In an attempt to prevent possible livestock depredations in the Big Hole Valley in Montana, Federal gray wolf specialists successfully relocated two gray wolf pairs from that area to the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in north central Idaho. The August 18-19 effort was completed by a multi-agency team comprised of staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nez Perce Tribe, and USDA Wildlife Services.
Female gray wolf B-80 and her mate were moved into the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area near the Schearer Airstrip. B-100 and B-63 were moved to an area along the Selway River near Moose Creek. Both wolf pairs are collared and their movement will be monitored. The Selway-Bitterroot area was chosen by wolf managers because it contains few livestock and provides excellent habitat and prey base for wolves.
Joe Fontaine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gray wolf recovery specialist, said none of the wolves had killed livestock in the Big Hole area. "This move was a preemptive measure to keep livestock losses low in the Big Hole Valley. This is the fourth group of wolves to move into the area, and all the winter prey base, such as elk or moose, is gone. If the traditional prey base is not available for these animals, the chances of the livestock becoming prey increases dramatically," Fontaine said.
Although the move involved the states of Idaho and Montana, all four wolves were within the Central Idaho Wolf Recovery Area and were not moved outside experimental population boundaries.
According to Curt Mack, wolf recovery lead for the Nez Perce Tribe, "The successful relocation of these pairs of wolves before they had the chance to set up a permanent territory and produce pups is a win-win situation. It should prove to be beneficial in keeping wolf-livestock conflicts low and alleviate concerns over losses for land owners in the Big Hole area of Montana. It will also reduce the probability of the pairs establishing a territorial range near livestock, and will give both pairs of wolves a chance to contribute to recovery and delisting."
Wolf relocation has been used as a management tool in the wolf recovery program for more than a decade. On August 10, subadult wolf B-103 of Idaho
