed because quotas have been met, but several are getting close..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/25/09: Rancher protests wolf policies
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A Montana rancher has withdrawn his lands from a public hunting program in protest of Montana's wolf management policies.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/25/09: Wolf hunt insights
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Billings Gazette provides details about the Montana wolf hunt, such as 7 of 9 hunters noted that there were other wolves with the ones they shot. Four of the hunters were with outfitters.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/22/09: Wolves hit Montana ranch, again
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana ranch that lost more than 120 domestic rams to wolves this summer was recently subject to more wolf depredation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/22/09: Defenders targets wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Defenders of Wildlife is targeting the wolf hunt in Montana, attempting to generate opposition, while raising money in the process...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/20/09: Wyoming wolf count updated
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have its official year-end wolf population count later this year, the federal agency recently provided an updated estimate. FWS estimates there are about 190-200 wolves in Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park in about 27 packs, including about 20 breeding pairs. A total of 34 wolves have died in Wyoming in 2009, including 29 in control actions and 5 which are under investigation.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/20/09: Washington State looks at wolf management
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) titled: “Wolf Conservation and Management Plan for Washington”. The draft plan establishes conservation/recovery objectives for downlisting and delisting the species, and identifies strategies to address conflicts and achieve recovery. This draft plan and DEIS incorporate recommendations and suggestions from public scoping comments, peer review comments, WDFW reviews and the Wolf Working Group recommendations..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/16/09: Wolf predation on livestock in Greece
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) In a new paper entitled, "Wolf Depredation on Livestock in Central Greece," researchers studied wolf-livestock conflict in central Greece by investigating patterns of 267 verified wolf attacks on livestock for 21 months. Wolves attacked adult goats 43% and cattle 218% more than expected, whereas sheep 41% less than expected from their availability. Wolves killed less than four sheep or goats in 79%, and one cow or calf in 74% of depredation events, respectively. We recorded higher attack rates during wolf post-weaning season. Wolf attacks on strayed, or kept inside non predator- -proof enclosures, sheep and goats, were on average two to four times respectively more destructive than those when livestock was guarded by a shepherd. Sheepdog use reduced losses per attack. Optimal sheepdog number ranged from 3 to 9 animals depending on flock size. Losses per attack were positively related to the number of wolves involved. Total losses per farm were positively correlated with the size of livestock unit but percentage losses per capita increased with decreasing flock size. Management implications to mitigate livestock depredation are discussed..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/16/09: Study looks at wolf population decline
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The European Journal of Wildlife Research includes an 11-page paper entitled "Historical dynamics of a declining wolf population: persecution vs. prey reduction" by J. Fernandez and N. Ruiz de Azua. Researchers investigated demographic and spatial distribution parameters of the population to determine whether direct persecution or prey availability was responsible for the observed population decline.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/13/09: Montana and Idaho wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Fifty-one wolves have been harvested in Idaho's wolf hunting season, with wolves taken in all but one of the 12 hunt areas of the state. Eleven wolves have been harvested in Montana's wolf hunting season.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/13/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Wyoming Gray Wolf Recovery Status Report - WYOMING WOLF WEEKLY for October 5 through October 9, 2009. Updates on Delisting Litigation Status, Monitoring, Control, Research, Law Enforcement and other information. On 10/3/09, WY Wildlife Services confirmed a calf killed by wolves in the Upper Green River drainage. The USFWS requested Wildlife Services to remove 3 wolves form the Green River Pack..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/5/09: Idaho, Montana wolf hunt update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) As of October 5, 2009, hunters have harvested 26 wolves in the Idaho wolf hunt, with the taking of 193 more wolves possible statewide. Wolves have been taken in 9 of the state's 12 hunt areas. Each area has its own quota. There was also one wolf illegally killed in the state. In Montana, hunters have harvested 11 wolves, with the taking of another 42 wolves possible..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/5/09: Researcher: Yellowstone wolves different
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Yellowstone National Park wolf biologist Doug Smith recently told a crowd in Cody that wolves in the Yellowstone region behave differently than wolves in other areas, and the differences appear to be related to whether the animals are protected.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/5/09: Oregon rancher caught in middle
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Oregon rancher Curt Jacobs authored an editorial on OregonLive.com about how he's caught in the middle of the wolf debate.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/2/09: FWS estimates 25-27 Wyoming wolf packs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued its rough estimate of the minimal number of wolves, packs and breeding pairs of wolves that exist in Wyoming. As of October 2, 2009, FWS estimates Wyoming has more than 317 wolves, including at least 180 within the state, outside of Yellowstone National Park, and at least 137 wolves in the park.
Wyoming (outside YNP) has 25-27 packs (including 18-20 breeding pairs), according to FWS, in addition to the 12 packs within YNP (including 7 breeding pairs). ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/2/09: To Kill a Wolf video about wolves and ranching
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Click on the link below to watch "To Kill a Wolf - Wolves and the Ranching Community" on LIFEONTERRA.com .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/2/09: Idaho parachutist shoots at wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Idaho sheep producer shoots at wolves from his motorized parachute, but later learns his actions were illegal..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/2/09: Four dogs killed by wolves in Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho news outlets are reporting that four hunting dogs were recently killed by a pack of Idaho wolves.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

10/1/09: Three wolves killed north of Cody
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Three wolves have been killed north of Cody in federal control actions after the animals attacked cattle on a public land grazing allotment in the Shoshone National Forest. The aftermath of the attack was photographed and described by a hunter in a widely-distributed e-mail.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/30/09: Effects of B.C. wolf culling program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Vancouver Sun has an interesting article claiming that the British Columbia government's wolf control program resulted in "monster hybrids" roaming the region.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/27/09: Wyoming Wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Wyoming Gray Wolf Recovery Status Report for Sept 21 through Sept 25, 2009.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/27/09: Alaska hunter attacked by rabid wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) TThe Associated Press reports that a hunter in Alaska is recovering after being attacked by a rabid wolf..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/24/09: Wolf tags generate revenue
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Billings Gazette reports that the first wolf of the new Montana wolf hunting season has been harvested..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/24/09: Wolf killed in Big Horns
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports:
" Idaho Department of Fish and Game reported as of 9/17/09, 5 wolves (one illegally killed in a closed area) were taken in Idaho. The total statewide quota for Idaho is 220 wolves. IDFG has sold 15,403 resident wolf licenses (@ $11.50 each = $177,134.50) and 283 non-resident wolf licenses (@ $186.00 each = $52,638.00) that raised $229,772.50 for the state." ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/18/09: Distemper in Yellowstone wolf pups
(By Yellowstone National Park) Since wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone in the 1990s, there have been three years when the pup survival rate was extremely low: 1999, 2005, and 2008. Canine parvovirus was believed to be the cause of the wolf pup deaths in 1999 and 2005. That was because parvovirus is known to cause a high mortality rate in domestic dogs, and was suspected in the high death rate of wolves at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan in the early 1980s. Results of newly published research point to canine distemper as the cause of the low pup survival rates....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/09: First Montana wolf taken in hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Billings Gazette reports that the first wolf of the new Montana wolf hunting season has been harvested..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/09: Great Lakes wolves back under federal protection
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves in the Great Lakes region are now back on the endangered species list..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/09: Idaho considers new wolf tag
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials may auction off a wolf tag to raise money for wildlife conservation. ..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/16/09: Montana wolf tags bring in $167K
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Missoulian is reporting that Montana and Idaho have each raised about $167,000 in sales of wolf tags. ...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/15/09: Wolf advocates call for hurried schedule
