March 21, 2010 in Outdoors

Hunting hasn’t slowed wolves

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File photo

Wolf hunt protester Patti Watts, right, of Cocolalla, Idaho, displayed her signs just across the parking lot from pro-wolf hunt folks at Idaho Fish & Game in Coeur d’Alene last Aug. 28.
(Full-size photo)

At least 1,706 gray wolves in 242 packs and 115 breeding pairs were roaming the Northern Rockies of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming at the end of 2009, according to reports compiled by the states and recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The reintroduced predators increased their numbers and distribution despite the 2009 opening of the first fair-chase hunting seasons authorized in Idaho and Montana.

About 1,645 wolves were documented in the Northern Rockies at the end of 2008, with about 95 breeding pairs.

The 4 percent overall growth rate was the lowest since the first Canadian gray wolves were released in Yellowstone Park and Idaho in 1995-1996.

But state wildlife managers say wolf populations need to be reduced.

Citing data recently compiled from winter big-game surveys, Idaho Fish and Game Department Director Cal Groen called for using trapping or other methods to reduce wolf numbers in a couple of areas where they were contributing to the decimation of elk herds.

Elk in the Lolo Zone have declined 57 percent since 2006, he said. Hunters were not able to kill their quota of wolves in the rugged country.

Idaho has the biggest concentration of wolves – a minimum of 843 compared with 524 in Montana and 320 in Wyoming.

Some animal protection groups continue to vigorously oppose the wolf’s removal from Endangered Species protections in Idaho and Montana last year. A court challenge is pending.

However, Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who’s led the wildly successful wolf recovery effort since 1988, said scientists have proved that Northern Rockies wolves are fully recovered “by every biological measure.”

Federal agencies spent $3.8 million for wolf management in 2009 while private and state agencies paid $457,785 in compensation for wolf-damage to livestock.

The spending is predicted to increase this year, FWS officials said.

Confirmed cattle losses by wolves in the Northern Rockies decreased slightly to 192 while kills of sheep and dogs increased to 721 and 24 respectively, up from 355 and 14.

Oregon and Washington, which still have Endangered Species protections for wolves, are not yet required to file statewide wolf recovery reports.

Washington has at least two breeding packs with no reported livestock depredation last year or official wolf removals, said Madonna Luers, state Fish and Wildlife Department spokeswoman .

Two wolves were killed by Oregon officials last year in response to private property damage. Oregon has at least two breeding packs.

Some wolf packs naturally fell apart last year and some were exterminated after they developed an incurable taste for livestock. But other wolf packs formed for a net gain of packs in the region.

The overall spread of wolves is clear, state officials say.

Montana reports minimum number of wolf packs has increased from 46 in 2005, to 60 in 2006, to 73 in 2007, to 84 in 2008 and to 101 in 2009.

The majority of Montana’s increases are in northwestern corner of the state, where white-tailed deer are likely the major prey. Elk are the prime wolf target in much of Idaho.

North Idaho wolves are increasing significantly. At least 14 packs were documented in the Idaho Panhandle in 2009, up from five last year.

Despite natural decreases in wolf numbers in Yellowstone National Park, which is largely in Wyoming, the state posted a 6 percent statewide increase in wolves and a 26 percent increase outside the park.

Wyoming was not able to open a hunting season in 2009 because of challenges to its wolf recovery plan.

Diseased and competition among packs has caused Yellowstone’s wolf population to declined precipitously 171 wolves two years ago to 56 this year, said Doug Smith, the park’s lead wolf biologist.

In early April the wolves will den. By the second week of April most of the wolf pups are born, he said.

Seven comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  notrich on March 21 at 8:57 a.m.

  wolves have been spotted near Oso, WA within the last year.
  Due to the decrease in deer North of Spokane, wolves or weather must be the cause and I don’t know which. When my hunting partner and I went last October for a week we only saw 15 deer total and no other hunter reported success to us. Not a big survey, but telling.
  2 years ago we spotted a wolf within 100 yards of I-90 by the town of St. Regis near a full grown moose. I wouldn’t think a wolf would take on a moose by itself, but maybe in a pack.

  I’m wondering if diseased wolves can infect dogs like bighorn sheep can infect sheep? Normally i understand they tend to kill dogs.

• 

  notrich on March 21 at 9:03 a.m.

