From: Gray Wolf Recovery Coordinator, Helena, MT
Subject: Status of Gray Wolf Recovery, Week of 6/18/07 to 6/22/07
NEW WEB ADDRESS - The 2007 annual interagency wolf report (covering all 2006) can be viewed at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/annualreports . It has maps of wolf pack locations and home ranges, tables of wolf numbers and depredations, discussions of litigation and funding issues, summaries of scientific studies, an extensive bibliography, and additional information.
Monitoring
Adia Sovie and Nick Mitrovich began working on 5/29 and Shannon Kachel on 6/7, as volunteers for MFWP in NW Montana. Welcome Adia, Nick, and Shannon!.
Kent Laudon and Kris Boyd confirmed reproduction in the Murphy Lake pack (uncollared) and observed a minimum of 1 pup on 5/22. They captured and collared a yearling female in the Lydia pack on 6/10, and a 2 year old male in the Ksanka pack on 6/16. Both of these packs were previously uncollared. Trapping operations are on going in the Murphy Lake pack. Laudon and Boyd confirmed reproduction in the Ksanka pack and a minimum of 2 pups on 6/15.
Sovie, Mitrovich, and Kachel confirmed reproduction in the Lydia pack and a minimum of 1 pup on 6/21.
Carter Niemeyer is attempting to capture a wolf from the Steel Mountain pack with the intent of fitting it with a GPS radio-collar; yesterday, he trapped a wolf, but unfortunately the wolf managed to pull out of the trap. Jason Husseman trapped a yearling female wolf from the Moyer Basin pack on 6/22. The wolf was fitted with a GPS collar that will provide data for a research project investigating alternative, less intensive methods for monitoring wolves in Idaho.
Control
Idaho WS captured and killed a subadult, gray male wolf on Saturday, June 16 near the Hunter Creek (east of Anderson Ranch Reservoir) depredation site in the Sawtooth National Forest in response to predation on a livestock guarding dog and 25 sheep the previous weeks. Additionally, a fixed-wing aerial hunting crew on Wednesday, June 20, killed a 2nd subadult gray male wolf. WS was authorized to remove 2 wolves in this area, so this control action is concluded for now. On Tuesday, June 19, WS confirmed 6 gray-colored wolf pups in this pack. WS will be closely monitoring the only collared wolf in the pack since numerous livestock will be in the area throughout the summer.On Monday, June 18, Idaho WS confirmed a yearling calf killed by wolves on private property in the Cascade, Idaho area. This is the 4th calf killed by wolves on this ranch since Memorial day, and each predation event has been a single calf weighing approximately 500-600 pounds. WS initiated a control action after the first calf was killed and will be continuing with the action. The livestock owner was issued a shoot-on-site permit by the IDFG on June 11.
Wildlife Services confirmed 3 sheep killed near Dupuyer, Mt on 5/30. It was believed to be a lone wolf and operations to collar and release were initiated. On 6/3 another sheep was killed and operations changed to removal of one wolf or collar and release if a lactating female was captured. On 5/8 traps were pulled and operations were suspended pending further activity. There have been no further reports.
Wildlife Services confirmed a calf cattle killed near Fortine on 5/18 in the Lydia pack territory. This pack has no history of depredation and a wolf had been captured and collared the previous week. MFWP is attempting to haze the pack into adjacent drainages and outside of the grazing allotment.
After wolves from the Washakie Pack killed 1 calf and 1 cow near Dubois, WY, W.S. removed 2 adult male wolves on 6/20/07. Control is complete at this time.
On 6/20/07, a 2-year old male wolf was killed by an M-44 coyote bait in the Big Horn Mountains, near Ten Sleep, WY. USFWS Law Enforcement is investigated the incident.
Research
David Ausband (U of MT) and the wolf monitoring research project field crew began field work in the McCall area on June 11. The crew has been finding wolf sign and collecting scat samples (for DNA analysis) in the project's McCall study area. Ausband has also been coordinating with NPT, IDFG, & WS personnel to distribute 10 GPS collars into 10 study packs across Idaho. GPS collars will be used to locate rendezvous sites and estimate territory size for study packs.Information/Education and Law Enforcement
On June 20th, Bradley (MTFWP) gave a talk to ~45 Forest Service employees in Superior at their annual employee orientation.Ausband presented a synopsis of the monitoring research project and the
associated BP estimator to Idaho F&G area managers in Boise on June
13th.
The Service’s weekly report can be viewed at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/ . This report is government public property and can be used for any purpose. Please distribute as you see fit.
Contact: Ed Bangs (406)449-5225 ext. 204 or Ed_Bangs@fws.gov