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Earthjustice, representing the environmental interest that have filed a federal lawsuit opposed to wolf delisting, has now asked the court for an expedited court schedule....... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/14/09: Four wolves killed in Upper Green
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave their weekly Wyoming wolf report for September 7 through September 11, 2009. Wildlife Services confined a yearling steer was killed in the Upper Green River drainage, north of Pinedale, WY. The Green River Pack has a chronic history of livestock depredation and has killed >4 cattle this summer. The pack Control was completed on 9/4/09 when Wildlife Services removed 4 wolves. The report also has news on delisting litigation status...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/14/09: Wolf injunction denied
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The federal judge in Montana considering the environmental and animal rights advocates' request for an injunction to halt wolf hunting seasons in Idaho and Montana has denied their request. The court ruling is based on the legal standard of irreparable harm. The court ruled that while individual wolves may be harmed, the population will not. The court noted: "assuming that the taking of a single animal is not the standard, there is no basis to find irreparable harm that would justify a preliminary injunction in this case." But the judge, Donald Molloy, indicated that the environmentalists will probably eventually win the lawsuit, based on the claim that it was improper to delist wolves in two of the three states that constitute the distinct population segment. The court noted: "Having done so, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cannot delist part of the species below the level of the distinct population segment (DPS) without running afoul of the clear language of the Endangered Species Act." Malloy wrote that the Service cannot delist in an arbitrary and capricious manner, such as distinguishing a natural population of wolves based on a political line, not the best available science. Molloy opined that the Plaintiffs appear to have demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/7/09: Quiet, smooth start to Idaho wolf hunt
(By Idaho Fish and Game) Idaho's first wolf hunts began September 1. Three wolves were taken. Wolf hunters are required to report kills within 24 hours and show the skull and pelt to Idaho Fish and Game authorities within five days. Idaho began selling wolf hunting tags for the first time August 24. More than 11,200 tags were sold in one week. Hunters must report a kill within 24 hours. Zones close to hunting immediately when the harvest limit in each zone is met.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/5/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave a report of the latest news on wolf activity in the Big Horn Mountains, Upper Green River drainage, Dubois, Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, and Oregon..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/4/09: Wolf advocates ask Obama to step in
(By Idaho Fish and Game) Actor/activist Ashley Judd is at it again. She has once again teamed with Defenders of Wildlife to create a wolf video, this one urging President Obama to "stand up for Idaho's wolves."..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/4/09: Three wolves killed in Idaho hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho's first wolf hunts began September 1 with few hunters afield and reports of three wolves taken. Deputy Director Jim Unsworth noted that the successful hunters followed the rules and that the system for reporting harvest worked smoothly. Idaho began selling wolf hunting tags for the first time August 24 but no glitches in the licensing system were reported despite a one-week volume of more than 11,200 tags sold. So far, two wolf harvest reports have come from the Lolo wolf hunting zone and one from the Sawtooth zone. These are the only zones of the 12 Idaho wolf zones to open September 1 and are the zones where the impact of wolves on elk herds are documented to be particularly severe. Two other zones open September 15 and the rest on October 1. A harvest limit of 220 wolves has been set for Idaho..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/2/09: Idaho wolf video
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Fish and Game Department has developed an excellent video documenting why it is ready to manage wolves. Click on the link below to watch..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/1/09: Elk foundation intervenes
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation filed a friend of the court brief in the Montana federal court last week in attempt to help ensure that wolves in Montana and Idaho aren’t placed back under federal protection, and advocating that proposed wolf hunts in those states be allowed to move forward. RMEF argued that wolves are no longer endangered and wolves should be managed by the appropriate state agencies..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

9/1/09: Idaho wolf hunt begins today
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Although environmental and animal rights advocates argued in a federal courtroom in Montana Monday afternoon that wolves should be protected, Idaho's fall wolf hunting season begins today, Sept. 1..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/31/09: Eighteen wolves killed in control
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A total of 18 wolves have been removed in control actions in Wyoming from January through August 28, 2009 in response to depredations on livestock. Six wolves were removed from the Black Butte Pack, north of Pinedale, for killing 37 sheep, 1 yearling steer and injuring 1 guard dog. Five wolves were removed from the Dog Creek pack south of Jackson after killing more than 45 sheep and 3 guard dogs. Two wolves were removed from the Absaroka Pack after killing 2 adult cows...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/31/09: Dozen dogs killed by wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) At least a dozen hunting dogs have been killed by wolves in Wisconsin in the last month. The hunting dogs are hounds that are used to pursue black bears..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/31/09: Defenders raising money for wolf fight
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The legal director of Defenders of Wildlife sent out an emergency fundraising email August 28th seeking support for their legal efforts to stop wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana. "On Monday, we’ll have just a few hours to convince a federal judge to stop irresponsible wolf hunts in Idaho (scheduled to begin Tuesday!) and Montana (scheduled to start September 15th). Unless we prevail, hundreds of wolves could be killed with many pups left orphaned to starve to death over the cold winter months,” Mike Senatore wrote. He asks supporters to make an emergency donation now to help support the organization’s efforts to save these wolves and other imperiled animals. Donations can be made online or via phone..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/28/09: Friends of Animals calls for boycott
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The animal rights group Friends of Animals has called for an Idaho potato boycott because Idaho Governor Butch Otter supports the hunting of wolves. "As long as Idaho is in the business of killing wolves, the nature-respecting public should stop buying potatoes there." Look for potatoes grown in Maine, Colorado, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and other states.".... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/26/09: Everything to know about MT wolf hunt
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Montana has agreed to a hearing on Monday, August 31, 2009 to allow environmental and animal rights groups to argue why wolf hunts shouldn't be held in Montana and Idaho this fall. The groups have asked the court to impose an injunction, halting the hunts...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/25/09: Wolf hunt injunction hearing Aug. 31
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A federal judge in Montana has agreed to a hearing on Monday, August 31, 2009 to allow environmental and animal rights groups to argue why wolf hunts shouldn't be held in Montana and Idaho this fall. The groups have asked the court to impose an injunction, halting the hunts...... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/25/09: Six dead wolves found in Idaho
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) News accounts report that the deaths of six juvenile wolves are being investigated by Idaho wildlife officials. The carcasses of the six were discovered north of Fairfield on national forest lands..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/25/09: Montana wolves kill 120 domestic rams
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks reports that a pack of wolves hit a herd of domestic rams, called "bucks" in a private pasture near Dillon, Montana, last week, and the number of dead sheep is estimated at 120, leaving only about a dozen alive..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/25/09: Sales brisk for $11.50 wolf tags
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho Fish and Game officials report sales are brisk for wolf tags for the fall hunt season. Resident tags cost $11.50. Non-resident tags cost $186.00. Environmental and animal advocacy groups have requested an injunction to stop the hunt.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/24/09: Wyoming wolf depredations continue
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming Wildlife Services reported wolf depredation activity for August, 2009. Confirmed wolf kills of calves and adult cattle, lambs and adult sheep, several livestock guard dogs, and a pet dog have been reported.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/24/09: Groups seek wolf hunt injunction for MT, ID
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Environmental groups, represented by the Montana-based Earthjustice legal advocacy group, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to block fall wolf hunting seasons proposed by Montana and Idaho. The plaintiffs "seek a preliminary injunction to reinstate Endangered Species Act ("ESA") protections for gray wolves to prevent the intentional and unnecessary killing of 330 wolves that is scheduled to begin this fall."..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/09: Defenders to sue to stop Idaho wolf hunt
(By Defenders of Wildlife) In response to the announcement by the Idaho Fish and Game that they will begin to allow regulated hunting of gray wolves beginning September 1st, Defenders of Wildlife announced they, and other conservation groups, will most likely file a request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily restore federal protections to the regional wolf population until the court reaches a final decision in the plaintiffs’ pending legal challenge to the delisting. Defenders of Wildlife issued a media release saying these actions combined threaten the recovery of the still vulnerable regional wolf population in the Northern Rockies. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued an update report for control and monitoring of wolf activity in the Daniel, Hoback and Jackson areas. A pack of 4-6 wolves has been in the Daniel area since last winter with one calf kill reported. Wolves reported killing numerous sheep and three guard dogs in the Hoback drainage. Wolves reported harassing horses and a mule in the Upper Green River drainage near residences. Some wolves in the Jackson area have been observed to have mange. At least 16 packs have produced pups this year. Litter sizes have ranged from 4 pups to a record high of 12-15 pups produced in 2 (possibly 3) litters in the Buffalo Pack.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/20/09: Wolf talk in Jackson August 25