  Just wait until a wolf pack gets started in the Winthrop—Twisp area. Hunters can’t hunt the valleys due to private property and the deer population is astounding there. The only place I’ve ever seen signs posted that count the number of dead deer killed by vehicles. But if a wolf pack comes in; then you will have wolves in the towns and valleys. That will really go over good!
  There are so many deer there that multiple packs will probably form. Fish and game will have to set up shooting stands in the valley to curb the population. Firearms going off in the valley will also be popular - NOT.

• 

  monkeyman on March 21 at 10:17 a.m.

  “North Idaho wolves are increasing significantly. At least 14 packs were documented in the Idaho Panhandle in 2009, up from five last year.”

  Good info to know. About a month ago I heard the unmistakable wolf howls for a couple of nights near Liberty Lake county park. It appeared to be two or more wolfs communicating across a mile or more.

  Coyotes are quite commonly seen/heard in this area, but these howls were the ones that make the hair on your back stand up. Not sure that the wolfs would be a concern for hikers with children/pets.

  (For those who don’t know the area, it is approx between Spokane and Coeur d’Alene).

• 

  CharlesBillford on March 21 at 10:56 a.m.

  Politicians are a greater danger…suck blood, travel in packs and prey on the most innocent of people. I have never heard a wolf to lie, cheat, steal, take special privildge nor send your son to an illegal war.

  Sadly though they do camoflage that yellow streak down their backs.

• 

  Liberty_Bell on March 21 at 11:54 a.m.

  Like that schoolteacher eaten by wolves last week in Chignik?

  The politician, and wolf, discussed well in General Grant’s Memouirs Chapter V

  After the second night at Goliad, Benjamin and I started to make the remainder of the journey alone. We reached Corpus Christi just in time to avoid “absence without leave.” We met no one—not even an Indian—during the remainder of our journey, except at San Patricio. A new settlement had been started there in our absence of three weeks, induced
  possibly by the fact that there were houses already built, while the proximity of troops gave protection against the Indians. On the evening of the first day out from Goliad we heard the most unearthly howling of wolves, directly in our front. The prairie grass was tall and we could not see the beasts, but the sound indicated that they were near. To my ear it appeared that there must have been enough of them to devour our party,
  horses and all, at a single meal. The part of Ohio that I hailed from was not thickly settled, but wolves had been driven out long before I left. Benjamin was from Indiana, still less populated, where the wolf yet roamed over the prairies. He understood the nature of the animal and the capacity of a few to make believe there was an unlimited number of them. He kept on towards the noise, unmoved. I followed in his trail,
  lacking moral courage to turn back and join our sick companion. I have no doubt that if Benjamin had proposed returning to Goliad, I would not only have “seconded the motion” but have suggested that it was very hard-hearted in us to leave Augur sick there in the first place; but Benjamin did not propose turning back. When he did speak it was to ask:
  “Grant, how many wolves do you think there are in that pack?” Knowing where he was from, and suspecting that he thought I would overestimate the number, I determined to show my acquaintance with the animal by putting the estimate below what possibly could be correct, and answered:
  “Oh, about twenty,”
  very indifferently. He smiled and rode on. In a
  minute we were close upon them, and before they saw us. There were just two of them. Seated upon their haunches, with their mouths close together, they had made all the noise we had been hearing for the past ten minutes. I have often thought of this incident since when I have heard the noise of a few disappointed politicians who had deserted their
  associates. There are always more of them before they are counted…

• 

  monkeyman on March 21 at 1:14 p.m.

  http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/12/alaska.animal.attack/

  http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/18/wolves.kill.woman/

• 

  bigsky on April 04 at 6:54 p.m.

  you folks in washington state need to make your opposition known ASAP. i live in montana and in the past few years ive seen big decreases in the elk, moose and mule deer populations. the environmentalist are tying up our court system with frivolous law suits which cost thousands, the state/federal government are spending over 4 million dollars monitoring the packs. all this spending of our tax dollars while our country is in debt. the sad thing is after the elk, moose, mule deer and even other predatory animals such as the grizzly and mountain lions ( competing for food) are depleted to the point they cant sustain their numbers the environmentalist will then want to spend millions to save them. my solution is, if you want the wolves it should be YOUR responsibility to shoulder the cost. im sick of my tax dollars going for frivolous law suits and the agenda of a minority.spend my tax dollars on saving my country , family and neighbors. if theres someone with any legal experience that will look into starting a (federal) petition to stop using our tax dollars on a minorities agenda im sure we will have great support. lets be a pain in the rear to the pro wolf faction like they are to us.