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wolf Biologist Mike Jimenez will discuss wolf biology, predator-prey relationships, wolf-livestock conflicts, and the current wolf population status and legal challenges, at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson on Tuesday, August 25. His talk begins at 5:30 p.m. and will take place at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center (located at 532 North Cache)... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/19/09: Idaho hunters may harvest 220 wolves
(By Idaho Fish and Game) On August 17th, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission set harvest limits for Idaho's first public wolf hunting season this fall. Fish and Game models indicate Idaho now has at least 1,000 wolves. The population increases at a rate of about 20 percent a year, without hunting. The commissioners adopted a strategy that would help meet the state's wolf population objective, as outlined in the 2008 Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan. Hunters will be allowed to take up to 220 wolves in the fall and winter of 2009. Wolf tags will go on sale at 10 a.m. August 24, 2009, at all license vendors. A resident tag costs $11.75, and a nonresident tag costs $186. In 1995 and 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introduced 35 wolves to central Idaho. Since then they have increased in numbers and expanded their distribution. Fish and Game has a responsibility to manage those wolves in balance with their prey and their habitat - just as the agency manages other fish and wildlife species. As with other species, hunting seasons on wolves would be part of managing the population. The commissioners set harvest limits for each of the state's 12 wolf management zones. When the limit is reached in a zone, the season would close in that zone. Commissioners want to manage the wolf population toward the 2005 level of 520 wolves through regulated hunting (five-times higher than the federal recovery goal). ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/11/09: Wyoming wolves killing sheep, cattle, dogs
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports on livestock killed by wolves in the Upper Green river drainage... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/8/09: Bighorn wolf trapping halted
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Buffalo Bulletin reports that efforts to trap wolves that have been killing sheep in the Bighorns have come to a halt. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/8/09: Swiss wolf attacks on sheep
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Recent wolf attacks on sheep in Switzerland are bringing media attention to efforts to co-exist with the protected predator... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/7/09: Wolves killing sheep, cattle
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports of wolves killing 25 sheep and a yearling steer and injuring a guard dog north of Pinedale in July. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

8/4/09: Montana wolf hunt update
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks will offer licenses for sale beginning Aug. 31 for the state’s first regulated wolf hunting season. In July, officials set the statewide harvest quota at 75 wolves for hunting seasons that are set to open Sept. 15 in select backcountry, or wilderness, areas. Licenses will be valid within three specifically defined wolf management units. Hunters must obtain permission to hunt on private lands. The wolf-hunting season, however, could still 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 2008 hunting season and could affect the sale of wolf hunting licenses this year. FWP intends to join the court proceedings in defense of the delisting decision at the appropriate time..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/27/09: Wolf pack south of Lander
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued their weekly Wyoming Gray Wolf Recovery Status Report for July 20-24, 2009. The information is from the USFWS Wyoming Wolf Recovery Project Leader out of Jackson, Wyoming. The report gives delisting litigation status, monitoring and control updates, law enforcement actions, research news, and outreach and education updates..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/27/09: Fifteen wolf packs with pups in Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that efforts to confirm wolf reproduction in Wyoming are ongoing this summer. According to FWS, the following 15 packs have denned and produced pups in Wyoming (outside YNP) in 2009. In the Pinedale Region, they are located in the areas of the Green River, Black Butte, and the Rim.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/27/09: Mastiffs and wolves in Spain
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Both mastiffs and wolves are making a comeback in Spain. The article link includes about a dozen great photographs of the livestock guardian dogs at work with cattle, sheep and goats, as well as the wolves living in the mountains of Spain.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/22/09: Wolf reintroduction proposed for Scottish Highlands
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Science Daily reports that researchers are proposing "a major experiment" involving the reintroduction of wolves into a test site in the Scottish Highlands. The experiment would be conducted in attempt to control the red deer population. Although called red deer in Scotland, these animals are similar to Rocky Mountain elk... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/22/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servic) Wyoming Gray Wolf Recovery Status Report for July 6 through July 10, 2009: USFWS reports (past weekly and annual reports) are available online. Weekly reports for Montana and Idaho are produced by those States and can be viewed on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Idaho Department of Fish and Game websites. All weekly and annual reports are government property and can be used for any purpose. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2008 Annual Report is also available online... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/22/09: Elk change behavior with wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) ScienceBlog has an interesting report about how elk have changed their behavior in response to wolves. The Montana State University research found that elk behavior has changed so much that elk herds are having fewer calves... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/16/09: Montana wolf update
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks ) Wolf Program Activities and Related Information, July 3 – July 10, 2009 Contributors to the Montana Wolf Weekly are Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), Universities, USDA Wildlife Services (WS), the National Park Service (NPS; Glacier NP; Yellowstone National Park will be reported in the Wyoming Wolf Weekly), US Forest Service, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and the Blackfeet Nation. Highlighted activities relate to: monitoring, wolf – livestock interactions, outreach and education, research, law enforcement, and other miscellaneous topics of public interest. The Weekly Report will be available on each Monday, covering the previous week. ..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/13/09: Wolves kill dogs in Wisconsin
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves have killed four dogs in Wisconsin in the last week, according to state wildlife officials. The dogs, which were killed in separate incidents in two counties, were being trained for bear hunting..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/13/09: New wolf pack on Idaho-Washington border
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Images captured on a remote camera devise indicates that there is now a pack of wolves inhabiting Pend Oreille County along the Idaho/Washington border. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/13/09: Montana sets 75-wolf quota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission met recently and set a 75-wolf quota for the fall hunting season.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/1/09: Who is paying for the wolves?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana Cattlemens Association ran this full page ad in The Missoulian this past weekend supporting wolf delisting.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/1/09: The Great Lakes wolf deal
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reached a lawsuit settlement agreement with wolf advocates that has placed gray wolves in the Great Lakes region back under federal protection. All restrictions and requirements in place under the Act prior to the delisting will be reinstated... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

7/1/09: Wolves hit sheep in Big Horns
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Buffalo Bulletin (Buffalo, Wyoming) has an article detailing the impacts of recent wolf attacks on sheep in the Big Horn Mountains... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/29/09: Wolf status report 6/26/09
(By US Fish and Wildlife Service) US Fish and Wildlife Service reports (past weekly and annual reports) can be viewed online . Weekly reports for Montana and Idaho are produced by those States and can be viewed on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Idaho Department of Fish and Game websites. All weekly and annual reports are government property and can be used for any purpose. .... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/29/09: Wolves in Finland
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Gray wolves have expanded their range to include western and southern Finland, after a 100-year absence. With expanded wolf range has come expanded livestock depredations. A research project focused on this conflict was published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/29/09: Origin of Great Lakes wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The ongoing debate over the origin of wolves in the Great Lakes region, and whether the current wolf population is comprised of hybrid animals, continues with a new paper published in the journal Molecular Ecology. The paper entitled, "Origin and status of the Great Lakes wolf," is the name of the paper by S. KoblmÜller, M. Nord, R. Wayne and J. Leonard.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/25/09: Coyote and wolf interactions
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Researchers studying coyote and wolf interactions in Yellowstone National Park have published results in the Canadian Journal of Zoology. Their article says the reintroduction of gray wolves) to Yellowstone National Park provides a rare opportunity to study interactions with coyotes which had lived in the absence of wolves for more than 60 years. Using radio-collared wolves, they documented 337 wolf - coyote interactions from 1995 to 2007.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/25/09: Wolves and the ranching economy
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The journal Ecological Economics has an article entitled "Livestock depredation by wolves and the ranching economy in the Northwestern U.S" by T. Muhly and T. Musiani. In it they say that livestock depredation by wolves is a cost of wolf conservation borne by livestock producers, which creates conflict between producers, wolves and organizations involved in wolf conservation and management. Compensation is the main tool used to mitigate the costs of depredation, but this tool may be limited at improving tolerance for wolves. In addition, the article says wolf depredation is a small economic cost to the industry, although it may be a significant cost to affected producers as these costs are not equitably distributed across the industry..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/23/09: Wolf status report 6/19/09
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) US Fish & Wildlife Services has released a wolf status report on June 19, 2009. Past weekly and annual reports can be viewed online. Weekly reports for Montana and Idaho are produced by those States and can be viewed on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Idaho Department of Fish and Game websites. All weekly and annual reports are government property and can be used for any purpose. The Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2008 Annual Report is also available online. The status report includes information on monitoring, control, research, delisting status, law enforcement activities, outreach and education, and more.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/23/09: Elk foundation supports wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) AmmoLand.com has an interesting editorial about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its support for wolf delisting... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/23/09: Livestock-killing wolf allowed to remain
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to allow a livestock-killing endangered Mexican wolf to remain in the wild. The wolf has been involved in four livestock depredations... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/23/09: Greater Yellowstone Coalition files wolf lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) has filed its own lawsuit challenging the removal of federal protection for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies. GYC is represented by the Mills Legal Clinic at Stanford Law School in the lawsuit that was filed in federal court in Montana. A group of about a dozen environmental and animal advocacy organizations joined together earlier last month to file a federal case against wolf delisting, using the non-profit law group Earthjustice as its legal counsel. Its federal lawsuit challenges the fact that wolves in Wyoming remain classified as "non-essential, experimental" under the same federal regulations that allowed for wolf reintroduction in the mid-1990s. The GYC lawsuit cites concerns for genetic interchange between wolf populations in the tri-state region, finding fault with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service commitment for managed genetic exchange.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/17/09: Great Lakes wolf delisting challenged
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Environmental groups aren't just unhappy about wolves being delisted in Montana and Idaho, but have also challenged the removal of federal protections for wolves in the Great Lakes region.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/17/09: Wyoming's breeding wolf packs
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) At least 15 breeding pairs of wolves have been identified this spring in Wyoming, outside Yellowstone National Park. Jackson has 5 denning packs. Cody/Sunlight has 4. Cora/Pinedale area has 2. Dubois has 1. Green River has 1. There is 1 on the west side of the Teton Range, and South Pass/Sweetwater has 1. Telemetry flights will continue this spring to identify additional packs that have denned. Click on this link for more info on Wyoming’s breeding wolf packs... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/12/09: Yet another wolf lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has filed its own lawsuit against wolf delisting. The case was filed in federal court in Montana, and was filed separately from the one filed by other environmental and animal advocacy groups recently. Wolf litigation has also been filed in federal district court in Wyoming, by State of Wyoming officials... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/11/09: Wolves kill dog in Cody region
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Cody Enterprise has an article by Carole Cloudwalker detailing an account of a local man backpacking and camping in the North Fork area when a pack of eight wolves arrived on the scene and killed his dog. ... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/2/09: Earthjustice files wolf case for enviros
(By Earthjustice) Conservation groups filed their challenge to the removal of Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the Idaho and Montana. The case was filed in federal district court in Montana. On April 2, 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped the wolves from the Endangered Species list, finalizing an effort launched by the Bush administration to deprive the wolves of legal and habitat protections, thus allowing state management and hunting. The challenged delisting decision is the second time in a year the federal government has removed federal protections for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains. Conservation groups, represented by Earthjustice, successfully sued to get the protections reinstated in July 2008.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/2/09: Wolf lawsuits begin (again)
(By Defenders of Wildlife) Defenders of Wildlife and 12 other conservation groups filed a lawsuit asking the courts to reverse the ill-timed and unwarranted removal of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies. The lawsuit is a last resort, and only comes after exhausting all other reasonable options.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/2/09: Wyoming files wolf lawsuit
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Attorney General's Office filed a petition for review of final agency action with the U.S. District Court for Wyoming today. The petition serves as a legal challenge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision not to delist wolves in Wyoming... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/1/09: NRDC slams Idaho, Montana wolf plans
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Billings Gazette includes a guest opinion column by Louisa Willcox of the Northern Rockies Defense Council. In the opinion piece, Willcox outlines the problems her organization sees with wolf management plans adopted in Idaho and Montana, which were approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NRDC plans to challenge the plans, which provided the basis for wolf delisting in those states, in federal court. Willcox claims that federal plans for recovery don't provide for enough wolves in the region, taking issue with Idaho's plan for a fall wolf hunting season. In addition, Willcox claims that the "Shoot, shovel and shut up" culture is alive and well.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

6/1/09: Oregon wolf update
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is continuing to monitor the recently radio-collared male wolf near the Keating Valley in Oregon. As expected, visual observations by aircraft confirmed the presence of a second, smaller wolf travelling with the radio-collared animal. Since collaring the young male on May 3, the wolves have been located on 26 days. Most locations have been in upper-elevation forested area. ODFW is awaiting results of genetic analysis of tissues collected during the capture. The wolves being monitored were involved in the April depredations of 24 sheep and a single calf in the Keating Valley. In addition to active hazing, other non-lethal methods have been employed including fladry (around sheep pen), RAG box, burying of cow carcasses, radio receivers to affected ranchers, and night penning of local sheep. No depredations have been confirmed since April 17.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/30/09: Sweden to allow more wolf hunts
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Reports indicate that Sweden may soon allow increased wolf hunting, citing the need to cull a portion of the highly-inbred population of about 220 animals to make room for new bloodlines..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/26/09: Wolf located south of Lander
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that a radio-collared wolf from the Yellowstone Delta Pack dispersed from the park some time in March, and was recently located south of Lander. The collared wolf is a young female.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/26/09: Feds explain wolf death
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Yellowstone National Park staff killed a habituated wolf in the park on Tuesday morning along Fountain Flat Drive. The wolf had repeatedly chased people and was frequently observed in Biscuit Basin and the Old Faithful developed areas in close proximity to park visitors. The wolf had reportedly exhibited behaviors consistent with being conditioned to human food. Yellowstone staff made attempts at hazing the wolf from the area, only to have the wolf return and repeat this behavior. The decision to remove the wolf from Yellowstone was made in consultation with the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. The park cautions visitors to not feed wildlife because it conditions them and may result in habituation, making them a potential danger to people and consequently may result in their destruction. The removal of this wolf is not considered to have a detrimental impact to the overall health and population of wild, free roaming wolves in Yellowstone.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/26/09: Wolves return to northern China
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wolves are taking their toll on livestock on the steppes of northern China, according to news accounts. Herders have issued a plea for control of predating wolves, and for hunting seasons to resume. In one district of China's Inner Mongolia, herders have lost more than 600 sheep and 300 camels in the last two years, due to wolf depredation.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/26/09: Wolf reintroduction in southern Rockies?
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) WildEarth Guardians has called for wolves to be reintroduced into Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and in north-central New Mexico.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/26/09: Oregon: move wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) An Oregon newspaper's editorial board has taken the position that since wolves have been removed from federal protection in that state, wolves that have preyed on livestock need to be trapped and relocated away from private property.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/22/09: Alaska wolf harasses bicyclists
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that a wolf has been harasssing bicyclists in Denali National Park, going so far as to chew on the handlebars on one bike and puncture a beverage bottle on another, in separate incidents.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/20/09: Yellowstone National Park kills nuisance wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Yellowstone National Park wolf that has chased bicyclists and a motorcyclist in the park was killed by park staff on Tuesday.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/16/09: Yellowstone wolf chases people
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) During winter 2009, the 17 wolves captured near Jackson, WY were tested for 2 strains of Brucellosis (Brucella canis and Brucella abortus). All 17 wolves tested negative for Brucella canis and fifteen wolves tested negative for Brucella abortus. Two wolves tested positive for Brucella abortus. Recently, two separate situations in YNP with habituated wolves have occurred. The annual Yellowstone Park Wolf Project Winter Study took place in March 2009 examining wolf predation. Prey selection and kill rate were typical for late winter: primarily bulls and old cows were taken with few calves. A young wolf dispersing probably from the Gibbon Meadows pack chased people on bicycles and a motorcycle on several occasions. It is unclear how many times as it appears the wolf has been illegally fed and this and other incidences of habituation have gone unreported.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/11/09: Wolf rhetoric remains
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Statesman takes a look at how the wolf debate has changed, but the rhetoric remains the same... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/11/09: Predators alter cattle behavior
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A new paper in the journal “Behavioural Processes” examines cattle response to predator stimuli. With the research conducted by B. Kluever, L. Howery, S. Breck, and D. Bergman. In it, they conclude that wild and domestic ungulates modify their behavior in the presence of olfactory and visual cues of predators, but investigations have not exposed a domestic species to a series of cues representing various predators and other ungulate herbivores. Researchers measured vigilance, foraging rates, giving up density (GUD) of high quality foods and time spent in high quality forage locations in response to location of stimuli treatments... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/09: Montana wolf reports
(By Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks) With the recent federal delisting of the Rocky Mountain gray wolf in Montana, state wildlife officials affirmed that a weekly online report will continue to chronicle Montana’s wolf management efforts. FWP’s Montana Wolf Weekly highlights the previous week’s activities related to monitoring, wolf and livestock interaction, outreach, education, research, law enforcement, and other topics. Contributors to the Montana Wolf Weekly include FWP, USDA Wildlife Services, the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Blackfeet Nation and others.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/09: Wolf litigation discussed
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Jackson Hole News and Guide has an interesting article this week that "Wolf delisting might hinder Wyoming ranchers." The interesting part is where attorneys for the Natural Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice claim that wolf delisting in Montana and Idaho may jeopardize the legal status of Wyoming's wolf population, which is classified as "nonessential, experimental." This is the status granted to wolves when Canadian wolf populations were released into the region... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/09: Wolves den at Mammoth
(By Yellowstone Insider) National Park Service officials are getting to see wolves on a daily basis now that a wolf pack has taken up residence just outside Mammoth, Yellowstone National Park's headquarters... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/09: Wolves delisted in Idaho, Montana
(By Idaho Department of Fish and Game) The federal rule that removes gray wolves in Idaho from the endangered species list became final on Monday, May 4. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's delisting rule affects wolves in Idaho, Montana, parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Wolves in Wyoming will remain on the endangered species list. Idaho has again taken over managing wolves under state law adopted in 2008 and under a wolf population management plan also adopted last year. Under state law, wolves that are molesting or attacking livestock or domestic animals may be killed by livestock or animal owners without a permit from Fish and Game. But the incident must be reported to the Fish and Game director within 72 hours. The wolves killed would remain the property of the state. Livestock and domestic animal owners may take all nonlethal steps they deem necessary to protect their property... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

5/7/09: Oregon wolf collared
(By Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) A joint effort by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife specialists resulted in the capture, radio-collaring, and release of a male wolf on May 3rd. The event marks the first radio-collaring of a wolf in Oregon. The wolf captured and radio-collared was an 87-pound male estimated to be about 2 years old. The track size and a second, smaller wolf seen at the capture site indicate that the wolf is one of two involved in several livestock depredations in the Keating Valley area of Baker County over the past few weeks... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/28/09: Thirty-six elk plunge to death
(By Echo Renner) Thirty-six head of elk plunged to their death over a 150 – 200 foot rim rock on Carter Mountain west of Meeteetse in January. Horn hunters discovered the carcasses last month, and reported it to area landowners. Casualties were seven yearling males, 12 adult females, 10 calves, and seven unknown that slid down over another cliff. Wyoming Game & Fish officials speculate something spooked them. Wolves, helicopters, a storm were given as possible guesses as to why they went over. Grizzly bear predation does occur in the area, however they were still in hibernation at the time of this event. Wolves are active in the area with known predation on area ranches. The reason for this plunge of death will probably remain a mystery forever.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) USFWS reports (past weekly and annual reports) , and the Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery 2008 Annual Report on the status of Gray Wolf Management in Wyoming are available online. The Final Rule to Establish a Gray Wolf – Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment and Remove it from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species becomes effective May 4, 2009. Approximately 60% of the packs in the Northern Range in Yellowstone National Park have denned; however, no interior pack dens have been confirmed. To request an investigation of livestock injured or killed by wolves, please contact the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Wildlife Services at (307)261-5336..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/20/09: Winter, wolves, take toll on deer
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Chronicle Journal of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada reports that two bad winters and heavy predation by wolves are taking a hard toll on the local deer population. The number of deer in the region has crashed by half, and officials estimate that 40 percent of fawns could be stillborn this spring.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/18/09: Camera catches lamb-killing wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Remote cameras captured images of two wolves responsible for killing penned lambs in Oregon.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/13/09: Wandering Colorado wolf dead
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The radio collar transmissions from the female wolf travelling in Northwestern CO stopped moving at the end of March, 2009. Investigators from the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service responded and retrieved her carcass. Those investigators are working toward determining the cause of death, which was unknown as of April 8th, 2009. Anyone with information regarding the death of this wolf is urged to call the Colorado Division of Wildlife at 1-877-COLO-OGT or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 970 257-0795.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/13/09: Details of proposed wolf delisting litigation
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Wolf Coalition has submitted its notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for excluding Wyoming from its wolf delisting rule. The coalition consists of associations and entities comprised of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association, Wyoming Association of County Predatory Animal Boards, Cody Country Outfitters and Guides Association, Predator Management District of Niobrara County, Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife Wyoming, and Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation. The notice of intent to use states that Wyoming Wolf Coalition members "intend to file a civil action for the purpose of enjoining the FWS from violating and continuing to violate the Endangered Species Act, its implementing regulations, FWS policies, and the applicable interagency peer review guidelines. The Wyoming Wolf Coalition also intends to seek an injunction requiring the FWS to undertake an environmental impact statement of its decision to delist the Canadian gray wolf in Idaho and Montana, and in parts of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and to exclude Wyoming from the delisting rule."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/11/09: Montana supports wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana legislature has approved a resolution supporting wolf delisting and urging state officials to defend against legal challenges to delisting.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/11/09: Wolves photographed in Big Horns
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Gillette News Record has a full account of the recent wolf photographs taken by remote camera in the Big Horn Mountains.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/8/09: Idaho debates non-native species bill
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Idaho Statesman reports that the Idaho legislature is debating a bill that would make introducing non-native species a felony. The bill is a result over the ongoing controversy over the release of Canadian wolves into the state, and wolf management... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/8/09: Ovaries harvested from Mexican wolf
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Lewisboro, New York-based LewisboroLedger.com is reporting that the International Wolf Center has spayed on older female Mexican wolf, a member of an endangered species, and harvested her ovaries. The center apparently hopes to be able to use the eggs harvested from her ovaries in a potential future in vitro fertilization program... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Wyoming wolf update
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimated there were at least 178 wolves and at least 30 packs in Wyoming (outside YNP). The census period ends on December 31st of each year. They continue collecting population data for the upcoming year. So far in 2009, at least 2 additional packs have been identified and 1 possible pack may have formed last summer.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Final wolf delisting rule published
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published the final rule delisting wolves in the Montana and Idaho portions of the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population, but leaving wolves under federal protection in Wyoming. The delisting rule will take effect May 4, 2009... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Wyoming prepares wolf lawsuit
(By Wyoming Governor press release) The State of Wyoming announced that it will challenge in federal court a decision by the U.S. Department of Interior to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in Montana and Idaho, but not in Wyoming.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Isle Royale wolves suffer from inbreeding
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Every one of the dead wolves from Isle Royale examined by researchers in a 12-year period showed bone deformities, indicating that wolf population is suffering from inbreeding. Researchers are now pondering whether humans should step in and attempt to "rescue" this wolf population by augmentation, raising ethical considerations.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Enviros to sue over wolf delisting
(By Earthjustice) In response to delisting in Idaho and Montana, environmental law firm Earthjustice issued a press release notifying of their intention to ask a federal court to reinstate federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the northern Rockies. Earthjustice says wolf numbers still are not strong enough and the conservation groups they represent do not feel the state plans responsibly manage wolves.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

4/5/09: Challenge to lethal wolf control moves forward
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A legal challenge over the Mexican wolf recovery program will move forward, a judge has ruled. Defenders of Wildlife and other environmental groups are seeking to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that provides for control of wolves that prey on livestock, among other issues... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/30/09: The Cody elk/wolf problem
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has organized a nine-member working group to help the agency address problems with the elk population in the Cody region. WG&F is focusing the working group’s efforts on the declining numbers of bull elk in the Sunlight-Crandall portion of the Clarks Fork Elk Herd Unit. One of the items of interest is during the last 20 years, elk have undergone a major shift to private lands during winter. The elk that moved onto private lands have become non-migratory, apparently sticking to the security of the private property in response to predation.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/30/09: Predation on Jackson elk
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that the ration of elk calves to cows is nearly twice as high for elk located on private property in the Jackson region.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/30/09: Moose licenses drop from 500 to 40
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reports that the Jackson moose herd appears to be continuing its downward trend with fewer total animals being observed during this winter’s aerial surveys. Also, there were fewer calves counted, which doesn’t bode well for the future of this herd. WG&F has continually reduced the number of hunting licenses for the Jackson moose herd over the past several years. When moose numbers were strong back in the early 1990s, there were nearly 500 licenses being offered in the Jackson moose herd. This year WG&F is down to offering just 40 licenses.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/09: Wolf back in Colorado
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that the female wolf that has roamed in five states, raising some hopes and expectations from Colorado wolf advocates, then venturing back into Wyoming and dashing those hopes, has once again been located back in Colorado. The female wolf had dispersed from southwestern Montana last year before traveling through Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, northeastern Utah, northern Colorado, and then back to south central Wyoming. She was recently located again in north central Colorado.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/25/09: Idaho sets wolf hunting seasons
(By Idaho Department of Fish and Game) Idaho Fish and Game Commission Tuesday, March 24, adopted big game seasons as recommended by Fish and Game biologists, with a few last minute changes in response to public comments..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/24/09: Alberta ranches under wolf attack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Ranchers in Alberta, Canada, are complaining about increasing wolf attacks on their cattle. Provincial wildlife managers say culling the wolf population is not an option.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/20/09: Alaska halts helicopter wolf gunning
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Alaska wildlife officials have halted their wolf control program using helicopter gunners after recent snow loss left conditions less than ideal. But they had succeeded in killing 66 wolves in five days, all in an effort to save a caribou herd in jeopardy.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/20/09: Idaho hazes wolf pack
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) State wildlife officials hazed the 10-member Phantom Hill wolf pack away from Sun Valley, Idaho-area subdivisions this week. The pack was chased with a low-flying helicopter.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/20/09: Mangy wolf killed at Gardiner
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Federal wildlife officials killed a wolf near the Gardiner, Montana area. The wolf was badly infested with mange. A kill order was also issued for two Montana wolves that attacked and injured a livestock guardian dog and a domestic goat in the Helena area... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/09: Northern Rockies wolf report for 2008 available
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) The gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains continues to thrive. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and its federal, state and tribal partners estimated at the end of 2008 there were 1,645 wolves in 217 packs in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. At least 95 of those packs contained at least 1 adult male, 1 adult female, and 2 pups on December 31, 2008, meeting the recovery goal description of a breeding pair.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/09: Alaska changes wolf control program
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) In attempt to boost caribou numbers in Alaska, state wildlife officials are now shooting wolves out of a helicopter. The action has raised the ire of some observers, including park service officials.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/09: Wolves encroaching on Idaho town
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials are now considering hazing the 10-member Phantom Hill wolf pack as it has been encroaching on the town of Hailey, Idaho.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/18/09: Idaho wolf update
(Idaho Fish and Game Department monthly report) Aerial telemetry flights and end-of-year counts are completed, and the annual report is being wrapped up. The minimum population estimates for 2008 are 846 wolves for Idaho, in 88 packs, 39 breeding pairs. This is about a 15 percent increase over the 2007 minimum population estimate of 732. From January 1 – February 28, agencies have documented five dead wolves in Idaho. Of those, four were depredation control actions by Wildlife Services, and one was an illegal kill..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/15/09: Wolf wanders back to Wyoming
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports today that the wandering wolf that has travelled through parts of five states has now returned to Wyoming. According to FWS, "In early winter 2008, a female wolf dispersed from SW Montana and traveled through Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, northern Utah, and Colorado. Recent location data indicate the wolf is traveling through south central Wyoming.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/15/09: Wolves, dogs conflict in Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana News Station has an article about recent conflicts between lion hounds and wolves in the Bitterroot..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/11/09: Coastal wolves unique
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Researchers suggest that coastal wolves - those animals living in coastal regions of Alaska and Canada - are unique animals in need of recognition and protection..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/11/09: Wisconsin deer thump wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin State Journal has a fascinating article about something researchers believe happens, but is rarely witnessed. In this case, a man witnessed white-tailed deer battling gray wolves.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: Wolves dispersing here and there
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife reports that it is a well documented fact that wolves can disperse extremely long distances, frequently over 500 miles and across huge expanses of habitat unsuitable for wolf pack persistence. Routine long distance dispersals are common and provide further evidence that genetic connectivity in the NRM wolf population is and will remain extremely high and is not a long term wolf conservation issue... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: DOI affirms wolf delisting
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service press release) Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar affirmed the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in the western Great Lakes and the Northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Montana and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Wolves will remain a protected species in Wyoming. The Service will now send the delisting regulation to the Federal Register for publication. The Service decided to delist the wolf in Idaho and Montana because they have approved state wolf management plans in place that will ensure the conservation of the species in the future. At the same time, the Service determined wolves in Wyoming would still be listed under the Act because (they contend) Wyoming’s current state law and wolf management plan are not sufficient to conserve its portion of northern Rocky Mountain wolf population.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: Yellowstone wolf numbers down, elk up
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) In January, Yellowstone National Park issued a press release reporting that while wolf numbers are declining in the park, elk numbers on the Northern Range are up. The reduction in wolf numbers is the first drop in the park in three years. The Yellowstone Wolf Project reports the 2008 population at 124 wolves, down 27 percent from the 171 wolves recorded in 2007. This year’s elk count was slightly higher than the counts during the three previous winters. The slight increase in elk counted during winter 2009 compared to the three previous winters may reflect favorable counting conditions, a reduction in the hunter harvest of antler-less elk, and a reduction in wolf predation owing to a fairly large decrease in wolf numbers during the summer of 2008... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: Hunter reports of wolf presence accurate
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Recent research found a strong correlation between the number of wolves detected by hunters and the density of wolves in each of four Montana study areas, suggesting hunters’ observations are reasonably accurate. More about this is in a new research paper, "Developing Wolf Population Monitoring Techniques."..(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: Wolves kill six llamas on animal rescue ranch in Montana
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has reported recent wolf depredation in Montana, including six llamas over two nights on a large animal rescue ranch near Niarada in February. Tracks from at least two wolves were found going in and out of the pasture holding approximately 750 llamas. After the installation of three-quarter of a mile of turbo-fladry, no more depredations have been reported....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/7/09: Wisconsin wolf numbers up
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Sun-Times News Group reports that wolf numbers in Wisconsin are up slightly. With about 550 wolves, state biologists believe the wolf population has reached its saturation point....(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/4/09: Isle Royale wolf population inbred
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) "Congenital bone deformities and the inbred wolves (Canis lupus) of Isle Royale" is the title of a new research paper published in Biological Conservation, by researchers Jannikke Ralkkonen, John Vucetich, Rolf Petersen, and Michael Nelson. The wolf (Canis lupus) population on Isle Royale, a remote island in Lake Superior, North America, is extremely inbred. ...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/4/09: Staying safe in predator country
(By Wyoming Game and Fish Department) Wildlife officials are encouraging people to attend one of the upcoming public workshops titled "Staying Safe in Bear, Lion and Wolf Country". These workshops are free to the public and will be offered in both Jackson and Pinedale this spring. Anyone who spends time in bear and lion country is encouraged to attend. The three-hour evening workshop will be held in Pinedale on March 18 from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., at the Pinedale Game and Fish office...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

3/4/09: More on wandering wolf
(By U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) An 18 month old female wolf that was originally radio collared in southwesters Montana dispersed from her natal pack in September 2008. She has traveled from Montana, through parts of western Wyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northeastern Utah.Last week, locations from her GPS satellite collar indicated she was near Vail, Colorado, approximately 450 (straight-line) miles from her natal home range... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/28/09: Wyoming wants to test wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Wyoming State lawmakers want to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in wolves, and are proposing legislation to that end. If the bill passes, it will allocate $45,000 to draw blood samples from any wolves captured or killed in the state, to allow the blood to be tested for brucellosis...(Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/28/09: Montana hunters demand wolf delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A protest was held outside the offices of the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office this weekend by hunters demanding that wolves be removed from federal protection.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/28/09: Idaho proposes killing wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho wildlife officials will soon ask for federal approval of their plan to kill up to about 100 wolves in the Lolo area.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/25/09: Yellowstone wolf in Colorado
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A wolf from Yellowstone National Park is being tracked as it roams in Colorado. According to a news account from KMGH in Denver, the wolf has been tracked since September as it traveled in five states. She was collared in Montana, traveled south through Yellowstone and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, cruised southeastern Idaho and northern Utah before jaunting over to Eagle County, Colorado.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/23/09: Jackson wolves may have mange
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that February 11-13, FWS biologists aerial darted and radio collard 15 wolves in three packs near Jackson. All 5 wolves collared in the Antelope Pack had significant hair loss and skin irritation, indicating they were possibly infected with mange. None of the captured wolves from the other two packs displayed signs on mange. FWS will continue routine winter capture and collaring efforts in Wyoming until the end of March... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/22/09: Hunting dogs killed by wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has an excellent website with information on hunting dog depredations by wolves. In response to the high number of dog depredations in recent years, the state DNR maps "caution" areas for hunters. The site also includes a mapping system so that you can examine territories of individual wolf packs... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/22/09: Idaho calculates revenue loss from wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho is losing as much as $24 million a year in hunting-related revenue due to wolves killing big game animals. That's the calculation offered by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/22/09: Wolf return to Oregon pondered
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) A recent wolf sighting near Bend, Oregon has folks there questioning whether wolves have returned to the state, or where the animal might have come from. .. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/11/09: Wind River Indian Reservation wolf management
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) While Wyoming and other Rocky Mountain states struggle to deal with wolf management issues, Wind River Indian Reservation officials have their own wolf management plan. According to the tribal plan, "Tribes will manage wolves independently and are not subject to the number of packs required to be maintained for recovery in areas of Wyoming outside of Yellowstone National Park. At this time, the Tribes do not designate a specific number of individuals or packs for which it will manage.".. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/11/09: Dealing with habituated wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Did you know that Yellowstone National Park has a written plan in place for dealing with habituated wolves? The plan was written in 2003, after several years of incidents involving wolves showing no fear of humans, and actually approaching humans. According to the YNP plan, "Our first response to a report of a habituated or unafraid wolf would be to warn and educate the public, increase our monitoring intensity, and visit the site where problems were reported. This would primarily be to gather more data, allowing formulation of future responses if necessary. If the problem continues we would negatively condition the animal with cracker shells, bean bag rounds, or rubber bullets, all proven to be non-injurious deterrents. If hazing fails, then the final step would be wolf removal."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/09: Idaho plans for wolf management
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Idaho Fish and Game wildlife managers are making plans for managing wolves, including a possible hunting season, should they be removed from the endangered species list as proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Fish and Game biologists are updating data, reviewing conflict levels, population status and harvest objectives for a fall 2009 wolf hunting season should the animals be delisted.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/09: Wolf management in MT
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, through an interagency cooperative agreement, is still the lead agency for all wolf conservation and management in the state of Montana (within the bounds of federal regulations) so long as adequate federal funding continues to be made available..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/09: Wolf control in Alaska
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) While many news outlets are calling it a "cat fight" between Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and animal activist Ashley Judd, Alaska's aerial gunning program for wolves is once again in the spotlight, pleasing Defenders of Wildlife, the organization Judd is promoting in the process. For the real deal on what's happening in wolf control in Alaska, read the story by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Alaska is home to the distinct Alexander Archipelago wolf, which you can also learn about from that site.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/7/09: Wolves cause drop in MT elk population
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Great Falls Tribune is reporting that a study conducted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has concluded that wolves have caused a drop in some elk populations..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2/5/09: Idaho looks to export wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Planning ahead, Idaho legislators are in the process of enacting legislation that would allow the state wildlife agency to export wolves to other states, once the species has been removed from federal protection.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/29/09: Walkabout wolves and wolf update
(By US Fish & Wildlife Service Wolf Report) WYOMING WOLF WEEKLY- Jan. 9, 2009 through Jan. 23, 2009.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/29/09: Wolf shot in South Dakota
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Argus Leader reports that a coyote hunter shot and killed a wolf in South Dakota this week. The 70-pound female wolf was killed in Roberts County.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/28/09: Wolf hearing Friday morning
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Legislature's House Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee will hold a hearing on the six wolf bills pending in the house. The hearing is slated for 7 a.m., Friday January 30, 2009 in Room 302 of the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne. For individuals unable to travel to Cheyenne, selected video conferencing sites in northwestern Wyoming will be open to the public. Video conferencing sites will be available in Cody, Afton, Jackson, Lander and Pinedale.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/28/09: Wolf confirmed near Buffalo
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) It appears a lone wolf has been making its presence known near Buffalo, Wyoming.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/22/09: Obama halts wolf delisting
(By Center for Biological Diversity press release) President Barack Obama has issued a freeze on publication of federal regulations planned under the previous administration but not yet published in the Federal Register. This action, which will give the new administration a chance to review Bush-era policy decisions, will delay and possibly prevent the premature removal of gray wolves from the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and portions of Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. According to Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, the pause will afford President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar the opportunity to rethink the previous administration’s efforts to remove wolves from the endangered species list... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/22/09: Idaho wolves at a glance
(By Idaho Fish and Game Department) As of the end of 2008, tentative numbers are 824 wolves, 88 packs of which 38 are considered breeding pairs. About 1,500 are found in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. 84 wolves in 50 packs had radio collars in December 2008. If the delisting rule goes into effect, Idaho Fish and Game would be the lead agency in Idaho wolf management.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/22/09: Wolves impact elk grazing
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) "Risk effects in elk: Sex-specific responses in grazing and browsing due to predation risk from wolves" is an article by D. Christianson and S. Creel in the journal Behavioral Ecology.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/09: Hunting decline changes natural order
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Matthew Teague has an interesting article posted on Sports Illustrated Vault. The article is "How the decline of hunting is changing the natural order." It's a long article and well worth the read..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/09: Senate passes wolf compensation bill
(By U.S. Senator Jon Tester press release) On Thursday, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan "Wolf Kill Bill" by Senators Jon Tester and John Barrasso, R-Wyo. The measure, officially called the Wolf Livestock Loss Mitigation Act, was included in a major public lands bill. In Montana, the Wolf Kill Bill authorizes federal money from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to boost Montana’s livestock loss fund. That fund repays Montana ranchers the full market value of animals killed by wolves. The Wolf Kill Bill will also minimize wolf kills in states like Montana and Wyoming by allowing federal grants to improve fencing, improve grazing practices, and to encourage the use of guard dogs. The measure is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives next week before going to President Obama to be signed into law..... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/19/09: Time to manage wolves
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) Scientific American magazine online has dusted off an old article from 2003 and put it back into the spotlight this week. It's called "The Gray Wolf: Out of the Woods?" Short and to the point, the article by Emily Harrison notes that after years of cries to "save the wolf," recovery has been achieved, and now it's time to manage our nation's wolf populations.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/16/09: Wyoming left out of wolf delisting
(By U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) Wyoming wolves still need Endangered Species Act protection, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, due to a lack of adequate regulatory mechanisms ensuring their protection under state law. Wolves in the western Great Lakes population and portions of the northern Rocky Mountain populations have been removed from ESA protection. Wolves in other parts of the 48 states, including the Southwest wolf population, remain endangered and are not affected by the actions taken.... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/16/09: Enviros plan to sue over delisting
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Wyoming Chapter of the Sierra Club has pledged to sue over the latest FWS wolf delisting rule. Sierra Club issued a press release stating in part, “Removing federal protections for wolves will leave them at the mercy of aggressive state plans that treat wolves as pests rather than a valuable wildlife resource. Releasing yet another flawed delisting rule is simply a last ditch attempt to remove protections for wolves before the Bush administration leaves office."... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/16/09: Defenders pledges wolf lawsuit
(By Defenders of Wildlife) Defenders of Wildlife weighed in on the gray wolf delisting by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, calling it an “attempt to prematurely strip wolves of legal protection before the clock runs out next Tuesday on the most anti-environment administration in American history.” .. (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/13/09: Yellowstone wolf numbers decline
(By National Park Service) The number of wolves in Yellowstone National Park declined last year. It’s the first drop in wolf numbers in the park in three years. The Yellowstone Wolf Project reports the 2008 population at 124 wolves, down 27 percent from the 171 wolves recorded in 2007. Previous population declines in 1999 and 2005 were attributed to the impacts of disease, especially on wolf pups. This past year, distemper, mange, and wolves killing each other are the likely causes of the population decline... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/9/09: Wolf hunting reinstated in Macedonia
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Newropeans online magazine has an interesting article detailing how the ban on wolf hunting in Macedonia has been set aside after numerous recent conflicts with wolves, of which number in the "many." Macedonia, once part of Yugoslavia, is an independent state in southeastern Europe... (Click on the link above for the complete story.)

1/6/09: Wolves spotted on Muddy Mountain
(By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!) The Casper Star-Tribune reports that two wolves have been spotted in the Muddy Mountain area about 30 miles south of Casper.... Click on the link above for the complete story.)

2008 Story Archive

2007/2006 Story Archive